'To heal Delhi pollution...': Anand Mahindra offers help to curb stubble burning

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra on Tuesday suggested an alternative to stubble burning hours after the Supreme Court reprimanded the state government of Punjab for rising instances of stubble burning that lead to worsening air quality in Delhi. Mahindra said in his post on X formerly known as Twitter that regenerative agriculture should be given a chance as it not only gives an alternative to stubble burning but also increases soil productivity. 

"To heal Delhi's pollution, regenerative agriculture must be given a chance. It provides a remunerative alternative to stubble burning while simultaneously increasing soil productivity. Vikash Abraham of Naandi Foundation stands ready to help. Let's do it!" the Mahindra Group chairperson wrote. 

Regenerative agriculture explained 

Regenerative agriculture as suggested by Anand Mahindra refers to a way of farming that focuses on soil health, which has been degraded by the use of heavy machinery, fertilisers and pesticides to maximise food production in commercial farming. 

It also helps in reducing soil erosion. Other benefits of regenerative agriculture include more efficient use of water, fewer pests and increased biodiversity, as per the World Economic Forum (WEF).  

This technique of farming is already being used across Asia, Latin America, the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Farmers in Tanzania and East Africa also use regenerative farming to grow beans, bananas and maize with commercial crops like cardamom. 

Also Read: Delhi-NCR pollution: Air quality back in 'severe' category; BS-III petrol, BS-IV diesel vehicles banned in Gurugram, Faridabad

Supreme Court on stubble burning

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reprimanded the Punjab government over the stubble burning menace. It said that there cannot be a political battle all the time.

"We want it (stubble burning) stopped. We don't know how you do it, it's your job. But it must be stopped. Something has to be done immediately," the top court noted. In the last 10 days, around 16,500 instances of stubble burning have been reported from Punjab. 

The court directed the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, and Rajasthan to stop stubble burning at the earliest, making chief secretaries and director general of police concerned responsible for overseeing the implementation of the court order. 

While hearing a petition related to deteriorating air pollution in the national capital and surrounding areas, the top court flagged issues such as stubble burning, odd-even scheme, vehicle pollution and waste burning as being major contributors to pollution ahead of Diwali every year. 

Also Read: 'We want stubble burning stopped': Supreme Court to Punjab govt amid alarming pollution levels in Delhi-NCR