TO WHAT EXTENT DOES STUBBLE BURNING AFFECT THE BIODIVERSITY OF INDIA, AND CREATE A THREAT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY?

The timeline of the air pollution in North India is predictable. Wintertime air pollution, which is mostly caused by particulate matter from farm fires in Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, makes already severely polluted air intolerable. This supports the idea that farmers are the main architects of Delhi's air pollution crisis, and temporary fixes only work while the skies are clear. Seasonal paddy stubble burning has shown to have negative impacts; it is estimated that each year, 150,000 years of healthy life are lost as a result. However, a paddy-wheat farming system with significant consequences on the area underlies stubble burning. The prevalent practise of planting wheat in the winter season and paddy in the monsoon season results in more than just stubble burning. Additionally, it has deteriorated the land, depleted the groundwater, lowered farm earnings, increased debt, and made Northwest India more susceptible to climate change. This research paper addresses the main causes of stubble burning as well as its effects, with a particular emphasis on the problems that the people of India are experiencing as a result.