Waterlogging in Fazilka fields creates hurdles in stubble management

Farmers in the border district of Fazilka, Punjab, are currently facing a unique geographical challenge, causing significant difficulties in the management of paddy stubble. According to an NDTV report, the groundwater level in this area has come very close to the surface, and due to upward seepage, fields are becoming waterlogged. In this situation, tractors, balers, and other specialised agricultural machinery used for stubble removal are unable to operate in the fields, leaving farmers with very few practical options to dispose of stubble without burning it.

This issue came to light when a team from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) visited Fazilka. Investigations have been intensified in Punjab amidst deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR. The CAQM team visited various villages to evaluate stubble management arrangements, inspected the use of agricultural machinery, and attempted to understand why farmers in certain specific areas are facing difficulties in stubble management.

For farmers in waterlogged villages, the primary challenge is not the availability of machinery, but the inability to operate it. Thakar Singh Bhullar, a farmer from Deepnavali village, told the visiting team that the groundwater level in the area is so high that agricultural equipment frequently gets stuck in the fields. Under such circumstances, creating paddy stubble bales and transporting them out of the field becomes extremely difficult.

Upward seepage is occurring in several areas of Punjab, where groundwater near the surface rises, resulting in continuous waterlogging. As the soil remains constantly saturated with water, tractors and heavy agricultural equipment cannot move within the fields. This problem is not limited to stubble disposal but is also affecting other agricultural processes following sowing and harvesting. In some affected areas, it has been noted that the groundwater is only a few feet below the surface.

Farmers clearly informed the CAQM team that the traditional solutions promoted for stubble management are not compatible with their geographical conditions. They have appealed to the Central Government and the Punjab Government to formulate a separate strategy for such villages. Farmers also demanded that they be permitted to burn stubble under these exceptional circumstances or be provided with an alternative method for its disposal.

According to Dr. T.S. Pawar, a senior official of the CAQM, stubble burning is a significant reason for increasing pollution in Delhi-NCR. Therefore, the Commission is visiting identified hotspots in Punjab to assess the situation. The team is interacting with farmers, examining in-situ and ex-situ stubble management measures, and reviewing the efforts being made by the Punjab Government and the district administration.