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Old 11th November 2017, 15:11   #661
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re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cancelled

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Originally Posted by roy_libran View Post

It is a much larger issue from what I understand and the farmers currently do not seem to have any option other than burning the fields.

There are some solutions presented, but they will take time to adopt and spread.
In the meanwhile, we choke and the politicos play ping pong.
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Originally Posted by outofthebox View Post
Please educate us then. I'm not a farmer but as far as I know, stubble burning is not a part of the farming process in any country, or even in other parts of our own country.

Secondly, when it is clearly known to one and all that the a significant population is in grave danger because of this practise, then continuing with it for years without a care, or even supporting it, is nothing short of anarchy.
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Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator View Post
A simple solution is to plough back the crop stubble into the field. It acts as a a natural manure too. I don't know why farmers resort to burning the crop remains. In nirth India at least, all field preparations and ploughing is mechanised now, so it is not difficult as well.
Hi. I own and manage a large farm not too far from Delhi. I'd like to try and explain the situation a bit.

There are two types of rice crop being planted. The PR variety which the government procures for a guaranteed msp, it is less susceptible to a lot of diseases, has a higher yield, and is simpler to grow.
The other one is the longer, "basmati" variety which is procured by rice mills, for which the price isn't fixed, and depends on open market forces, there's a bidding, etc. This variety is more susceptible to diseases, has a lower yield, needs more monitoring, and in the last couple of years, has provided less income for farmers because the prices had plummeted. This is also a higher risk variety because the final sale price is not known.

The crop residue left over from the basmati varieties is sold to nearby small dairy owners as that can be used as fodder for their cattle; this essentially makes the harvest process free.

The crop residue left over by PR variety isn't fit for consumption. It is dry, properly dry, and susceptible to getting lit even by a throw away cigarette or match. It is this residue that is burnt. It isn't plough-able, gets stuck in the tillage machines, does not comply. Even if you do multiple runs, and make the field passable for the next crop by trying to plough this residue into the ground, it would take about ten times the number of tillage runs and the field would need to be watered an extra time (I have tried it myself). That's a very high cost per acre on fuel and eats into margins significantly. Also, this much tillage contributes to soil erosion and isn't good for the top soil. It also wastes about 50000L of fresh water at minimum.

Knowing all of the above, farmers have a few options:
1. Avoid PR altogether: kind of unviable as there's higher risk in other varieties, higher expense, more complexity but the biggest issue is the sale price might end up being too low, as has been happening for the last couple of years.

2. Pick up all the straw leftover after harvesting of PR by hand, collect it in a place, bury it somewhere, as it can't be stored in its current form because it is highly susceptible to being lit.

3. Burn the residue and have the field ready to plough for the next crop in about 15 mins.

I chose option 2 when I took over the farm a few years ago, even at the expense of labour, time and extremely high ridicule of everyone around, haha. I chose it on principle, and pollution or other causes at the time hadn't even entered my mind.

I have my own people working on the farm for a salary and in that way, they have to listen to the kind of work I want them to do. Most large farm owners work on labour share, and they don't enjoy that kind of control. The rest are marginal owners and they don't have the bandwidth to do this.

This time, a few farmers were fined when they were caught burning the residue, and so, what did the other farmers do? They started burning during night time when none of the inspecting officers were around.

This is what it is, and if you think you can reason with a farmer who fights for survival everyday to give more of his time, money, and effort for others to be able to breathe better, at best they will tell you, respectfully, to go to hell.
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Old 11th November 2017, 16:19   #662
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re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cancelled

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Originally Posted by Dry Ice View Post
And now NGT slams Delhi Govt for odd-even. http://www.livemint.com/Politics/aer...begins-on.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by mukeshgoel View Post
No exemption for women drivers and two wheelers this time.

http://www.abplive.in/india-news/del...reduced-602260
And now after NGT passing odd-even with some conditions, this time Delhi Govt. takes a u-turn.
Cancels odd even arrangement altogether:

http://www.financialexpress.com/indi...s-well/928506/
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Old 11th November 2017, 16:33   #663
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Re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cance

Quote:
Originally Posted by saket77 View Post
And now after NGT passing odd-even with some conditions, this time Delhi Govt. takes a u-turn.
Cancels odd even arrangement altogether:

http://www.financialexpress.com/indi...s-well/928506/
For once I agree with NGT completely. Why anyone should be exempted at all? 2 wheelers and vehicles driven by women also emit the same kind of pollution the rest does. Except for emergency vehicles no one should be exempted including the so called VVIP people. Anyways, it's best it's been cancelled.
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Old 11th November 2017, 21:30   #664
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Re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cance

Quote:
Originally Posted by ach1lles View Post
Hi. I own and manage a large farm not too far from Delhi. I'd like to try and explain the situation a bit.....
Thank you for stepping in to provide additional context and a first-hand perspective.

We humans love simplifying and avoid complexity instinctually, but as my mentor loves to say; " If something's easy to fix, it never would be a difficult problem in the first place".

Burning of farm waste - among a host of other contributors to poor air quality in NCR - is a complex issue that can only be solved by everyone working together on a long-term workable solution, not knee jerk token reactive measures with nonsensical exemption quotas and questionable efficacy.

Farm waste burnt, vehicles driven or a bunch of other polluting activities engaged in by anyone does the same thing to the environment; gender, economic or political status have nothing to do with it.

We can only hope the administration now works with the relevant people to formulate an actual viable policy that's sustainable long-term.
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Old 11th November 2017, 22:59   #665
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Re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cance

There is a free app on Google Play called AIR VISUAL that gives hourly updates on Air Quality Index in major cities. Worth downloading, IMO.

Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days-screenshot_20171111225604.png

Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days-screenshot_20171111225651.png
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Old 13th November 2017, 11:29   #666
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Re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cance

Bengaluru might also implement the odd even rule according to state home minister. Mr.Ramalinga Reddy, home minister of Karnataka has said that if the odd-even rule gets implemented and is successful in curbing pollution levels in Delhi, then the goverment might think about implementing the same in Bengaluru as well.

More news from TOI.
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Old 19th November 2017, 22:42   #667
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Re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cance

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Originally Posted by smartcat View Post
There is a free app on Google Play called AIR VISUAL that gives hourly updates on Air Quality Index in major cities.]
Thanks. I have been checking the AQI of other cities in the country using the app. A quick pass time while the office lift crawls to 6th floor.
The indicators are really alarming. Bangalore seems far better. I wish all stations had PM2.5 stats, some only have PM10.
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Old 7th December 2017, 11:56   #668
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Re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cance

Odd-Even to be implemented without any exemptions now.

Quote:
after being rapped by the court on Monday, the government has agreed to remove all exemptions allowed earlier

Link
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Old 8th December 2017, 08:44   #669
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Re: Delhi: Odd & Even numbered cars to drive on alternate days. EDIT: Rd 3 from 13th Nov - Now Cance

Some action is better than no action at all. People {like me} who have respiratory issues suffer most of all from the fine dust that rises up from the vast amount of mud on the roads from dug up roads and pavements which are never paved back. The municipalities are the biggest culprits here. This then adds to the even finer dust that settles on the fringes of the dividers and pavements or against any vertical structure. More than the exhaust from vehicles it is this that causes more suffering for those with weak lungs.

A side observation - when I travel to colder countries or to a coastal town, like Cochin, the respiratory issues go down in intensity dramatically and rise up within 24 hours of landing back home.

While the incompetence of the Govt and the non co-operation of many citizens is to blame the fact is that in Delhi-NCR the whole of Australia is trying to live in 3000 sq kms.
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