Punjab Farmers Protest Biogas Plants Amid Farm Fire Crisis in North India

As northern India grapples with an acute smog crisis worsened by stubble burning, Punjab’s innovative initiative aimed at reducing agricultural waste is facing significant setbacks. The state had launched an ambitious plan to install Compressed Biogas (CBG) Plants as a sustainable solution to the stubble-burning problem. However, ongoing farmer protests have stalled this effort, leaving only five of the planned thirty-eight plants operational and none functioning at full capacity.

The Promise of Compressed Biogas

The CBG plants in Punjab were envisioned as a transformative solution to the region’s pollution woes. These facilities were designed to convert agricultural residues—such as crop stubble, cow dung, and press-mud—into compressed natural gas, thus providing an environmentally friendly alternative to burning these materials. The initiative aimed not only to reduce pollution but also to create a source of renewable energy.

Farmers were encouraged to deliver their crop residue to these plants instead of incinerating it, with the expectation that this would help mitigate air pollution while generating biogas and other byproducts.

Reality Clashes with Vision

Despite the potential benefits of the CBG initiative, it has encountered substantial resistance from local farmers. Protests have effectively halted the operations of four of the CBG plants, with farmers voicing concerns that these facilities may cause environmental degradation. They argue that the plants could lead to health risks for nearby communities by potentially polluting the air and soil.

A visit by India Today’s team to a CBG plant in Gunghrali village, Ludhiana, revealed a stark reality: a facility that began operations in 2022 has been closed since May due to ongoing protests. “The plant was established with the aim of tackling the stubble issue and also helping the environment. Today, Punjab is becoming a threat to the industrial sector. A total of Rs 70 crores was spent on establishing the plant. Although the plant is closed due to protests, we are still paying hefty EMIs and salaries to the employees,” said Pankaj Singh, the Plant Operational Head. He added, “Not only this, three other plants in the region are halted, and we have been knocking on doors but nothing has been done by the state.”

Regarding the plant’s operational capacity, Singh explained, “In one season, we get 35 thousand tonnes of stubble. With 30 tonnes of stubble in a day, we manufacture eight tonnes of CNG every day.”

Unmet Potential and Economic Impact

The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) was allocated a total of thirty-eight CBG plants by the central government, but only five have become operational thus far. Singh emphasized that if all plants had been running, the stubble burning issues could have been significantly mitigated. The farmer protests in Punjab have led to the shutdown of CBG plants in Samrala, Bhuntri, and Akhara.

Baljit Singh, a farmer who initially invested over Rs 2 crore in the CBG project, shared his perspective on the situation. “I had earlier thought about going to Canada, but I invested here in the interest of the environment. However, our farmers did not understand the entire purpose of these plants. We were attached to these plants and the allegations by farmers are baseless. Due to agitation, the plants are closed and as a result, stubble burning is happening rampantly,” he lamented.

Singh also noted that the ongoing protests have compelled many farmers to revert to stubble burning, with the prices for stubble dropping dramatically—from a high of Rs 1,650 per quintal to just Rs 150-200.

Farm Fires and Air Quality Woes

The repercussions of the stalled CBG initiative and ongoing stubble burning are evident in the deteriorating air quality in the region. According to data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), there has been a marked increase in residue burning incidents linked to rice harvests across six Indian states. On November 2, satellites recorded 861 burning incidents, with Punjab accounting for 379 cases.

From September 15 to November 2, a staggering total of 9,376 residue burning incidents were reported across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Punjab led with 3,916 incidents, underscoring its ongoing struggle to manage post-harvest waste. In comparison, Madhya Pradesh recorded 2,302 incidents, Uttar Pradesh 1,272, Rajasthan 1,036, and Haryana 838.

The impact of residue burning on air quality is alarming; contributions to Delhi’s air pollution rose to 35.2 percent on November 1, up from 27.6 percent the previous day, marking the highest level recorded for this season.

As the smog crisis continues to deepen, the future of Punjab’s CBG initiative hangs in the balance, caught between the promise of a sustainable solution and the reality of entrenched agricultural practices and protests