Residue burning practice is followed in major Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Agricultural residue burning in the fields and used otherwise for rural domestic needs is responsible for a large number of toxic emissions, which are a health hazard.

Crop residue burning results in the emission of many a toxic pollutants. These emissions can travel long distances affecting thereby the entire region. Due to these emissions the air quality of the region worsens, which results in nose and throat itching and burning, and irritation of the airway tract.

Open field burning of plant material has been a long standing traditional agricultural practice by farmers and foresters. When farmers burn their agricultural lands, the products of combustion are emitted directly into the open air. Heavy smoke, consisting of particulate matter, from these fires clouds the skies.

Harvesting a crop generates a huge amount of crop residue. Uttar Pradesh tops the list of the Crop Residue Producing States followed by Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and so on. A large part of this crop residue is burnt in the open fields since the farmers do not have any worthwhile use of this waste. Burning of residues give rise to emissions of aerosols, major gases and trace gases.

Most prior studies have found that substituting biofuels for gasoline will reduce greenhouse gases because biofuels sequester carbon through the growth of the feedstock. These analyses have failed to count the carbon emissions that occur as farmers worldwide respond to higher prices and convert forest and grassland to new cropland to replace the grain diverted to biofuels.

Increasing energy use, climate change and carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels make switching to low-carbon fuels a high priority. Biofuels are a potential low-carbon energy source, but whether biofuels offer carbon savings depends on how they are produced.

We should not wait to cut back on burning fossil fuels until we have developed greener technology to supply our energy needs, despite what many economists are advising their respective governments. Such a waiting game may have deadly consequences. Feb 27, 2008