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So true. I watch TheWire videos from time to time, which also claims to be "independent media asking the right questions that need asking" (or some such BS), and all Karan Thapar does there is whine about GST and De-Mon. I mean, its been years, mate, and many experts have told you its effects are long past! But he seems stuck in the leftist blame game that he refuses to come out of. ThePrint and CTC specifically are just golden standard when it comes to real non-partial non-biased reporting of issues with historical context.
Shekhar Gupta & "The Print" mostly misleading the public. GOVT'S & COURTS ARE FOR RICH INDUSTRIALISTS WHO ARE POLLUTING ROUND THE YEAR. Why is he not comparing & sharing the per acre earnings of farmers from the paddy vs the alternatives he's suggesting like cultivation of maize? Or even fruits and vegetables? Actually, the maize or potatoes are giving the farmers very less returns. It's often seen that the farmers have been throwing potatoes on the roads as they are not getting even the investment cost. www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/civic-issues/article/potato-price-fall-worrying-punjabs-farmers/187797
@@honestman5440 Reported for spam. Posting the same ill-formed comment over and over again as a means of slander. British chale gaye lekin tum jaise ghade abhi bhi unki divide and rule policy ka paalan kar rahe ho.
You will definitely fail, if you write all of what he says.....giving examples of temperate zone measures in tropical country.... Take only the stats.. Ignore the measures
I like how you criticize the government with a constructive feedback and appreciate where the credit is due. That's called positive journalism. I'm a BJP supporter but I criticize them when they are wrong... A common belief is that bhakts don't like criticizing modi government... That's not true at all... For example i hate BJP government in Haryana
@@sudhangshudas3099 lol its not a bjp exclusive pr9blem this is normally stupidity of ppl who don't wanna do shit but throw it in politics this has been happening and these stupid farmers if only they had smart and had commonsense
@@sudhangshudas3099 I agree, but blind supporters are everywhere. Take for example the supporters of AAP, they act like many of them are on cocain. And I second, BJP unit of Delhi is pathetic.
@@shekhargarhwal9516 lol moron u r too naive to know the integrated worldide propaganda live in ur small dimwitted world of ignorance. The fact that u r repeating the fake lynching paopaganda is itself a fact how naive u are and as for unemployment this is the after effect of the dumbness of indians propaganda of elites and khangress for sure.
@Truth n Logic the problem lies with the policies... loop ban gya hai yeh... poor ko free me dedenge toh sustain nai ho payega... we need to create jobs taki voh yeh afford kr paye toh sustain aaram se ho jayega
An author named Arvind Kumar published his findings in an article in Dec 2017 itself. "The Print" editor Shekar Gupta has conveniently claimed that his colleague Ila Patnaik has published a detailed finding on this topic in an article for "The Print" when in fact her article is very much an exact reproduction of the original findings published by Arvind Kumar in 2017 and then in another article in 2018. Clearly a copybook case of Plagiarism by Print and their editorial staff. In this digital age, it is unbelievable that these senior journalists like Shekhar Gupta assumed that their copycat effort will go unnoticed, when they could have easily attributed the original findings to Arvind Kumar and still used his findings to support their video documentary on this topic. Too bad their lie has been exposed!! www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/12191-law-aiding-monsanto-reason-delhi-s-annual-smoke-season www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
This is the best exposition on the stubble burning issue I have come across. Most journalist houses rather than looking at policy issues just point fingers at a few people, obviously that doesn't help anyone.
I'm from Pakistan, Smog problem due to Stubble burning is a big issue in Punjab here too, Lahore is just below Delhi in air pollution rankings. I wish Stupidity ends and our DESI air becomes breathable again.
Never heard of these concerns w.r.t. pollution in North India. You are no less than a Guru who dispels wrong notions from popular minds and bring them out of the darkness caused by fake and unwanted news. Thank you UA-cam for letting us receive such a wisdom from stalwarts like Prof. Shekhar Gupta.
Sir I am farmer and exporting any food is actually exporting water which we can ill afford. Punjab and Haryana ground water is depleting rapidly. Plus burning stubble also kills the microbes which ruins the soil. Growing vegetables or fruits is a very good solution rather than using prime agri land for fuel.
Punjab/Haryana should grow sugarcane instead of rice! Basmati is cheaper in US compared to India.. why will the farmer grow vegetables or corn which has smaller shelf life and offers lesser profits compared to rice?
@@cm-to6oi you clearly lack basic scientific temper, I wouldn't indulge with you in a debate and lower myself to your level. If you had made a less nonsensical and more thought provoking point, I would have countered you on facts, but it seems useless now. All I'll say is sometimes, Jo dikhta hai vo hota nahi.
I loved that you showcased the pollution issue , but you left out a VERY KEY POINT. Punjab and Haryana water depletion was not due to excess paddy / rice but due to adopting GM Rice and Maize seeds from Monsanto. Indian Breeds to Rice and Maize which resulted in Green revolution use 70% less water than these hrbrid GMO seeds.
Good analysis. Govt needs to relook at the MSP policy. People need to move away to coarse grains and horticulture namely perennials. The stubble being burnt can be mulched into the soil and do away with the use of chemical fertilizer totally.
india was heavily focused on not letting food shortage be a problem in the country. As important as that was back then to avoid famines, it is time to take the next step and evolve our farming methods for modern needs
Journalists should know the basic facts about which they are talking. After 20 years of biofuels use in the west, detailed studies have shown that biofuels create more global warming and cause food inflation, which is not what India and the world needs now.
@@vasukinagabhushan food inflation ?? FCI is in debt of more than 2 lakh crore by procuring food grains , it reserves are double than required, this is because we want to give msp to farmers.
Whatever be the reason there is always solutions if you really want and I am sure there is you are suggesting that the farmers should continue this and people in Delhi NCR die due to poor AQI ,today it is more than 900 Silly and stupid video without a solution
A comprehensive background to the annual headache of North India. Now the real win would be the policy makers taking cue and implementing the suggestions. We must believe that this can be done. Thank you Shekhar Gupta!
this incident should also be a wake-up call for general public and media that all farmer's demands should not be accepted and all farm sector issues should not be turned into emotive ones. Logic and reasoning comes first. Next step should be gradually bringing farmers in the income tax net.
Very insightful story by Shekhar Gupta. I only have one suggestion that instead of replacing paddy with corn, why not replace it with nutritious non-GMO millets. There are stories even suggesting vested interests of American Agri giant Monsanto in pushing Corn and Ethanol etc. Instead of growing GM Corn, of American origin. We should replace paddy crops with millets. There is a growing global food trend favoring millets.
I saw this video a few days back and really admired the logic and cutting of the clutter. Then I also read about Monsato's lobbying efforts in India to force Punjab farmers to plant Monsato Corn instead of Paddy. I am not a conspiration theorist, but do you have any comments on this action of Monsato and your recommendation on similar lines?
In major parts of UP there is no stubble as they cut by hand.The Haryana and Punjab farmers use machine for cutting which leaves stubble which then has to be burnt.
Thanks for educating the people. There is no need to give support price for rice and wheat, which are produced more than our requirement. Farmers should be given incentives for growing and marketing fruits, vegetables and cash crops like maize etc. We are consuming much water, electricity, chemical fertilizer and pesticides to grow wheat and rice. It is polluting land, water and air. We are causing big harm to bees, birds and animals. Now, we yearn to see sparrows in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Cancer patients are growing at alarming speed. Selfishness is good only to that extend when it does good to you but doesn't harm anyone.
Great Analysis devoid of politics. A breath of fresh air Shekhar ji. Growing more corn in place of water guzzling and massively surplus crops like Paddy (Rice) and Sugar Cane is a way to go. India can reduce its crude oil imports by 30-50 billion per year and put that money in corn farmer’s pockets. Corn Biorefineries will assure long term purchase at set prices thus reducing burden of purchase on FCI’s shoulders. This is win-win for Environment, farmers and India. We have to move away from STUPID food vs Fuel debate and use our agricultural strengths. Using corn for fuel DOES NOT starve food chain. 100% protein and 50% oil from corn comes out for Poultry/Cattle feed. Just Incase, there is a food shortfall in a rare year, easy incentives can help switch some part of stored corn for human food applications. Courageous leaders like Amrinder, Modi, Tomar, Rupala, etc needs to take bold stand for farmer’s and citizen’s sake.
Farmers can use "Happy Seeder" to remove the stubble and simultaneously plant sheet, and make more profit than stubble burning. The journalist Shekhar Gupta keeps ranting without any realistic solution. Biofuel is most foolish idea, which produces more CO2 and causes food inflation. Why Indians think that ignorant journalists like these are great journalists?
@@vasukinagabhushan A lot of farmers are small and marginal with small holdings. They will cannot afford and even if they can will never buy a machine like Happy Seeder worth 1.3 lakh when all they need presently is a matchstick to burn the field. Moreover, the machine in the non-Kharif season will lie idle
It was actually Plagiarized. An author named Arvind Kumar published his findings in an article in Dec 2017 itself. "The Print" editor Shekhar Gupta has conveniently claimed that his colleague Ila Patnaik has published a detailed finding on this topic in an article for "The Print" when in fact her article is very much an exact reproduction of the original findings published by Arvind Kumar in 2017 and then in another article in 2018. Clearly a copybook case of Plagiarism by Print and their editorial staff. In this digital age, it is unbelievable that these senior journalists like Shekhar Gupta assumed that their copycat effort will go unnoticed, when they could have easily attributed the original findings to Arvind Kumar and still used his findings to support their video documentary on this topic. Too bad their lie has been exposed!! www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/12191-law-aiding-monsanto-reason-delhi-s-annual-smoke-season www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
@@venkateshvadakkapattu1183 really? The original author should make his claims public via all forms of media In today's digital recording and media boom there should be no room for plagiarism.
@aakash mandal happy to know that "your" the moral compass for the world. I didn't come here for his political leanings just for the talk on pollution.
Converting Corn into Ethanol doesn't stop Government expenditure in the form of Subsidies. One of the biggest lobbyist bodies in US are for Ethanol and Crop Subsidies. This cycle just shifts to announcing MSP for Corn and Subsidies for useless ethanol(good for forex but not in any other way)
Simple solution. Announce that government will not buy any paddy next 5 years. Farmers in Haryana and Punjab will stop planting paddy immediately and shift to other crops.
STUBBLEBURNING ACCOUNTS FOR ONLY 6% OF POLLUTION IN DELHI. There are 10 thermal powerhouses near delhi( UP and Haryana) that operate without pollution control these power house account for 36% of the pollution. Plus the Air flow to the north is obstructed by the hilly areas. due to which it has led to the accumulation of SPM.
We need to use this Straws Bundled and used for Paper Pulp making or burning like Sugar cane residue/ straws. Nitin Gadkari should work on this to resolve this issue asap. Whatever needed to make bales and shift it to Paper making or burning as a feed stock to Power plants.
I couldn't understand why paddy stubble is burned in North India. It can be used as fodder for cattle. In Tamilnadu we never burn paddy stubble. It is used as fodder for cattle. In summer one acre stubble goes upto 12000 rupees here. National waste.
The Print is like Dil Chahta Hai movie which was a fresh breath of air before the age-old drama and slapstick comedy in Bollywood. Thanks for setting such a good benchmark in news journalism.
Gupta ji solution is not as easy as you suggested for one major reason, and that is that the tendency of so many types of crops towards catching diseases and tye whole crop gets destroy. Its a major threat to a farmer. There are insurances and other methods to deal with these problems but its a big headache for them, and they avoid fruits and vegetable crops for that one big reason. Also that nowadays pesticides are being discouraged so they are more exposed to pests, and production also gets affected. So overall it doesn't remain as profitable as paddy crop. So the change you suggest might be a good solution but implementation is very difficult for some of above mentioned reasons. I hope that experts from agriculture field will come up with a workable alternative. Still a very good analysis.
Mr Gupta any Cut The Clutter episode below 20 mins saddens me, i know it's the weekend, and you deserve a break too, but Please longer detailed episodes with little anecdotes splashed, that's what your viewers have come to expect from you.....!!
Part Two II: Before this law was passed, the problem in Delhi was limited to vehicular and industrial pollution and there were no reports of the entire metropolitan area being enveloped by smoke. This piece of legislation was passed ostensibly to preserve groundwater, the depletion of which was blamed on rice fields which supposedly used too much water and which were prone to evaporation, but this argument is a very tenuous one. According to the International Water Management Institute, water in rice fields contributes to recharging the groundwater (external link) and very little of it is lost to evaporation. The data from Uttar Pradesh in IWMI’s report too shows that rice fields in the state contributed to increasing the level of the water table, thus supporting the claim that water in rice fields replenishes the aquifers. The group that has been primarily responsible for exerting pressure to move away from growing rice in the name of ‘crop diversification’ is the United States Agency for International Development. Over a period of several years, it has used the excuse of preventing the decline of groundwater (external link) to push this agenda. USAID has a worldwide reputation of behaving like a front group for American multinational corporations such as Monsanto, and so it should come as no surprise that Monsanto is at the forefront of the purported solution for Punjab’s problems. Apparently, if farmers stop growing rice and replace it with Monsanto’s GMO maize, the problem will be solved. India’s surplus food grain supply is an uncomfortable fact for Monsanto and other proponents of GMO food who insist that the world would face a shortage of food grains if not for genetically engineered plants sold by Monsanto. It is in this light that one must view Monsanto’s collusion with the Punjab government and their joint efforts targeting the production of rice in India. www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
This journalist is an armchair expert who has no understanding of biofuels and it's dangers. In India, any idiot with UA-cam and loud voice can impress bigger idiots. globaljusticeecology.org/new-report-investigates-failures-costs-and-dangers-of-biofuels/
Nudge and change? How about getting rid of ‘free’ water and electricity subsidies and let the market do its damn job. More government ‘ideas’ might be marginally better in the short term, but policy makers don’t usually see the unintended consequences of their market interference.
• Marz badta gaya jyun jyun dava ki • Cleaning symptom and not the root cause • 30 yo problem • North India • Knee jerk reactions • Root cause: ◦ Water ◦ Power ◦ Compulsion ◦ STUPIDITY: economic, political • Farmers in Punjab and Haryana growing too much rice • Adds to rice surplus >>> export subsidy • Exporting water overseas: ◦ 1ton rice = 70000 tons of water ◦ 12 million ton • irrigation: ◦ Punjab: 98% ◦ Haryana: 90% ◦ Free water ◦ Ground water exploitation • Power: ◦ Tubewells ◦ Canal irrigation • Incentivising: ◦ FCA: confirmed price • Labour from UP and Bihar • Groundwater depletion • Compulsion: ◦ Punjab and Haryana Preservation of Subsoil Act: ‣ Can’t plant paddy in April or may ‣ Dry weather ‣ Preserve ground water ‣ Plant paddy in June ‣ Harvest late October: smog ◦ Have to plant wheat: Rabi ◦ Desperate compulsion to burn and quickly get land ready • Solution: ◦ Shift from rice >>> maize/vegetables/fruits ◦ Corn is not in demand in India ◦ Surplus maize: ‣ Corn >>> ethanol ‣ Food vs fuel ◦ Maize can be converted to ethanol: ‣ National Biofuel Policy (2019) ‣ Nudge/behavioural change ◦ Incentive/disincentives: ◦ Pani bachao paisa banao: ‣ Punjab ‣ Farmers needed to charged for water ‣ World Bank project ‣ Paying farmer to not use water/power ◦ National level campaign
I was always wondering why stubble burning has become such a monstrous problems only of late. We hadn't heard of such a problem in 20th century. Now, you have answered by drawing attention to two stupid laws. We instinctively ban and prohibit things, instead of examining the issues and finding proper remedies. Little wonder we also keep reading about millions of tons of food grains going bad in the warehouses of Food Corporation of India. Oh Lord, it is a despairing situation. Who can put some sense into the heads of leaders and bureaucracy?
Kartik Padmanabhan its easy to do post mortem sir. You cant call them stupid outrightly. They would have thought probably this law would discourage farmers to grow paddy. But this didnt happen
@@anupampandey4363 do u live in Delhi? I live in Delhi and the situation has become worse. We r locked in our homes , facing difficulty in breathing. The pollution level has become unmanageable. If legislators are educated then they must have addressed this issue last year only. Pollution problem has become every year phenomena. Government works only for vote bank and not fr people. Now only some kind of youth protest can stop this shit.
ananya ipshita i do live in delhi dear. I m not saying pollution problem is overblown. I just pointed out vagueness of that comment. Regarding smog issue, its not easy to shift farmers away from paddy overnight. And what delhi people are doing. Every other house owns 2 to 3 cars expanding traffic, pollutiin manifold.
Water used to irrigate is not equivalent to being exported. Remember the water flows back into the oceans around us or get absorbed by the ground thus increasing our ground water.
Very intelligent comments and Kudos to Shekhar Gupta to have made this video. Worth viewing by people , common man , public and leaders to implement / follow, if his analysis is true.
If this argument of exporting water due to export of food grains is believed then India should not export cooked food, fruits, beef etc also as all of them need more water than grains like rice.
Generating electricity from straw is the only option.Already many sugar factories have Co generation facility with bagasse and with their help electricity generation can be done
Shekhar sir has suggested maize plantation referring to USA's example. But their maize has been genetically modified and fed on a large scale to the cattle or poultry having severe effects on people consuming the meat from cattle.
Agree with the analysis overall but I am quite worried as to why we can't charge farmers for the power they consume or for the stubble that they burn. This threat of vote and thus the resulting vote bank politics is the Achilles heal of our democracy. Really worrisome and sad.
Part One I : Until a few years ago, when farmers in Punjab burnt the remnants of the rice crops in their fields in preparation for sowing wheat, the smoke from such fires was confined to Punjab. According to a publication of the Indian Council of Social Science Research(external link) published in 1991, ‘At the end of September and in early October, it becomes difficult to travel in the rural areas of Punjab because the air is thick with the smoke of burning paddy straw.’ Clearly, farmers burnt the straw in late September and early October. However, in recent years, farmers have delayed the burning until late October. This delay is crucial and responsible for the smoke being carried all the way to Delhi. An analysis of the wind flow patterns (external link) reveals that wind blows into Delhi primarily from the west during the monsoon season, but changes direction in October and starts blowing into Delhi from the north. The decision to delay the clearing of the fields was not the choice of farmers, but was forced on them by the Punjab government which passed the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act (external link) in 2009. According to this law, farmers could no longer sow rice in April, but had to wait until the middle of June. Rice has a 120-day period between germination and harvest, and the restriction on sowing means that the fields would be harvested and cleared only in October by which time the direction of wind would have changed. Delhi’s problem of being covered by smoke started right after this law was implemented. www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
What is the problem with we exporting rice which consumes so much water? We are not loosing that water! The water was consumed by plants and evaporated in fields. Now whether we export it or store it locally doesn't matter! The next rain will bring water from seas without any border consciousness. So if we have surplus, what is wrong in exporting? Why should the huge consumption of water be a reason for stopping exports?!!
This stupid law is very useful at one point. A variety of rice that have only around 70 days cycle.So what farmer do is try to take 2 cycle in 6 months.
This is one of the most instructive analysis I've seen about the Smog over North India. I'm wondering on the impact of the fires on the soil as the same soil is used for growing food. Petroleum products are known to be carcinogenic so I wonder about the impact on health of everyone all over the world who now consumes this wheat/rice. Also this could also mean that no crop grown in these states could get an Organic label. In the stores here in the US I now see Organic wheat/rice so I wonder on the veracity of this label. Shekharji, If you can find some time to research this I would appreciate it. I'm sure others in your audience will appreciate it as well. Thanks again for this brilliant web video production. Like someone said there is no point in watch the endless moronic debates on TV channels once you have such a thoughtful and well researched content
Paddy harvesting by combines must be banned. Farmers be paid 150/ RS per quintal more. This will also increase job availability also. Reducing paddy cultivation is another option.
Fantastic and powerful analysis of the ROOTS of the problem. Another impactful solution that can be scaled up is incentivising (or nudging) private players like Amazon to use paddy for eco-packaging/circular packaging. IKEA's already started routing waste paddy into some of their furniture production. In addition to the solutions you proposed, I think finding alternative and economically viable uses for paddy (like packaging, biomass, furniture, etc) could be a massive gamechanger in mitigating this man-made eco-catastrophe :)
with all due respect to the journalist, it doesnt make sense to lower production of rice. If the excess is being exported, it is earnings to the farmers, why would they decrease that?
Why is this rice not distributed into the poorer sections of the society in the rice eating regions of the country with the bran intact ? Also the rice bran oil can be produced from the rice husk and bran. In addition, the rice grass can converted to alternative fuel sources to generate power instead of the farmers themselves burning it. These are existing technological solutions which probably can be implemented to address the excess production.
punjab and haryana should consider large scale agroforestry to restore tree shade to also help reverse soil and water depletion [this region was densely forested in pre colonial india [jungledesh]]
India needs to export food grains to other countries at least for huge expatriate community who contribute to economy of India. You may say that rice may not be grown in water deficient areas like Punjab & Haryana. Traditional rice growing areas like Bengal , Bihar , Orissa etc get heavily flooded during rainy season which is the paddy growing time.
An author named Arvind Kumar published his findings in an article in Dec 2017 itself. "The Print" editor Shekar Gupta has conveniently claimed that his colleague Ila Patnaik has published a detailed finding on this topic in an article for "The Print" when in fact her article is very much an exact reproduction of the original findings published by Arvind Kumar in 2017 and then in another article in 2018. Clearly a copybook case of Plagiarism by Print and their editorial staff. In this digital age, it is unbelievable that these senior journalists like Shekhar Gupta assumed that their copycat effort will go unnoticed, when they could have easily attributed the original findings to Arvind Kumar and still used his findings to support their video documentary on this topic. Too bad their lie has been exposed!! www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/12191-law-aiding-monsanto-reason-delhi-s-annual-smoke-season www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
Part Four IV : Thus the government’s plan to replace the cultivation of rice - which is the staple food for a large section of the population of India - by Monsanto’s chicken feed is a cynical move that will result in government created food shortages in the country. The problems related to the low levels of groundwater and the inability of the soil to retain moisture must be solved, but the solution should not be a drastic one such as creating famines by banning food items such as rice. Before the level of groundwater fell in Punjab, the state experienced a problem of water-logging which was partially solved by pumping out the excess groundwater. Thus, it is clear that an acceptable level of the water table can be maintained by finding a proper balance between the two extreme situations. Today, farmers burn the residual straw from the cultivation of rice as it is the cheapest method of clearing the fields. A ban on such burning will destroy the livelihood of small farmers and give way to industrial farming with a few large corporations such as Monsanto owning all the land and resources. The government has already helped large corporations through a slew of measures and it must not take any more steps that run the small farmers out of business. Instead, if it wants to prevent burning, it must help small farmers clear the fields between the rice and wheat seasons and implement proper water management solutions. This would mean going against the rules set forth by the World Trade Organisation which has mandated that no business other than American multinational corporations can receive aid or subsidies from the government, and any subsidy given to American businesses will be done under the cover of ‘research grants’ funnelled through universities. India should completely ignore these rules and fix its problems, not the least of which is the yearly phenomenon of smoke cover over Delhi. The Delhi metropolitan area has one of the highest concentrations of population in the world, and suffocating the people of the area on an annual basis should be treated as a crime against humanity, especially when the cause for such suffocation can be controlled. Although smoke from fields remaining within Punjab is also a problem that needs to be dealt with, it is not as severe a problem as in Delhi, as the smoke in Punjab would be spread over a larger area with a much lower population density. For now, a step that should be taken immediately in order to prevent Delhi from becoming a gas chamber for several days every November, is to revoke what should rightfully be called the Monsanto Profit Act of 2009 and farmers should be allowed to sow their rice crop whenever they deem it fit to do so. Arvind Kumar is an expert on technology and economic issues and can be reached at arvind@classical-liberal.net NOTE: The author has published a follow-up article which covers further revelations as well as the political response to this expose. You can read it here. Also read Monsanto’s response to the articles, as well as the author’s rebuttal. www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
A very good analysis which should lead to some intelligent policies and practices and solutions. Also stubble can be composted to highly desirable organic manure. So all these factors can bring about a win win for all. Also there is still the memory of that great fear of basic food shortages that leads to policy paralysis and not moving out of the comfort zone and taking risks trying out something new?
Why is it so hard for Delhi and everyone else in all metro cities to say on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday I would not drive, only bicycles - I tell you - pollution in these cities will be dramatically reduced. and just convert all incoming vehicles to use EVs - have incentives to do so... lungs are more important than saving your butt that hurts while riding bicycles - no govt. no farmer community nothing can decide - only all people of India will have to sacrifice. I grew up in Delhi and I can say in early 80s it wasn't that bad, it was bad but not this much - the explosion of every home owning a car - perhaps its their right perhaps not - who am I to argue with it, I just know I miss old Delhi and nearby areas where I could breath fresh crisp air, in winters I could smell early morning dew and could run around local park without feeling like I am going to throw up soon.
Good economic and policy analysis not usually expected from journalists. It is however incomplete. Shouldn't they just scrap the "Preservation of subsoil water act" in Punjab and Haryana that forces farmers to be in a mad rush to clear up with fields. This seems the fastest and easiest thing to do because there are no political consequences. The only people you will upset are the idiots who came up with this law. Everything else is much harder to do. You are not going to be able to force farmers to avoid planting paddy - they will plant what they find most profitable.
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If Only other journalists were even half of you in being constructive instead of crying and playing the blame game all the time
Your analysis soo much eye opening to us. Please keep continuing this good job.
So true. I watch TheWire videos from time to time, which also claims to be "independent media asking the right questions that need asking" (or some such BS), and all Karan Thapar does there is whine about GST and De-Mon. I mean, its been years, mate, and many experts have told you its effects are long past! But he seems stuck in the leftist blame game that he refuses to come out of. ThePrint and CTC specifically are just golden standard when it comes to real non-partial non-biased reporting of issues with historical context.
Koi uhigur muslimo ko bachawo ..ua-cam.com/video/sdpTh67kdk8/v-deo.html
Shekhar Gupta & "The Print" mostly misleading the public. GOVT'S & COURTS ARE FOR RICH INDUSTRIALISTS WHO ARE POLLUTING ROUND THE YEAR.
Why is he not comparing & sharing the per acre earnings of farmers from the paddy vs the alternatives he's suggesting like cultivation of maize? Or even fruits and vegetables?
Actually, the maize or potatoes are giving the farmers very less returns. It's often seen that the farmers have been throwing potatoes on the roads as they are not getting even the investment cost.
www.timesnownews.com/mirror-now/civic-issues/article/potato-price-fall-worrying-punjabs-farmers/187797
@@honestman5440 Reported for spam. Posting the same ill-formed comment over and over again as a means of slander. British chale gaye lekin tum jaise ghade abhi bhi unki divide and rule policy ka paalan kar rahe ho.
Being a UPSC aspirant, this is one the most complete answer to the stubble burning question. Thank you!
half of his viewers are upsc aspirants.
ua-cam.com/video/eeqf3dNqF8Y/v-deo.html
@@adityasatpute4337 ua-cam.com/video/eeqf3dNqF8Y/v-deo.html
S Gupta hates UPSC holders because he couldnt make it
You will definitely fail, if you write all of what he says.....giving examples of temperate zone measures in tropical country.... Take only the stats.. Ignore the measures
After watching these i am ashamed why i watched so many hindu muslim debates.
@aakash mandal it's you who is the moron mate.
Thats all we are going to be thinking when nature stops taking our shit and unleashes its fury
The truth! www.pgurus.com/shame-on-you-shekhar-gupta-for-plagiarizing/
I just realised one thing...
Even to cook rice you require twice the amount of water as compared to rice.
I like how you criticize the government with a constructive feedback and appreciate where the credit is due. That's called positive journalism.
I'm a BJP supporter but I criticize them when they are wrong... A common belief is that bhakts don't like criticizing modi government... That's not true at all... For example i hate BJP government in Haryana
Blind bhakts are spoiling the image of true BJP supporters like you and I.
I also hate the BJP unit of Delhi.
@@sudhangshudas3099 lol its not a bjp exclusive pr9blem this is normally stupidity of ppl who don't wanna do shit but throw it in politics this has been happening and these stupid farmers if only they had smart and had commonsense
@@sudhangshudas3099 I agree, but blind supporters are everywhere. Take for example the supporters of AAP, they act like many of them are on cocain.
And I second, BJP unit of Delhi is pathetic.
BJP supporter even after economic slowdown, record-breaking unemployment, lynchings...lol....aakhen kholo..tum bhakt ho
@@shekhargarhwal9516 lol moron u r too naive to know the integrated worldide propaganda live in ur small dimwitted world of ignorance. The fact that u r repeating the fake lynching paopaganda is itself a fact how naive u are and as for unemployment this is the after effect of the dumbness of indians propaganda of elites and khangress for sure.
If we have 27 million tonnes of rice in reserve then how come we are 102 on global hunger index
exactly my thoughts. He is saying as if we have so much surplus rice and do not know what to do with that!!
You can't give it for free. It won't sustain next year.. rather you buy foreign currency with surplus rice and make subsidy for next year
@Truth n Logic the problem lies with the policies... loop ban gya hai yeh... poor ko free me dedenge toh sustain nai ho payega... we need to create jobs taki voh yeh afford kr paye toh sustain aaram se ho jayega
@Soshan Ihsan-Otty exactly man 👌
poor purchasing power. low incomes.
A video on RCEP please.
Wow.... honestly never even heard of these facts ..i mean with reference to preservation of ground water act ....as always well done
An author named Arvind Kumar published his findings in an article in Dec 2017 itself. "The Print" editor Shekar Gupta has conveniently claimed that his colleague Ila Patnaik has published a detailed finding on this topic in an article for "The Print" when in fact her article is very much an exact reproduction of the original findings published by Arvind Kumar in 2017 and then in another article in 2018. Clearly a copybook case of Plagiarism by Print and their editorial staff. In this digital age, it is unbelievable that these senior journalists like Shekhar Gupta assumed that their copycat effort will go unnoticed, when they could have easily attributed the original findings to Arvind Kumar and still used his findings to support their video documentary on this topic. Too bad their lie has been exposed!!
www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/12191-law-aiding-monsanto-reason-delhi-s-annual-smoke-season
www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
@@venkateshvadakkapattu1183 सरकारी नौकरी खत्म होने का कारण
ua-cam.com/video/oGX1VRhbFus/v-deo.html
The print is the best neutral source of digital media.
If he puts up his references in description,it would definitely increase this video's credibility
The original article
www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/12191-law-aiding-monsanto-reason-delhi-s-annual-smoke-season
@Sbgolmaalhai lol
Here is you ref 😊
www.pgurus.com/shame-on-you-shekhar-gupta-for-plagiarizing/
This is the best exposition on the stubble burning issue I have come across. Most journalist houses rather than looking at policy issues just point fingers at a few people, obviously that doesn't help anyone.
Pls make video on RECP deal
It's RCEP.
its rcep, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Its already there. Search it
I'm from Pakistan, Smog problem due to Stubble burning is a big issue in Punjab here too, Lahore is just below Delhi in air pollution rankings. I wish Stupidity ends and our DESI air becomes breathable again.
Never heard of these concerns w.r.t. pollution in North India.
You are no less than a Guru who dispels wrong notions from popular minds and bring them out of the darkness caused by fake and unwanted news.
Thank you UA-cam for letting us receive such a wisdom from stalwarts like Prof. Shekhar Gupta.
Sir I am farmer and exporting any food is actually exporting water which we can ill afford. Punjab and Haryana ground water is depleting rapidly. Plus burning stubble also kills the microbes which ruins the soil. Growing vegetables or fruits is a very good solution rather than using prime agri land for fuel.
Punjab/Haryana should grow sugarcane instead of rice! Basmati is cheaper in US compared to India.. why will the farmer grow vegetables or corn which has smaller shelf life and offers lesser profits compared to rice?
Odd Even is a positive step. Some thing is better than nothing. Arvind Kejeriwal is doing his best..what is under his control..
Odd Even doesn't impact anything. Studies have repeatedly shown that. Still it's a good awareness campaign and a good political stunt
@@cm-to6oi you clearly lack basic scientific temper, I wouldn't indulge with you in a debate and lower myself to your level.
If you had made a less nonsensical and more thought provoking point, I would have countered you on facts, but it seems useless now. All I'll say is sometimes, Jo dikhta hai vo hota nahi.
Adesh Fafriya of course you are the next Einstein born in India..
I loved that you showcased the pollution issue , but you left out a VERY KEY POINT. Punjab and Haryana water depletion was not due to excess paddy / rice but due to adopting GM Rice and Maize seeds from Monsanto. Indian Breeds to Rice and Maize which resulted in Green revolution use 70% less water than these hrbrid GMO seeds.
Good analysis. Govt needs to relook at the MSP policy. People need to move away to coarse grains and horticulture namely perennials. The stubble being burnt can be mulched into the soil and do away with the use of chemical fertilizer totally.
india was heavily focused on not letting food shortage be a problem in the country. As important as that was back then to avoid famines, it is time to take the next step and evolve our farming methods for modern needs
This is perfect analysis and solution.
Journalists should know the basic facts about which they are talking. After 20 years of biofuels use in the west, detailed studies have shown that biofuels create more global warming and cause food inflation, which is not what India and the world needs now.
Land
Andh spotted here
@@vasukinagabhushan food inflation ?? FCI is in debt of more than 2 lakh crore by procuring food grains , it reserves are double than required, this is because we want to give msp to farmers.
Whatever be the reason there is always solutions if you really want and I am sure there is you are suggesting that the farmers should continue this and people in Delhi NCR die due to poor AQI ,today it is more than 900
Silly and stupid video without a solution
A comprehensive background to the annual headache of North India. Now the real win would be the policy makers taking cue and implementing the suggestions. We must believe that this can be done.
Thank you Shekhar Gupta!
this incident should also be a wake-up call for general public and media that all farmer's demands should not be accepted and all farm sector issues should not be turned into emotive ones. Logic and reasoning comes first. Next step should be gradually bringing farmers in the income tax net.
Very insightful story by Shekhar Gupta. I only have one suggestion that instead of replacing paddy with corn, why not replace it with nutritious non-GMO millets. There are stories even suggesting vested interests of American Agri giant Monsanto in pushing Corn and Ethanol etc. Instead of growing GM Corn, of American origin. We should replace paddy crops with millets. There is a growing global food trend favoring millets.
I saw this video a few days back and really admired the logic and cutting of the clutter. Then I also read about Monsato's lobbying efforts in India to force Punjab farmers to plant Monsato Corn instead of Paddy. I am not a conspiration theorist, but do you have any comments on this action of Monsato and your recommendation on similar lines?
In major parts of UP there is no stubble as they cut by hand.The Haryana and Punjab farmers use machine for cutting which leaves stubble which then has to be burnt.
Best report on this issue I've seen so far.
Someone finally talking about waste in agriculture subsidy!!!
Thanks for educating the people. There is no need to give support price for rice and wheat, which are produced more than our requirement. Farmers should be given incentives for growing and marketing fruits, vegetables and cash crops like maize etc. We are consuming much water, electricity, chemical fertilizer and pesticides to grow wheat and rice. It is polluting land, water and air. We are causing big harm to bees, birds and animals. Now, we yearn to see sparrows in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Cancer patients are growing at alarming speed. Selfishness is good only to that extend when it does good to you but doesn't harm anyone.
Also increasing MSP for less water consuming crops in Punjab and Haryana can also solve this problem
Great Analysis devoid of politics. A breath of fresh air Shekhar ji. Growing more corn in place of water guzzling and massively surplus crops like Paddy (Rice) and Sugar Cane is a way to go. India can reduce its crude oil imports by 30-50 billion per year and put that money in corn farmer’s pockets. Corn Biorefineries will assure long term purchase at set prices thus reducing burden of purchase on FCI’s shoulders. This is win-win for Environment, farmers and India. We have to move away from STUPID food vs Fuel debate and use our agricultural strengths. Using corn for fuel DOES NOT starve food chain. 100% protein and 50% oil from corn comes out for Poultry/Cattle feed. Just Incase, there is a food shortfall in a rare year, easy incentives can help switch some part of stored corn for human food applications. Courageous leaders like Amrinder, Modi, Tomar, Rupala, etc needs to take bold stand for farmer’s and citizen’s sake.
Wow, I learnt so much today. Thank you. You are clear in your expression and positive in your outlook, you made a drab subject interesting.
Farmers can use "Happy Seeder" to remove the stubble and simultaneously plant sheet, and make more profit than stubble burning. The journalist Shekhar Gupta keeps ranting without any realistic solution. Biofuel is most foolish idea, which produces more CO2 and causes food inflation. Why Indians think that ignorant journalists like these are great journalists?
@@vasukinagabhushan A lot of farmers are small and marginal with small holdings. They will cannot afford and even if they can will never buy a machine like Happy Seeder worth 1.3 lakh when all they need presently is a matchstick to burn the field. Moreover, the machine in the non-Kharif season will lie idle
It was actually Plagiarized. An author named Arvind Kumar published his findings in an article in Dec 2017 itself. "The Print" editor Shekhar Gupta has conveniently claimed that his colleague Ila Patnaik has published a detailed finding on this topic in an article for "The Print" when in fact her article is very much an exact reproduction of the original findings published by Arvind Kumar in 2017 and then in another article in 2018. Clearly a copybook case of Plagiarism by Print and their editorial staff. In this digital age, it is unbelievable that these senior journalists like Shekhar Gupta assumed that their copycat effort will go unnoticed, when they could have easily attributed the original findings to Arvind Kumar and still used his findings to support their video documentary on this topic. Too bad their lie has been exposed!!
www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/12191-law-aiding-monsanto-reason-delhi-s-annual-smoke-season
www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
@@venkateshvadakkapattu1183 really? The original author should make his claims public via all forms of media In today's digital recording and media boom there should be no room for plagiarism.
@aakash mandal happy to know that "your" the moral compass for the world. I didn't come here for his political leanings just for the talk on pollution.
Converting Corn into Ethanol doesn't stop Government expenditure in the form of Subsidies. One of the biggest lobbyist bodies in US are for Ethanol and Crop Subsidies. This cycle just shifts to announcing MSP for Corn and Subsidies for useless ethanol(good for forex but not in any other way)
Absolutely brilliant , wish our Politicians and bureaucrats could think and plan this way.
The purpose of the subsoil preservation act is to match the irrigation timing of paddy with the monsoons rains to reduce reliance on groundwater.
Simple solution. Announce that government will not buy any paddy next 5 years. Farmers in Haryana and Punjab will stop planting paddy immediately and shift to other crops.
it can create short term ciris in state , not worth it
STUBBLEBURNING ACCOUNTS FOR ONLY 6% OF POLLUTION IN DELHI. There are 10 thermal powerhouses near delhi( UP and Haryana) that operate without pollution control these power house account for 36% of the pollution. Plus the Air flow to the north is obstructed by the hilly areas. due to which it has led to the accumulation of SPM.
Shekhar Gupta giving credit to Modi, although reluctantly, is welcome.
We need to use this Straws Bundled and used for Paper Pulp making or burning like Sugar cane residue/ straws.
Nitin Gadkari should work on this to resolve this issue asap. Whatever needed to make bales and shift it to Paper making or burning as a feed stock to Power plants.
I couldn't understand why paddy stubble is burned in North India. It can be used as fodder for cattle. In Tamilnadu we never burn paddy stubble. It is used as fodder for cattle. In summer one acre stubble goes upto 12000 rupees here. National waste.
The Print is like Dil Chahta Hai movie which was a fresh breath of air before the age-old drama and slapstick comedy in Bollywood. Thanks for setting such a good benchmark in news journalism.
Exactly sir, nobody is talking about the humongous wastage of valuable natural resources in stubble burning, except you
I hope politicians watch your shows regularly , it could be an eye opener to them
Gupta ji solution is not as easy as you suggested for one major reason, and that is that the tendency of so many types of crops towards catching diseases and tye whole crop gets destroy. Its a major threat to a farmer. There are insurances and other methods to deal with these problems but its a big headache for them, and they avoid fruits and vegetable crops for that one big reason. Also that nowadays pesticides are being discouraged so they are more exposed to pests, and production also gets affected. So overall it doesn't remain as profitable as paddy crop.
So the change you suggest might be a good solution but implementation is very difficult for some of above mentioned reasons. I hope that experts from agriculture field will come up with a workable alternative.
Still a very good analysis.
Mr Gupta any Cut The Clutter episode below 20 mins saddens me, i know it's the weekend, and you deserve a break too, but Please longer detailed episodes with little anecdotes splashed, that's what your viewers have come to expect from you.....!!
Part Two II: Before this law was passed, the problem in Delhi was limited to vehicular and industrial pollution and there were no reports of the entire metropolitan area being enveloped by smoke.
This piece of legislation was passed ostensibly to preserve groundwater, the depletion of which was blamed on rice fields which supposedly used too much water and which were prone to evaporation, but this argument is a very tenuous one.
According to the International Water Management Institute, water in rice fields contributes to recharging the groundwater (external link) and very little of it is lost to evaporation.
The data from Uttar Pradesh in IWMI’s report too shows that rice fields in the state contributed to increasing the level of the water table, thus supporting the claim that water in rice fields replenishes the aquifers.
The group that has been primarily responsible for exerting pressure to move away from growing rice in the name of ‘crop diversification’ is the United States Agency for International Development.
Over a period of several years, it has used the excuse of preventing the decline of groundwater (external link) to push this agenda.
USAID has a worldwide reputation of behaving like a front group for American multinational corporations such as Monsanto, and so it should come as no surprise that Monsanto is at the forefront of the purported solution for Punjab’s problems.
Apparently, if farmers stop growing rice and replace it with Monsanto’s GMO maize, the problem will be solved.
India’s surplus food grain supply is an uncomfortable fact for Monsanto and other proponents of GMO food who insist that the world would face a shortage of food grains if not for genetically engineered plants sold by Monsanto.
It is in this light that one must view Monsanto’s collusion with the Punjab government and their joint efforts targeting the production of rice in India.
www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
Excellent points. Wanted to know this Thank you
This journalist is an armchair expert who has no understanding of biofuels and it's dangers. In India, any idiot with UA-cam and loud voice can impress bigger idiots.
globaljusticeecology.org/new-report-investigates-failures-costs-and-dangers-of-biofuels/
Another solution is Fish Harvesting.... India can export processed fish which having rich proteins.... Also having huge internal demands....
Nudge and change? How about getting rid of ‘free’ water and electricity subsidies and let the market do its damn job. More government ‘ideas’ might be marginally better in the short term, but policy makers don’t usually see the unintended consequences of their market interference.
Thanks for explaining, and our successive government focus on Diwali, which isn't the biggest player in this...
@aakash mandal ur right.. Slight correction, a bureaucrat can't be short sighted, instead they are selfish..
• Marz badta gaya jyun jyun dava ki
• Cleaning symptom and not the root cause
• 30 yo problem
• North India
• Knee jerk reactions
• Root cause:
◦ Water
◦ Power
◦ Compulsion
◦ STUPIDITY: economic, political
• Farmers in Punjab and Haryana growing too much rice
• Adds to rice surplus >>> export subsidy
• Exporting water overseas:
◦ 1ton rice = 70000 tons of water
◦ 12 million ton
• irrigation:
◦ Punjab: 98%
◦ Haryana: 90%
◦ Free water
◦ Ground water exploitation
• Power:
◦ Tubewells
◦ Canal irrigation
• Incentivising:
◦ FCA: confirmed price
• Labour from UP and Bihar
• Groundwater depletion
• Compulsion:
◦ Punjab and Haryana Preservation of Subsoil Act:
‣ Can’t plant paddy in April or may
‣ Dry weather
‣ Preserve ground water
‣ Plant paddy in June
‣ Harvest late October: smog
◦ Have to plant wheat: Rabi
◦ Desperate compulsion to burn and quickly get land ready
• Solution:
◦ Shift from rice >>> maize/vegetables/fruits
◦ Corn is not in demand in India
◦ Surplus maize:
‣ Corn >>> ethanol
‣ Food vs fuel
◦ Maize can be converted to ethanol:
‣ National Biofuel Policy (2019)
‣ Nudge/behavioural change
◦ Incentive/disincentives:
◦ Pani bachao paisa banao:
‣ Punjab
‣ Farmers needed to charged for water
‣ World Bank project
‣ Paying farmer to not use water/power
◦ National level campaign
I was always wondering why stubble burning has become such a monstrous problems only of late. We hadn't heard of such a problem in 20th century. Now, you have answered by drawing attention to two stupid laws. We instinctively ban and prohibit things, instead of examining the issues and finding proper remedies. Little wonder we also keep reading about millions of tons of food grains going bad in the warehouses of Food Corporation of India. Oh Lord, it is a despairing situation. Who can put some sense into the heads of leaders and bureaucracy?
the stupidity of our uneducated legislators who pass such laws really worries me!
Kartik Padmanabhan its easy to do post mortem sir. You cant call them stupid outrightly. They would have thought probably this law would discourage farmers to grow paddy. But this didnt happen
@@anupampandey4363 do u live in Delhi? I live in Delhi and the situation has become worse. We r locked in our homes , facing difficulty in breathing. The pollution level has become unmanageable. If legislators are educated then they must have addressed this issue last year only. Pollution problem has become every year phenomena. Government works only for vote bank and not fr people. Now only some kind of youth protest can stop this shit.
ananya ipshita i do live in delhi dear. I m not saying pollution problem is overblown. I just pointed out vagueness of that comment. Regarding smog issue, its not easy to shift farmers away from paddy overnight. And what delhi people are doing. Every other house owns 2 to 3 cars expanding traffic, pollutiin manifold.
@@anupampandey4363 overnight??? Did you just move to Delhi? This has been a problem for the last 8-10 years. That is a long enough time period.
Water used to irrigate is not equivalent to being exported. Remember the water flows back into the oceans around us or get absorbed by the ground thus increasing our ground water.
Excellent. Very timely. May be such things have been told earlier, but now it is very urgent to take action .
Very intelligent comments and Kudos to Shekhar Gupta to have made this video. Worth viewing by people , common man , public and leaders to implement / follow, if his analysis is true.
If this argument of exporting water due to export of food grains is believed then India should not export cooked food, fruits, beef etc also as all of them need more water than grains like rice.
there was more than 6 lakh diesel generator now all of them gone...free electricity + 24 hour electricity effect
It is very constructive journalism
Generating electricity from straw is the only option.Already many sugar factories have Co generation facility with bagasse and with their help electricity generation can be done
Government should provide subsidy on innovation like happy seeder
I just want to yell and rant so bad after watching this
This report is very important
Shekhar sir has suggested maize plantation referring to USA's example. But their maize has been genetically modified and fed on a large scale to the cattle or poultry having severe effects on people consuming the meat from cattle.
This is the first time mr. shekhar Gupta made sense to me...keep up this kind of work..
Agree with the analysis overall but I am quite worried as to why we can't charge farmers for the power they consume or for the stubble that they burn. This threat of vote and thus the resulting vote bank politics is the Achilles heal of our democracy. Really worrisome and sad.
Part One I : Until a few years ago, when farmers in Punjab burnt the remnants of the rice crops in their fields in preparation for sowing wheat, the smoke from such fires was confined to Punjab.
According to a publication of the Indian Council of Social Science Research(external link) published in 1991, ‘At the end of September and in early October, it becomes difficult to travel in the rural areas of Punjab because the air is thick with the smoke of burning paddy straw.’
Clearly, farmers burnt the straw in late September and early October. However, in recent years, farmers have delayed the burning until late October.
This delay is crucial and responsible for the smoke being carried all the way to Delhi. An analysis of the wind flow patterns (external link) reveals that wind blows into Delhi primarily from the west during the monsoon season, but changes direction in October and starts blowing into Delhi from the north.
The decision to delay the clearing of the fields was not the choice of farmers, but was forced on them by the Punjab government which passed the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act (external link) in 2009.
According to this law, farmers could no longer sow rice in April, but had to wait until the middle of June. Rice has a 120-day period between germination and harvest, and the restriction on sowing means that the fields would be harvested and cleared only in October by which time the direction of wind would have changed.
Delhi’s problem of being covered by smoke started right after this law was implemented.
www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
One of your best Shekhar, too good, have asked all my contacts to share as much as they can. Superb
I wonder many times that why are our farmers , public , civil servants and most importantly our leaders are stupid and dumb.
Then you cannot roll back the money given to the farmer for using less water/power. What do we do about that?
RCEP video and its drawbacks✌️✌️ we need ur analysis sir
Plagiarised content www.pgurus.com/shame-on-you-shekhar-gupta-for-plagiarizing/
FINALLY someone explains what the heck is happening .
What is the problem with we exporting rice which consumes so much water? We are not loosing that water! The water was consumed by plants and evaporated in fields. Now whether we export it or store it locally doesn't matter! The next rain will bring water from seas without any border consciousness.
So if we have surplus, what is wrong in exporting? Why should the huge consumption of water be a reason for stopping exports?!!
This stupid law is very useful at one point. A variety of rice that have only around 70 days cycle.So what farmer do is try to take 2 cycle in 6 months.
This is one of the most instructive analysis I've seen about the Smog over North India. I'm wondering on the impact of the fires on the soil as the same soil is used for growing food. Petroleum products are known to be carcinogenic so I wonder about the impact on health of everyone all over the world who now consumes this wheat/rice. Also this could also mean that no crop grown in these states could get an Organic label. In the stores here in the US I now see Organic wheat/rice so I wonder on the veracity of this label. Shekharji, If you can find some time to research this I would appreciate it. I'm sure others in your audience will appreciate it as well. Thanks again for this brilliant web video production. Like someone said there is no point in watch the endless moronic debates on TV channels once you have such a thoughtful and well researched content
Great candid analysis.
This is excellent. Hope the Govt is listening
Very well explained, thank you sir
Paddy harvesting by combines must be banned. Farmers be paid 150/ RS per quintal more. This will also increase job availability also. Reducing paddy cultivation is another option.
Fantastic and powerful analysis of the ROOTS of the problem. Another impactful solution that can be scaled up is incentivising (or nudging) private players like Amazon to use paddy for eco-packaging/circular packaging. IKEA's already started routing waste paddy into some of their furniture production.
In addition to the solutions you proposed, I think finding alternative and economically viable uses for paddy (like packaging, biomass, furniture, etc) could be a massive gamechanger in mitigating this man-made eco-catastrophe :)
This kind of bipartisan approach is much needed in analysis sir. Wish we have more people like you.
with all due respect to the journalist, it doesnt make sense to lower production of rice. If the excess is being exported, it is earnings to the farmers, why would they decrease that?
Very good video. You explain it best.
Why is this rice not distributed into the poorer sections of the society in the rice eating regions of the country with the bran intact ? Also the rice bran oil can be produced from the rice husk and bran. In addition, the rice grass can converted to alternative fuel sources to generate power instead of the farmers themselves burning it. These are existing technological solutions which probably can be implemented to address the excess production.
punjab and haryana should consider large scale agroforestry to restore tree shade to also help reverse soil and water depletion [this region was densely forested in pre colonial india [jungledesh]]
Journalism at its best sir, great article. Thanks for such insight into the problem with solutions. Hope officials and political leaders take note👍
Plagiarised content www.pgurus.com/shame-on-you-shekhar-gupta-for-plagiarizing/
What a journalist are u... amazing analysis... luv the way u do it sir.. 😍😍🥂✌️✌️✌️ Big Fan. जय हो
‘Nudge and Behavioural change’- Richard Thaler 😊. I like how he pointed out nudge. This is a nice video overall. Good work.
What is necessity burning , in south India it is used for animal feed and making compost.
Sone pe suhaga used by Shekhar Gupta is wrong. It is having a positive connotation. Ek to karela uper se neem chadha is correct though
India needs to export food grains to other countries at least for huge expatriate community who contribute to economy of India. You may say that rice may not be grown in water deficient areas like Punjab & Haryana. Traditional rice growing areas like Bengal , Bihar , Orissa etc get heavily flooded during rainy season which is the paddy growing time.
This is the kind of journalism we need. The issue is so aptly summarized and presented. Kudos to the Print!
An author named Arvind Kumar published his findings in an article in Dec 2017 itself. "The Print" editor Shekar Gupta has conveniently claimed that his colleague Ila Patnaik has published a detailed finding on this topic in an article for "The Print" when in fact her article is very much an exact reproduction of the original findings published by Arvind Kumar in 2017 and then in another article in 2018. Clearly a copybook case of Plagiarism by Print and their editorial staff. In this digital age, it is unbelievable that these senior journalists like Shekhar Gupta assumed that their copycat effort will go unnoticed, when they could have easily attributed the original findings to Arvind Kumar and still used his findings to support their video documentary on this topic. Too bad their lie has been exposed!!
www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/12191-law-aiding-monsanto-reason-delhi-s-annual-smoke-season
www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
Thanks for sharing the article.
Part Four IV : Thus the government’s plan to replace the cultivation of rice - which is the staple food for a large section of the population of India - by Monsanto’s chicken feed is a cynical move that will result in government created food shortages in the country.
The problems related to the low levels of groundwater and the inability of the soil to retain moisture must be solved, but the solution should not be a drastic one such as creating famines by banning food items such as rice.
Before the level of groundwater fell in Punjab, the state experienced a problem of water-logging which was partially solved by pumping out the excess groundwater.
Thus, it is clear that an acceptable level of the water table can be maintained by finding a proper balance between the two extreme situations.
Today, farmers burn the residual straw from the cultivation of rice as it is the cheapest method of clearing the fields. A ban on such burning will destroy the livelihood of small farmers and give way to industrial farming with a few large corporations such as Monsanto owning all the land and resources.
The government has already helped large corporations through a slew of measures and it must not take any more steps that run the small farmers out of business.
Instead, if it wants to prevent burning, it must help small farmers clear the fields between the rice and wheat seasons and implement proper water management solutions.
This would mean going against the rules set forth by the World Trade Organisation which has mandated that no business other than American multinational corporations can receive aid or subsidies from the government, and any subsidy given to American businesses will be done under the cover of ‘research grants’ funnelled through universities.
India should completely ignore these rules and fix its problems, not the least of which is the yearly phenomenon of smoke cover over Delhi.
The Delhi metropolitan area has one of the highest concentrations of population in the world, and suffocating the people of the area on an annual basis should be treated as a crime against humanity, especially when the cause for such suffocation can be controlled.
Although smoke from fields remaining within Punjab is also a problem that needs to be dealt with, it is not as severe a problem as in Delhi, as the smoke in Punjab would be spread over a larger area with a much lower population density.
For now, a step that should be taken immediately in order to prevent Delhi from becoming a gas chamber for several days every November, is to revoke what should rightfully be called the Monsanto Profit Act of 2009 and farmers should be allowed to sow their rice crop whenever they deem it fit to do so.
Arvind Kumar is an expert on technology and economic issues and can be reached at arvind@classical-liberal.net
NOTE: The author has published a follow-up article which covers further revelations as well as the political response to this expose. You can read it here. Also read Monsanto’s response to the articles, as well as the author’s rebuttal.
www.ecologise.in/2018/10/20/the-real-reason-for-delhis-annual-smoke-season/
Law of karma works universally. If we fail to protect the nature don't expect the nature to protect you.
5.17 not 800 but it takes 5000 ltrs water to produce one kg rice.
A very good analysis which should lead to some intelligent policies and practices and solutions. Also stubble can be composted to highly desirable organic manure. So all these factors can bring about a win win for all.
Also there is still the memory of that great fear of basic food shortages that leads to policy paralysis and not moving out of the comfort zone and taking risks trying out something new?
Why is it so hard for Delhi and everyone else in all metro cities to say on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday I would not drive, only bicycles - I tell you - pollution in these cities will be dramatically reduced. and just convert all incoming vehicles to use EVs - have incentives to do so... lungs are more important than saving your butt that hurts while riding bicycles - no govt. no farmer community nothing can decide - only all people of India will have to sacrifice. I grew up in Delhi and I can say in early 80s it wasn't that bad, it was bad but not this much - the explosion of every home owning a car - perhaps its their right perhaps not - who am I to argue with it, I just know I miss old Delhi and nearby areas where I could breath fresh crisp air, in winters I could smell early morning dew and could run around local park without feeling like I am going to throw up soon.
Yes any new crop in place of paddy will so many problems..water availability and pollution upto some extent
Good economic and policy analysis not usually expected from journalists. It is however incomplete. Shouldn't they just scrap the "Preservation of subsoil water act" in Punjab and Haryana that forces farmers to be in a mad rush to clear up with fields. This seems the fastest and easiest thing to do because there are no political consequences. The only people you will upset are the idiots who came up with this law. Everything else is much harder to do. You are not going to be able to force farmers to avoid planting paddy - they will plant what they find most profitable.
Excellent analysis!!