Description about the project

DELHI - THE MOST POLLUTED CITY ON EARTH #DelhiGasChamber was trending during November. Air pollution levels were 48 times WHO’s guideline value. Schools were shut. Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency. Merely breathing was akin to smoking 50 cigarettes/day !! Meanwhile, in neighboring state of Haryana, farmers were busy preparing their land for the sowing season. That preparation meant burning millions of tonnes of agricultural stubble, triggering heavy pollution in Delhi. The burning fields are visible from space and suffocate Delhi. THE FARMERS HAVE NO OPTION TO BURNING Farmers have a very short window — 20 days, to clear their fields between harvesting Paddy and sowing rice. Crop harvesters leave paddy stubble on the fields, which has to be quickly removed. But removal is expensive as machines cost INR 1000/hr and labour costs INR 4000/hectare. A matchbox costs just Re 1 – the most economically “viable” option is burning the stubble. Additionally, stubble burning damages the soil and micro-organisms, resulting in loss of nutrients