Data Storytelling: What are the Alternatives to Crop Residue Burning in India?

Crop residue burning (CRB) is a major factor contributing to the pollution in the northern part of India and the National Capital Region (NCR). In November 2021, the NCR consistently recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of more than 450, which is hazardous to human health. As a result of these bad weather conditions, Delhi residents have experienced multiple health issues such as red eyes, headache, cough, itchy skin and itchy throats. Farmers burning crop residue during the winter months, in the states surrounding Delhi, contributed to these environmental conditions.

The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has been working with farmers in Punjab and Haryana to encourage them to adopt eco-friendly straw management practices, as part of CII’s Crop Residue Management (CRM) initiative. The CRM’s main objective was to eliminate the practice of burning crop residue in the open. Chandrakant Pradhan, manager for CRM, worked on demonstrating CRM’s results in the upcoming funding agency meeting. As part of his presentation, he wanted to raise stakeholders’ awareness of the alternative methods, based on ground realities and the tools that farmers have been using, primarily in different districts and villages of Punjab and Haryana. The issues that he thought about were: how the data collected diligently by his team through farmer surveys be presented to potential funders; how best to examine and analyze the data; what valuable insights the data can provide that can help raise more funds and support from various stakeholders, and if there is enough evidence to show whether this initiative will reduce pollution over time and hence needs to be scaled up.