A deadly smog has once again enveloped Punjab, as it has for decades. The root cause of this smog is the widespread burning of rice crop residue by farmers in Punjab, Pakistan, and India. Rice plants contain silica, which makes their residue unsuitable for use as animal feed. As a result, farmers burn the material, creating ash that enriches the soil but at the cost of polluting the air. Attempts to bury the residue for soil enrichment have proven unfeasible due to the material’s slow decomposition, which takes up to three years.
The solution lies in providing farmers with profitable alternatives to burning. One viable option is converting the crop residue into fertiliser. The Punjab government could establish facilities for this purpose, offering free transportation and financial incentives to farmers who supply the material. This approach would eliminate the need for crop burning and, consequently, the harmful smog that lingers until the rainy season.
SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER P.ENGR,
Islamabad.