Environment Question and Role of Farm Unions

 - Prabhjot Kaur*; Harinder Happy**

{This article was originally published in Panjabi Tribune on 1st October 2022 in Panjabi language. The link of the same is here - https://www.punjabitribuneonline.com/news/comment/environmental-issues-and-farmers39-organizations-182596 }

There is a dire need to fix responsibilities for the management of the environment of Punjab, which is deteriorating day by day. Punjab is an agricultural state. A large part of the population is associated with agriculture, and farmers' organizations are strong in the state. The role of these organizations is important in protecting the environment of Punjab.

The straw burning issue cannot be understood and solved in isolation. It is the direct result or product of the green revolution model. Although the green revolution has affected the other sectors of Punjab's environment, the national media only talks about straw burning because the burning of straw coincides with the Diwali festival, and farmers are often blamed for the extreme air pollution of Delhi. However, according to the report presented by the central government in the Supreme Court, only 4-10% of all air pollution is caused by straw burning. Farmers are blamed for this, but it should also be understood that this happens only because farmers have no other option.

In the past, the central government refused to compensate farmers for not burning paddy straw. The governments of Punjab and Govt of Delhi were ready to give Rs 500 per acre each, and Rs 1500 per acre was demanded from the central government. The central government rejected this demand, and the discussions are once again centering on the issue of what should be the definitive solution to stubble burning.

According to the Central Ground Water Board report 2020, the groundwater in Punjab is depleted by 0.49 meters yearly. In many places, the water is 150-200 meters deep; if these conditions persist, then in 2039, water will be found at about 300 meters. Under the green revolution, water-demanding crops like paddy were encouraged to be planted on such a large scale in Punjab. According to a study by Professor Pritam Singh of Oxford Brookes University, UK, it takes about 5000 liters of water to produce one kilo of paddy; Thus, this crop requires much more water than the traditional crops of Punjab.

Punjab had no shortage of river water due to the three main Himalayan rivers, but the contemporary governments did not stop the plunder of Punjab's river water. The misuse of groundwater in Punjab could have been stopped by giving the river water to the farms of Punjab through canals, but this was not done; instead, water was given to other states. As the crops needed water, the farmers were given free electricity to run tube wells indiscriminately. Today, free electricity and tube wells have become the basic needs of farmers and governments.

Moreover, the costs of inputs in agriculture continued to rise, but the prices of crops did not rise at the same rate. Trees on the farms were destroyed for better functioning of the modern machines and management of fields. Most of the trees were natural, which was very beneficial for the environment here, but these trees were not valued in the new model of agriculture, due to which no attention was paid to the forest cover in Punjab.

At every stage of agricultural development, farmers' organizations of Punjab have firmly put forward their stand on the environment and forced the governments to concede. The recent farmers' movement is the most significant example of this, where under the leadership of Punjab's farmers, the central government had to withdraw three farm laws after facing protests for more than a year.

It is not the case that farmers' organizations have only now started speaking on the issue of the environment. The effects of the so-called green revolution began in the last decades of the 20th century. The farmers' organizations of Punjab have been struggling for structural change in agriculture for the last three decades. Farmers' organizations have been fighting for years to save Punjab's environment through crop diversification and minimum support price (MSP) on other crops to replace paddy-wheat.

The demand for MSP on all crops is wholly legitimate and necessary. Still, along with these demands and struggles, there are some other points through which farmers' organizations can play a significant role in improving the environment of Punjab. They have raised awareness in villages to international levels; it is clear that people have become more informed about the environment. Apart from this, Kisan Andolan has worked on bringing people on a platform. Mattera Morcha and Zira Morcha are examples that the role of farmers' organizations is crucial in gatherings on environmental issues. If farmers' organizations can take into cognizance the people and farmers of Punjab and fight for the environment through dharna demonstrations, they can also contribute to improving Punjab's environment through other goals.

Although organic farming should be propagated on a large scale through structural changes, farmers' organizations can mobilize their cadres and other farmers to grow vegetables and fruits that take less time for preparation. About 28 types of fruits can be grown in Punjab. They are not being purchased through the government mechanism, and Farmer organizations can unite farmers on this issue. In this way, besides benefiting the farmers at the economic level, it will be a step towards protecting the environment. Farmers' organizations can encourage cadres to grow crops like Moong, as it can increase the nitrogen content of the soil and can reduce the demand for nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers. Similarly, every field can be encouraged to plant such trees, which are essential from the point of view of the environment, like the Suhanjana tree.

In Punjab, the forest area is decreasing even at the village level. Where it should be 33% in every state, it is only 3.67% in Punjab. It is a big question for what purpose the common land should be used in the villages. In the villages of Malwa, the Dalit community is fighting for its share in the common land, as they have almost no land, despite their large numbers. Therefore, the issue of the environment cannot be separated from the social justice issue. With the just and fair distribution of the land, the trees should be planted on the rest of the village's common land. Farmers' organizations should take a progressive approach to solve villages' common land issues.

Kuhadiawali of the Fazilka district is one such village where the forest has been developed under the 'Mera Pind Mera Jangal' campaign. The villagers have developed a forest with the help of Panchayat and MGNREGA, where various trees and vegetables like chibbar are planted. Similarly, farmers' organizations can encourage farmers to build community ponds, chhapars, and rainwater catchments. Thus the rainwater can be utilized in a better way. During Kisan Andolan, social media platforms have been appropriated by farmers and common people, and the same can be used to bring awareness about the environment. Through them, farmers can learn from the experiments happening in different villages. 

During the Kisan movement, Punjabis living abroad contributed immensely. They all want to see Rangla Punjab. Just as they have given financial help to the farmers' movement and contributed to the development of Guru's Dhab, Rurkan Kalan, and other works in Punjab, in the same way, with their help, work can be done for water infrastructure and forest expansion in the villages.

There has been a change in the struggles of farmers' organizations since 1980. Earlier movements were mostly over land issues. Subsequent agitations have been around rates of agricultural inputs, electricity, water for agriculture, crop prices, and markets known as New Farmers Movements. The way Farmers' organizations have fought for market and crop prices, the same fight should be fought for the environment. Not that these works will solve the entire environmental and agricultural crisis, but they can reduce the daily damage to the environment.

The environmental crisis in Punjab will affect not only Punjab but also India and the world. We should not wait for the day when the country's needs compel us to save the environment of Punjab. It should be saved for its own sake, as it is becoming a threat to the people and wildlife here.

*The authors are researchers at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

Contact: *prabhkaur.jossan@gmail.com ; **harinderhappy.jnu@gmail.com