The roots of stubble burning – which pushes Delhi’s already bad air into the severe category, especially when it coincides with the Diwali season, and sluggish pre-winter air conditions – lies in a complex web of reasons linked to the (relatively) large size of landholdings of farmers, the (consequent) high level of mechanisation, and a 2009 water conservation law that shortened the harvest window. Add administrative laxity, short-term decision making, and pointed resistance from some cultivators to move to less polluting methods due to concerns over profitability, and you have a noxious mix that has made holistic and scientific plans to fight the winter pollution near impossible.

The success of PR-126 represents a break in that trend. Though it is important to note that this achievement was largely an accident – due to floods in July, the crop was washed away and farmers were left with no option but to resow the short-duration variety – and not administrative zeal, such advances need to be safeguarded and promoted. It can wean farmers away from more polluting and water-guzzling varieties. The government needs to build on this good beginning with administrative and financial support and ensure that the interests of other commercial groups – already paddy shelling mills and miller associations are complaining about the potentially lower yield – are not allowed to undercut the fight against pollution. The country needs both political will and scientific zeal in fighting against a menace that is not only a health hazard but also an economic drag.