Combating Climate Change and Air Pollution Through Collaborative Solutions

Rising air pollution levels are inextricably linked to climate change. As global temperatures rise, they impact weather, especially rainfall and wind patterns, often resulting in greater air pollution as pollutants get trapped in the air. While rising air pollution is a pan-India challenge, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) grapples with severe forms of it, especially in the last quarter of the year. The reasons are many: vehicular pollution, industrial pollution, construction dust, but the burning of crop residue in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana is seen as a key aggravator of air pollution during this period. 

To address the complex and multifaceted challenge of rising air pollution, there is a pressing need for comprehensive strategies and solutions involving government, industry and civil society.

The Government has taken a multi-pronged approach to address this challenge. Policy action is supplemented with regulatory frameworks/on-ground initiatives such as imposing Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) which includes restrictions on construction activities, implementation of the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme, and bans on diesel generator sets during severe pollution episodes, apart from bans on firecrackers during Diwali and exploring options such as cloud seeding for artificial rain.

Indian Industry has also been playing a key role in reducing air pollution levels, directly as well as indirectly. Industrial operations typically lead to significant emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants, but the adoption of sustainable and environment-friendly practices such as shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency through technology are helping industry reduce its carbon footprint and the environmental impact of its operations.

Industry is also supporting initiatives to combat air pollution. One such notable initiative is the CII Foundation’s crop residue management (CRM) project launched in 2018 in 19 villages in Punjab. Developed under the aegis of CII’s Cleaner Air – Better life. Initiative, the project aims to mitigate farm stubble burning and promote sustainable agriculture practices. The project was based on a field study which highlighted that farmers, especially small and marginal, burn farm stubble due to a lack of awareness, access to viable alternatives to stubble burning and the mounting time pressure to clear the field in a short window period so as to be able to sow the next crop. Crop residue burning not only worsens air pollution, but it also has a deep and lasting impact on the health of people and leads to soil degradation.

In view of these on-field learnings, the project was designed using a collaborative approach with Government, industry, agricultural universities, experts and the farmer community as key stakeholders.  The project leveraged the expertise of each stakeholder to drive behavioural change and create a zero-stubble burning movement.

Encouraged by the results in 2018, the project was expanded to cover more geographies and farmers with a focus on supporting farmers for in-situ (on the field) and ex-situ (off the field) farm stubble management. In-situ straw management solutions support farmers technologically with upgraded machinery, training and technical support.  Under ex-situ solutions, the focus is on transforming paddy straw into valuable resources such as bio-gas and bio-compost.

In 2024, the crop residue management project covered 793 villages; 1,47,736 farmers and 8,73,835 acres of farmland across Punjab and Haryana. Under the project, 450 Tool Banks which house the machinery have been set up across Punjab and Haryana to support farmers and 9 paddy straw-based biogas plants, 3 paddy straw-based bio compost plants and 3 bio-pelletization units have been set up till now.

Due to project interventions, 87% of the intervened farmland was saved from burning. 

The challenges of climate change and air pollution require coordinated efforts from different stakeholders. Initiatives like the CII Foundation’s Crop Residue Management project prove that collaborative approaches yield significant results, leading to cleaner air, healthier communities, and a more sustainable future.