Selection of sustainable solutions for crop residue burning: an environmental issue in northwestern states of India

The main purpose of the paper is to find the sustainable solutions for crop residues burning in the northwestern states of India. Pre- and post-monsoon burning of the crop residues in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh increases the particulate matter significantly in the environment. During this period, the wind remains stagnant in Delhi NCR (National Capital Region) which creates an airlock situation in this region. The air quality during this period becomes very poor. It is a major health issue in the northern part of the country, especially in NCR Delhi which is densely populated and industrialized. It has become a major concern for the state as well as central government. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to review the factors forcing the farmers to burn the crop residues in the field and analyze the solutions considering the social and economic sustainability of the farmers. A focus group discussion composed of farmers, academicians, and industry experts has been used to get the opinion regarding the solutions for crop residues burning in the field. For an analysis of the information collected, a hybrid approach of analytic hierarchy process and elimination and choice expressing reality have been used. Based on the analysis, it is observed that use of crop residues for the preparation of biogas, biochar, and bioethanol is the most preferred substitute, whereas use as fuel for the thermal power plant is the second preferred substitute for use of crop residues.