Stubble Burning: Environmental, Socio-eco nomic Impacts and Pathways for Sustainable Alternatives

Abstract

Stubble burning of paddy residues in the Indo-Gangetic Plain continues to be a major source of seasonal air pollution, regional haze, and soil degradation. This paper reviews the environmental and socio economic impacts of stubble burning, synthesizes evidence on sustainable alternatives (mechanical in-situ solutions such as the Happy Seeder, biological decomposers including the Pusa Decomposer, and valorization pathways like biochar and bioenergy), and proposes a field-evaluation framework to assess technology adoption. Evidence indicates that mechanized in-situ solutions and microbial decomposers
can substantially reduce open burning and associated emissions while improving soil health; however, adoption is constrained by access, cost, timeliness, and farmer perceptions. We propose a mixed-methods experimental design to quantify agronomic outcomes, emissions reductions, and farmer acceptability to inform policy incentives and scale-upstrategies.