A Report

on
“The Study of…”
_______________________________________________________________
Oct 18, 2019

Faculty Development Centre

Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education
(Formerly National Council of Rural Institutes)
Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development Govt. of India
ShakkarBhavan, FatehMaidan Road,1Basheer Bagh, Hyderabad – 500004
 Table of Contents
S No Contents Page Nos
1. Introduction to the Village 3
2. Identification of Problem 3
3. Review of literature 4
4. Objectives of the Study 6
5. Brief Description of the Study undertaken 6
1. Type of data collection: Survey / observation/ focused group
discussion/ interviews/
2. Sample Size/ type of sampling
2. Process of the Study

6. Story Line
 Challenge 7
 Response 7
 Action Taken 7
7. Questions for Discussion 8
8. Lessons Learnt 8
9. Course Positioning (link theory to the story) 9
10. Conclusion 9
11. References 10
12. Annexures (Survey questionnaire/ photos/ any other supporting
document)

Introduction to the Village

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What comes to our mind when we talk of Punjab? Ballads of love and war, dance forms like
Bhangra and Giddha, clothing tradition of Kurta pajama and Salwar suit, ethnicity of culture
and tradition, people’s love for literature and Sufi songs and one of the most important
combination from where the word Punjab is derived from, ‘Punj’ – meaning five and ‘Ab’ –
meaning land which contributes to the meaning of land of five rivers namely Ravi, Beas,
Sutlej, Jhelum, Chenab. Punjab is primarily an agricultural state with approximately two-fifth
of the population engaged in the agricultural sector which significantly contributes to state
gross product. Punjab is the major producer of wheat and rice. Similarly, there is a village in
Ludhiana district of Punjab, named as Lakhowal village. Lakhowal is a medium size village
with a total of 245 families living there. Lakhowal village is having a better sex ratio than
Punjab whereas the literacy rate is less than the overall Punjab literacy rate, while the female
literacy rate is less than the overall literacy rate of Lakhowal village. As per the constitution
of India and the Panchayati Raj Act, Lakhowal village is administrated by Sarpanch (Head of
Village) who is elected representative of the village. The name of the present Sarpanch of the
village is Tarsem Singh. Out of the total population in Lakhowal village, 399 are engaged in
work activities. Out of 399 workers, 95.99 % of workers are engaged in main work as
described by them (Employment or Earning more than 6 Months) while 4.01 % are involved
in Marginal activity (those who are provided with employment for less than 6 months). Out
of 399 workers engaged in main work, 91 workers are cultivators and Owner/Co-owner of
the land, while 22 are Agricultural labourer. In Lakhowal village, most of the villagers are
from Schedule Caste (SC) and Schedule Caste (SC) constitutes 45.93 % of the total
population in Lakhowal village. The village Lakhowal currently doesn’t have any Schedule
Tribe (ST) population.
The case in the village revolves around development of an alternative, which would be
beneficial for the farmers as well as the government, so that there must not be any more cases
of ‘STUBBLE BURNING’ in the village Lakhowal. The alternative must address the needs
of the farmers and must provide them enough benefit so that they become ready to opt for
that alternative.

Identification of the Problem

Most of the people always do have a will to earn more income, so that they can fulfill those
demands of their family members which earlier they were not able to fulfill, or a person can
have some personal desires which he always wanted to. But what can a person do when he
has a small amount of land. He will try to produce more in less time frame, so that he can
earn more. And this can be made possible only when the time gap between harvesting of one
crop and sowing of the seeds of another crop is minimized. As people of this village are
engaged in the cultivation of paddy, rice, and other crops, so what they do as to save time is
‘Stubble Burning’. Stubble Burning is burning the remaining straw of wheat or paddy after
the harvesting of the crops. The reason they do stubble burning is that it minimizes the time
gap between harvesting of one crop and sowing seeds of another crop. And moreover, it
helps in the removal of slugs and other pests from the field and can also reduce nitrogen tie-
up. But its ill effects are much worse.

Stubble burning leads to the following things:

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 Loss of fertility and other important nutrients from the soil
 Causes air pollution from smoke
 It can spread fire out of control and can lead to the destruction of farms of other farmers
as well.

The major crop in Punjab is wheat which is sown during October and is harvested during
March or April. Recently cases of stubble burning took place in various parts of Punjab. Last
year also incidents took place in Malwa region of Punjab, and this time also there were cases
of stubble burning in Malwa region which includes Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda,
Mansa, Faridkot, Muktsar, Faridkot, Fazilka and Moga which led to increase in the bad
quality of air in Delhi. As the stubble burning situations increased in Punjab, it led to the bad
quality of Delhi air. The stubble burning proportion in Delhi PM 2.5 concentration was 25 to
35% as per the data of Punjab and Central Pollution Control Boards. Now the major problem
in the village is people of the village are fighting for the alternative as the alternative offered
by the government, that is equipment for removal of straw from the field after giving a
subsidy of 80% on it is costlier than disposal of straw by labour. As the harvesting of paddy
is already done, farmers have already started burning their fields as to prepare their land for
the next crop that is Rabi crop. Even the farmers of the Lakhowal village said, ‘we should be
provided with Rs – 5000/- per acre in connection with ban on stubble burning or there should
be a bonus of Rs – 200/- per quintal on paddy. Also the General Secretary of Bharat Kissan
Union of Lakhowal village, Mr. Harinder Singh has decided to defy the ban on stubble
burning and he will not allow government officials to enter village when the farmers of the
village will be burning crop residue
Review of the Literature

Literature review on alternative uses of agricultural straw: -

[ CITATION Mah16 \l 16393 ] 1. BIO-ENERGY: Rice straw is amongst the most abundant
lignocellulosic waste materials in the world, and as such represents a huge potential energy
resource. Being a waste product it avoids concerns commonly associated with dedicated
bioenergy crops, for example impacts on food production and land use change. Energy
vectors that have been targeted include biogas, ethanol, biodiesel, bio-char and electricity,
using conversion technologies as diverse as direct combustion, anaerobic digestion,
gasification, acid hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation.

[ CITATION Bec16 \l 16393 ] 2. RUMINANT FEED: Rice straw is commonly used as a feed for
ruminants in Asia, primarily caribou, because of its year-round abundance 12. However, it
requires pre-treatment due to its low nutritional value, which leads to low voluntary intake
(rice straw has low protein content, but is high in fibre and lignin). Pretreatment options
include urea treatment, the addition of coconut oil meal and rice bran 16, and the use of the
straw for mushroom cultivation.

[ CITATION Bec16 \l 16393 ] 3.MUSHROOM CULTIVATION: Much rice cultivation occurs in

the tropics, a region that is also very rich in mycological resources, especially mushrooms.

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Straw, including that from rice, is widely used as a substrate for mushroom cultivation; straw
mushrooms rank fifth in terms of worldwide production. The process requires relatively little
input to achieve consistent growth with high biological efficiency 17–19. Moreover, the
growth of the mushrooms breaks down the biological structure of rice straw, increasing its
nutritional value as a ruminant fee.

[ CITATION Mah16 \l 16393 ] 4. BIO MATERIAL: Rice straw is being explored as a feedstock
for polymeric biomaterials, including paper, biodegradable composites, composite panels,
waste tire insulation boards, adhesives, sound absorbing wooden construction materials and
packaging 30–34. Production processes for these have yet to be commercially realized.\

[ CITATION Par14 \l 16393 ] 5. USE OF RICE RESIDUE AS BEDDING MATERIAL FOR

CATTLE: The farmers of the state have been advised to use paddy straw as bedding material
for cross bred cows during winters as per results of a study conducted by the Department of
Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Sciences, Punjab Agricultural
University. It has been found that the use of paddy straw bedding during winter helped in
improving the quality and quantity of milk as it contributed to animals’ comfort, udder health
and leg health. Paddy straw bedding helped the animals keep themselves warm and maintain
reasonable rates of heat loss from the body. It also provides clean, hygienic, dry, comfortable
and non-slippery environment, which prevents the chances of injury and lameness. Healthy
legs and hooves ensure enhancement of milk production and reproductive efficiency of
animals. The paddy straw used for bedding could be subsequently used in biogas plants. The
use of paddy straw was also found to result in increased net profit of Rs. 188–971 per animal
per month from the sale of additional amount of milk produced by cows provided with
bedding. The PAU has been demonstrating this technology to farmers through training
courses, radio/TV talks and by distributing leaflets.

[ CITATION Par14 \l 16393 ] 6. USE OF RICE RESIDUE FOR PAPER PRODUCTION: The
paddy straw is also being used in conjunction with wheat straw in 40:60 ratios for paper
production. The sludge can be subjected to bio-methanization for energy production. The
technology is already operational in some paper mills, which are meeting 60 % of their
energy requirement through this method. Paddy straw is also used as an ideal raw material for
paper and pulp board manufacturing. As per information provided by PAU, more than 50 %
pulp board mills are using paddy straw as their raw material.

[ CITATION Par14 \l 16393 ] 7. PRODUCTION OF BIO-OIL FROM STRAW AND OTHER

AGRICULTURAL WASTE: Bio-oil is a high density liquid obtained from biomass through
rapid pyrolysis technology. It has a heating value of approximately 55 % as compared to
diesel. It can be stored, pumped and transported like petroleum based product and can be
combusted directly in boilers, gas turbines and slow and medium speed diesels for heat and
power applications, including transportation. Further, bio-oil is free from SO2 emissions and
produces low NO2. Certain Canadian companies (like Dyna Motive Canada Inc.) have
patented technologies to produce bio-oil from biomass including agricultural waste. Though
their major experience is with bagasse, wheat straw and rice hulls, feasibility of this

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technology with paddy straw needs to be assessed. The state government, through PSCST
and PEDA, could promote further studies in this direction.

Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study on stubble burning, particularly on the village Lakhowal is:

 To link the problem of stubble burning with ‘Rural Management’ Education.

 To find out what type of problem is faced by the farmers, as they are engaged in stubble
burning even after a lot of fines imposed by the government on farmers.
 To find appropriate solution/alternative of stubble burning for the farmers of Lakhowal
village, so that it would be feasible for them to opt that alternative.
 As 32.7% of the population is illiterate in Lakhowal village, so how can we create
employment for them along with giving solution for stubble burning. (Entrepreneurial
opportunity)

Brief Description of the Study (Research Design)

This situation-based case follows a qualitative study methodology. In order to provide the
analysis of the data and synthesis of the various perspective of actors involved in this case, a
case-study approach of qualitative methodology is selected based on its usefulness and
appropriateness for this particular study. Under the case study domain, a mixture of
individual and community case study methods has been used for study.

The data collection instrument for this study is secondary data. Based on the understanding of the
context and issues a qualitative textual analysis has been presented below

Story Line

1. Challenge
The challenge in the above case is that what can be done by both the actors involved i.e.
Farmers and the Government, so that both the parties are satisfied and optimal decisions can

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be taken. Stubble burning is causing big damage to our environment, which farmers do not
want to understand as they want to save time and want seeds of another crop to be sown as
early as possible. As per the farmers of Lakhowal Village, stubble burning is an easy way of
disposal of residue of crops. It would cost them very high if they will employ labour and it
will also involve a lot of time and hard work of the farmers. Even they are not ready to accept
whatever is paid by the government to them over per hectare of land or quintal of produce,
for not burning the stubble.

2. Response
In response, the government of Punjab has taken action against 3000 farmers for stubble
burning. The state of Punjab has decided to cut down the number of cases by 10% to 20%
this year. The government has received a total of 20279 cases of stubble burning and has
initiated action against, 2923 farmers. But the steps taken by the government were not
sufficient, as most of the farmers in Punjab are having less than 5 acres of land, which makes
it difficult for them to pay fines to the government, and sometimes leads to farmer suicide
due to increased indebtedness of farmers. So high court has decided not to add in more
financial burden to the farmers.
In the village Lakhowal, after the government started taking measures against the farmers,
Bharti Kissan Union leader of Lakhowal Village decided to defy the ban on stubble burning
and he said he will not allow officials to enter the village when farmers burn the crop residue.

3. Action
After a lot of actions by the government to stop stubble burning, they have still not succeeded
in curbing it. So the plan can be framed in such a way so that it would benefit both the farmer
and the government economically and environmentally. Government should provide training
to people to people to develop their skills, so that they can use this stubble in a much better
way.
As the farmers of the village are facing problem of how to dispose stubble. The action or the
solution that needs to be implemented is the formation of ‘Farmers Producers organization
(FPO). An FPO is legalized form of organization, which consists of farmer members with
common interests and concerns. An FPO can be incorporated as a company, Co-operative or
any other legal form of organization. The main objective of an FPO is to provide better
profits to its members through its own system. Government also provides various incentives
to the farmers producers organization. Farmers of Lakhowal village can create an FPO and
can use stubble for producing variety of products i.e Paper, fodder for animals, can be used as
bio-fuel etc. As the creation of FPO will drive the farmers towards profit making and will
help the government in lowering down level of pollution from the environment. Farmers of
Lakhowal village will also induce people of other Villages, Districts or Nations to work for
welfare of environment along with profit making business for them. This would help in
opening up of new job opportunities in their village.

Questions for Discussion

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1. What kind of incentives can be provided by the government, other than the incentives
provided priorly to the farmers, so that they will not be engaged in the such brutal
activities?
2. How can we bring rural education in reach of farmers, so that they can know their
behavior to earn more is costing so much to the environment and people of this world?
3. Why the rules and regulations implemented by the government not enforced properly,
when burning of stubble is a criminal offense?

Lessons Learnt
The above case highlights the fact that not only the government is required to take action for
the welfare of the environment, but people in the village should also take measures for the
same and should stop promoting such activities. People who are working on the ground level
must be made aware of rural education and must be provided with rural education so that in
coming future they would know, how to use resources of nature judiciously and efficiently.
Farmers must also support the government in their plans, as it is for their welfare only. As
many political parties are engaged in this issue just for their benefit, so the provision of rural
education will tell them what agriculture and rural economy requires. Then only they will be
able to make efficient decisions.

Course Positioning
 The caselet based on ‘Stubble Burning’ can be used appropriately and can be linked to
skill development in India.
 It can also be linked to the theory of Rural Management education, which is the major
requirement of our country as per the present prevailing trends in the rural context.
 The caselet can also be used or linked to the theory of ‘sustainable management’. (Land
Management)
 It can also be linked to theory of ‘Employment Generation in India’

Conclusion
As per the present scenario, we can notice that there is a decrease in the number of cases of
stubble burning. But we need to achieve the target of zero stubble burning cases in our
Nation. This can happen only when the Rural population is well educated and when people
engaged in activities like stubble burning are provided with rural education so that they can
get to know what harm they are causing to the overall environment. Rural Education will also

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help them in developing their skills and they will get to know, what policies are implemented
by the government for their benefit so that they can utilize the resources or the benefits
provided by the government to them.

References
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/agyeya/farmer-producer-companies-benefits-are-
still-away/

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/punjab-government-faces-heat-over-
stubble-burning/article19827691.ece
http://www.census2011.co.in/data/village/33430-lakhowal-punjab.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stubble_burning

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/punjab-government-faces-heat-over-
stubble-burning/article19827691.ece

Annexures

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