UNIT 4

Current Environmental Issues of Importance

Global Warming, Green House Effects, Climate
Change, Acid Rain, Ozone Layer Formation and
Depletion
 Global Warming
• “Climate change” and “global warming” are often used interchangeably but have distinct
meanings. Similarly, the terms "weather" and "climate" are sometimes confused, though
they refer to events with broadly different spatial- and timescales.
• Weather refers to atmospheric conditions that occur locally over short periods of time—
from minutes to hours or days. Familiar examples include rain, snow, clouds, winds,
floods, or thunderstorms.
• Climate, on the other hand, refers to the long-term (usually at least 30 years) regional or
even global average of temperature, humidity, and rainfall patterns over seasons, years,
or decades.
• Global warming is the long-term heating of Earth’s surface observed since the pre-
industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel
burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere.
• Global warming is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the temperature near the
earth’s surface. This phenomenon has been observed over the past one or two centuries.
This change has disturbed the climatic pattern of the earth.
• Global warming occurs because of the greenhouse effect. In essence, carbon dioxide and
similar gases are trapped in the atmosphere. They make the atmosphere thicker and trap
the temperature. The temperature is rising, which is defined as global warming.
 Global Warming

This graph illustrates the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-1980 average
temperatures, with the year 2020 tying with 2016 for hottest on record (Source: NASA's
Goddard Institute for Space Studies).
 Causes of Global Warming
Man-made Causes of Global Warming
• Deforestation: Plants are the main source of oxygen. They take in carbon dioxide and
release oxygen thereby maintaining environmental balance. Forests are being depleted
for many domestic and commercial purposes. This has led to an environmental
imbalance, thereby giving rise to global warming.
• Use of Vehicles: The use of vehicles, even for a very short distance results in various
gaseous emissions. Vehicles burn fossil fuels which emit a large amount of carbon
dioxide and other toxins into the atmosphere resulting in a temperature increase.
• Chlorofluorocarbon: The ozone layer protects the earth surface from the harmful
ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. The CFCs have led to ozone layer depletion making
way for the ultraviolet rays, thereby increasing the temperature of the earth.
• Industrial Development: The harmful emissions from the factories add to the increasing
temperature of the earth. In 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change
reported that the increase in the global temperature between 1880 and 2012 has been
0.9 degrees Celsius. The increase is 1.1 degrees Celsius when compared to the pre-
industrial mean temperature.
• Agriculture: Various farming activities produce carbon dioxide and methane gas. These
add to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and increase the temperature of the
earth.
• Overpopulation: An increase in population means more people breathing. This leads to
an increase in the level of carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing global warming, in the
atmosphere.
 Causes of Global Warming
Natural Causes of Global Warming
• Volcanoes: Volcanoes are one of the largest natural contributors to global warming. The
ash and smoke emitted during volcanic eruptions goes out into the atmosphere and
affects the climate.

• Water Vapour: Water vapour is a kind of greenhouse gas. Due to the increase in the
earth’s temperature, more water gets evaporated from the water bodies and stays in the
atmosphere adding to global warming.

• Melting Permafrost: Permafrost is frozen soil that has environmental gases trapped in it
for several years and is present below Earth’s surface. It is present in glaciers. As the
permafrost melts, it releases the gases back into the atmosphere, increasing Earth’s
temperature.

• Forest Blazes: Forest blazes or forest fires emit a large amount of carbon-containing
smoke. These gases are released into the atmosphere and increase the earth’s
temperature resulting in global warming.
 Effects of Global Warming
Following are the major effects of global warming:
• Rise in Temperature: Global warming has led to an incredible increase in earth’s
temperature. Since 1880, the earth’s temperature has increased by ~1 degrees. This has
resulted in an increase in the melting of glaciers, which have led to an increase in the sea
level. This could have devastating effects on coastal regions.
• Threats to the Ecosystem: Global warming has affected the coral reefs that can lead to
the loss of plant and animal lives. Increase in global temperatures has made the fragility
of coral reefs even worse.
• Climate Change: Global warming has led to a change in climatic conditions. There are
droughts at some places and floods at some. This climatic imbalance is the result of
global warming.
• Spread of Diseases: Global warming leads to a change in the patterns of heat and
humidity. This has led to the movement of mosquitoes that carry and spread diseases.
• High Mortality Rates: Due to an increase in floods, tsunamis and other natural
calamities, the average death toll usually increases. Also, such events can bring about the
spread of diseases that can hamper human life.
• Loss of Natural Habitat: A global shift in the climate leads to the loss of habitats of
several plants and animals. In this case, the animals need to migrate from their natural
habitat and many of them even become extinct. This is yet another major impact of
global warming on biodiversity.
 Greenhouse Effect
• “Greenhouse effect is the process by which radiations from the sun are absorbed by the
greenhouse gases and not reflected back into space. This insulates the surface of the
earth and prevents it from freezing.”
• During the day the sun heats up the earth’s atmosphere. At night, when the earth cools
down the heat is radiated back into the atmosphere. During this process, the heat is
absorbed by the greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. This is what makes the
surface of the earth warmer, that makes the survival of living beings on earth possible.
• However, due to the increased levels of greenhouse gases, the temperature of the earth
has increased considerably. This has led to several drastic effects.
• “Greenhouse gases are the gases that absorb the infrared radiations and create a
greenhouse effect. For eg., carbondioxide and chlorofluorocarbons.”
• Greenhouse Gases such as carbon dioxide are the primary cause for the Greenhouse
Effect
 Causes of Greenhouse Effect
The major causes of the greenhouse effect are:
• Burning of Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuels are an important part of our lives. They are widely
used in transportation and to produce electricity. Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon
dioxide. With the increase in population, the utilization of fossil fuels has increased. This
has led to an increase in the release of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
• Deforestation: Plants and trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Due to the
cutting of trees, there is a considerable increase in the greenhouse gases which increases
the earth’s temperature.
• Farming: Nitrous oxide used in fertilizers is one of the contributors to the greenhouse
effect in the atmosphere.
• Industrial Waste and Landfills: The industries and factories produce harmful gases which
are released in the atmosphere. Landfills also release carbon dioxide and methane that
adds to the greenhouse gases.
 Effects of Greenhouse Effect
• Global Warming: It is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the average temperature of
the Earth’s atmosphere. The main cause for this environmental issue is the increased volumes
of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane released by the burning of fossil
fuels, emissions from the vehicles, industries and other human activities.
• Depletion of Ozone Layer: The depletion of the ozone layer results in the entry of the harmful
UV rays to the earth’s surface that might lead to skin cancer and can also change the climate
drastically. The major cause of this phenomenon is the accumulation of natural greenhouse
gases including chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, methane, etc.
• Smog and Air Pollution: Smog is formed by the combination of smoke and fog. The major
contributors to the formation of smog are automobile and industrial emissions, agricultural
fires, natural forest fires and the reaction of these chemicals among themselves.
• Acidification of Water Bodies: Increase in the total amount of greenhouse gases in the air has
turned most of the world’s water bodies acidic. The greenhouse gases mix with the rainwater
and fall as acid rain. This leads to the acidification of water bodies.
• Runaway Greenhouse Effect: This phenomenon occurs when the planet absorbs more
radiation than it can radiate back. Thus, the heat lost from the earth’s surface is less and the
temperature of the planet keeps rising. Scientists believe that this phenomenon took place on
the surface of Venus billions of years ago.
• A runaway greenhouse effect arises when the temperature of a planet rises to a level of the
boiling point of water. As a result, all the water from the oceans converts into water vapour,
which traps more heat coming from the sun and further increases the planet’s temperature.
This eventually accelerates the greenhouse effect. This is also called the “positive feedback
loop”.
 Acid Rain
• Acid Rain, as the name suggests, can be said as the precipitation of acid in the
form of rain in the simplest manner. When atmospheric pollutants like oxides of
nitrogen and sulphur react with rainwater and come down with the rain, then
this results in Acid Rain.
• Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are
emitted into the atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO2
and NOX react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric
acids. These then mix with water and other materials before falling to the
ground.
• While a small portion of the SO2 and NOX that cause acid rain is from natural
sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels.
The major sources of SO2 and NOX in the atmosphere are:
• Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Two thirds of SO2 and one fourth of
NOX in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.
• Vehicles and heavy equipment.
• Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries.
• Winds can blow SO2 and NOX over long distances and across borders making
acid rain a problem for everyone and not just those who live close to these
sources.
Forms of Acid Deposition
• Wet Deposition
• Wet deposition is what we most commonly think of as acid rain. The sulfuric and
nitric acids formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog,
or hail.
• Dry Deposition
• Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of
moisture as dry deposition. The acidic particles and gases may deposit to surfaces
(water bodies, vegetation, buildings) quickly or may react during atmospheric
transport to form larger particles that can be harmful to human health. When the
accumulated acids are washed off a surface by the next rain, this acidic water flows
over and through the ground, and can harm plants and wildlife, such as insects and
fish.
• Measuring Acid Rain
• Acidity and alkalinity are measured using a pH scale for which 7.0 is neutral. The
lower a substance's pH (less than 7), the more acidic it is; the higher a substance's
pH (greater than 7), the more alkaline it is.
• Normal rain has a pH of about 5.6; it is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide (CO2)
dissolves into it forming weak carbonic acid. Acid rain usually has a pH between 4.2
and 4.4.
• Taj Mahal, one of the 7 wonders of the
world, is largely affected by acid rain.
The city of Agra has many industries
which emit the oxides of sulphur and
nitrogen in the atmosphere.
• Acid rain has the reaction with the
marble and results in formation of
calcium sulphate results in the
corrosion of this beautiful monument.
 Effects of Acid Rain
• Acid rain is very harmful to agriculture, plants, and animals. It washes away all
nutrients which are required for the growth and survival of plants. Acid rain
affects agriculture by the way it alters the composition of the soil.
• It causes respiratory issues in animals and humans.
• When acid rain falls down and flows into the rivers and ponds it affects the
aquatic ecosystem. It alters the chemical composition of the water, to a form
which is actually harmful to the aquatic ecosystem to survive and causes water
pollution. At pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. At lower pH levels, some adult
fish die
• Acid rain also causes the corrosion of water pipes, which further results in
leaching of heavy metals such as iron, lead and copper into drinking water.
• It damages the buildings and monuments made up of stones and metals.
Prevention of Acid Rain
• The only precaution that we can take against acid rain is having a check at the
emission of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur.
• Acid rain is harmful to animals, plants and the monuments.
• Being responsible citizens, one should be aware of the harmful effects they
cause and of the industries which give out nitrogen and sulphur compound
wastes unethically.
 Ozone Layer Formation
• Three forms (or allotropes) of oxygen are involved in the ozone-oxygen cycle:
Oxygen .atoms or atomic oxygen, O, oxygen molecules, O2 and ozone, O3.
• Ozone is formed in the stratosphere when oxygen molecules photo dissociate
after absorbing an ultraviolet photon whose wavelength is shorter than 240 nm.
This produces two oxygen atoms.
O2 + hν = O + O
O2 + O = O3
O3 + hν = O2 + O
• The atomic oxygen then combines with O3 to create O2 . Ozone molecules
strongly absorb UV light between 310 and 200nm, following which ozone splits
into a molecule of O2 and an oxygen atom. The oxygen atom then joins up with
an oxygen molecule to regenerate ozone.
• This is a continuing process which terminates when an oxygen atom
'recombines' with an ozone molecule to make 2 O2 molecules. Prior to the
beginning of the depletion trend, the amount of ozone in the stratosphere was
kept roughly constant by a balance between the rates of creation and
destruction of ozone molecules by UV light.
 Ozone Layer Depletion
• “The ozone layer is a region in the earth’s stratosphere that contains high
concentrations of ozone and protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet
radiations of the sun.”
• It has the potential to absorb around 97-99% of the harmful ultraviolet
radiations coming from the sun that can damage life on earth.
• scientists have discovered a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. This has
focused their concern on various environmental issues and steps to control
them. The main reasons for the ozone hole are chlorofluorocarbons, carbon
tetrachloride, methyl bromide and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
• “Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone layer in the
upper atmosphere caused due to the release of chemical compounds
containing gaseous bromine or chlorine from industries or other human
activities.”
• When the chlorine and bromine atoms in the atmosphere come in contact with
ozone and destroy the ozone molecules. One chlorine can destroy 100,000
molecules of ozone. It is destroyed more quickly than it is created.
Cl + O3 = ClO + O2
• When the molecule of chlorine monoxide (ClO) meets another molecule of
oxygen (O) it breaks up, releasing chlorine (Cl), which can “destroy” another
molecule of ozone (O3), creating the catalytic cycle of chlorine.
ClO + O = Cl + O2
Case Study: Antarctica Ozone Hole
• In the area over Antarctica, there are stratospheric cloud ice particles that are not
present at warmer latitudes. Reactions occur on the surface of the ice particles that
accelerate the ozone destruction caused by stratospheric chlorine.
• Polar Regions get a much larger variation in sunlight than anywhere else and during the 3
months of winter spend most of time in the dark without solar radiation. Temperatures
stay close around or below – 80°C for much of the winter and the extremely low
Antarctic temperatures cause cloud formation in the relatively 'dry' stratosphere.
• These Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSC's) are composed of ice crystals and occur at
altitudes of roughly 12 to 22 km. Chemical reactions that take place on PSC particles
convert less-reactive chlorine-containing molecules to more-reactive forms such as
molecular chlorine (Cl2) that accumulate during the polar night. This phenomenon has
caused documented decreases in ozone concentrations over Antarctica.
• In fact, ozone levels drop so low in spring in the Southern Hemisphere that scientists
have observed what they call a 'hole' in the ozone layer. The ozone destruction process
requires conditions cold enough for stratospheric clouds to form. Once these
stratospheric clouds form the process can take place, even in warmer conditions.
• In 1969 Dutch chemist Paul Crutzen published a paper that described the major nitrogen
oxide catalytic cycle affecting ozone levels.
• In 1974, however, American chemists Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland of the
University of California at Irvine recognized that human-produced chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs)—molecules containing only carbon, fluorine, and chlorine atoms—could be a
major source of chlorine in the stratosphere.
Case Study: Antarctica Ozone Hole
• Crutzen, Molina, and Rowland received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1995 for their
efforts.
• The 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer began the
phaseout of CFCs in 1993 and sought to achieve a 50 percent reduction in global
consumption from 1986 levels by 1998.
• During the early 2000s, scientists expected that stratospheric ozone levels would
continue to rise slowly over subsequent decades. The size of the Antarctic ozone hole
reached its greatest extent in 2000, when it spanned 29.9 million square km (11.5 million
square miles); by 2021 its area had shrunk to 24.8 million square km (9.6 million square
miles).
• A 2018 United Nations report estimated that the Antarctic ozone hole would close slowly
and stratospheric ozone concentrations would return to 1980 values by the 2060s. Above
the Arctic, ozone levels are expected to return to 1980 values by the mid-2030s.
 Population Growth
• Population growth is the change in population over time, and can be quantified
as the change in the number of individuals in a population using 'per unit time'
for measurement. The term population growth can technically refer to any
species, but almost always refers to humans and it is often used informally for
the more specific demographic term population growth rate and is often used
to refer specifically to the growth of the population of the world.
• The rapid growth of the world's population over the past one hundred years
results from a difference between the rate of birth and the rate of death. The
human population will increase by 1 billion people in the next decade.
• On 15 November 2022, the world’s population reached 8 billion people, a
milestone in human development. While it took the global population 12 years
to grow from 7 to 8 billion, it will take approximately 15 years—until 2037— for
it to reach 9 billion, a sign that the overall growth rate of the global population
is slowing.
CAUSES OF POPULATION GROWTH: World population growth is marked, according to the UN, by three factors
• Fertility rates: Population growth is highly dependent on trends in fertility rates. The global fertility level is
expected to decline from 2.5 children per woman in 2019 to 2.2 in 2050, according to the World Populations
Prospects study from the UN.
• Increase in longevity: Life expectancy has increased considerably in recent decades and this trend is set to
continue: the forecast is to reach 77.1 years in 2050 (currently around 73). Despite this progress, it should be
noted that there is still a very large gap with the least developed countries (7.7 years less life expectancy).
• International migration: This is a less influential factor than the previous two, but it is also relevant. In fact,
those countries that received large numbers of refugees or economic migrants (between 2010 and 2020,
fourteen countries or areas had a net inflow of more than one million) may offer a longer life expectancy to
newcomers.
CONSEQUENCES OF POPULATION GROWTH: Global population growth has positive aspects for the development
of society, but it also has negative effects on the planet.
• Increase in climate change: Climate change refers to the alteration of the climate, which is directly or indirectly
attributable to human activity. Therefore, the more humans, the greater the impact. This is where greenhouse
gases come into play, which accumulate in the atmosphere and retain heat, increasing the greenhouse effect
and contributing to an increase in the average global temperature.
• Decreased food security: According to the FAO, food security is when all people have permanent physical,
social and economic access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food to meet their nutritional requirements. The
population explosion affects the fundamentals of food security, i.e. its availability, stability, access and
consumption.
• Impact on biodiversity loss: Biodiversity loss refers to the decrease or disappearance of biological diversity,
understood as the variety of living beings that inhabit the planet. Population growth impacts on biodiversity by
increasing human activity and the presence of the artificial over the natural, a phenomenon known as the
anthropocene.
• Overexploitation of resources: Humans are depleting the planet's natural resources. The World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF) warns: the current overexploitation of natural resources is generating a huge deficit, as 20 %
more is consumed each year than can be regenerated and this percentage is growing steadily.
 Automobile Pollution
• All motor vehicles release pollutants into the air, mostly through the exhaust
fumes that come out of the tailpipe when the engine operates.
• More than 99.4% of all pollutant gases are invisible
• A car releases emissions even when it's standing still
• Other fumes from petrol and lubricants evaporate into the air.
• Pollutants produced by vehicle exhausts include carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particles, volatile organic compounds and sulfur
dioxide.
• Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides react with sunlight and warm temperatures
to form ground-level ozone. Ground-level ozone, a main ingredient in smog, can
cause upper respiratory problems and lung damage.
 Serious Effects of Automobile Pollution
• Global Warming: One of the leading effects of vehicular pollution is global warming. Vehicular
pollution results in the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which results in
the depletion of the ozone layer and an increase in atmospheric temperature, leading to
global warming.
• Poor Air Quality: Vehicular pollution has destroyed the air so much that in some countries,
people have to wear face masks, to reduce the number of harmful substances inhaled. In the
US particularly, vehicles produce about a third of the nation’s air pollution.
• Reduced Visibility: Vehicles produce a lot of emissions, and can at times make visibility a
problem, especially if an old vehicle or a truck carrying a lot of loads drives by. Such vehicles
produce a lot of smoke, which hampers visibility making one unable to see what is in front.
• Health Issues and Complications: Pollutants from vehicular pollution can result in lung
infections, complications, and even various types of cancers. The hydrocarbons are not good
for human health and they can also cause heart disease, damage the central nervous system,
make breathing difficult, aggravate asthma
• Acid Rain: One of the gases produced by vehicles is nitrogen oxide and it contributes to the
formation of highly corrosive smog which results in the rusting of vehicles and the corrosion of
structures. When the nitrogen oxide dissolves in rain, acid rain is produced, which can
significantly reduce the lifespan of buildings made by limestone and marble
• It Affects Tourism: Because of the adverse effects of vehicular pollution, especially the
formation of smog, tourism ends up being affected. Most people are not willing to visit cities
or countries that are not going to be good for their health or knowing that their visit could led
their premature death
 Solutions to Vehicular Pollution
• Drive Less: We are desperately dependent on fossil fuels and the number of vehicles on
the roads will continue to increase. We can only try and reduce vehicular emissions by
doing our parts, and one of the easiest things to do is drive less and choose alternatives
such as walking, using the train or public transportation, and even using a bike.
Carpooling is another way to drive less
• Governmental intervention: Most city governments can take action to lower vehicular
pollution, seeing that more emissions are produced by vehicles in urban areas because
of traffic and the fact that people have to drive slowly in towns.
• Invest in zero-emission vehicles: Not all vehicles today are relying on fossil fuels for
locomotion. Electric vehicles have moved away from burning fuel and use
electrochemical processes to produce the energy required for a vehicle to move.
• Civic Education: Many people know about the effects of these emissions but play
ignorant, while some simply do not know about them. Civic education, especially on the
short-term and long-term effects of vehicular pollution on our lives and the planet in
general, could open up eyes and help people make sane decisions.
• Discarding Old Vehicles: old vehicles are responsible for more vehicular pollution
because their transmission systems are outdated. Newer vehicles use new technologies
and pollute the environment less than their older counterparts.
• Burn Fewer Fuels: The key to burning fewer fuels is making vehicles more efficient.
Governments need to set fuel-economy standards for all passenger vehicles, including
the advocacy for the use of technologies that help cars and trucks to further on a gallon
of gasoline.
 Burning of Paddy Straw.
• Crop residue burning in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh has been
known, but nowadays it's spreading more frequently in other parts of country.
• Stubble burning is a term that is frequently seen in the news nowadays. It is one
of the major causes of winter pollution in northern India, particularly, in Delhi
and adjoining areas.
• Stubble burning is the intentional burning or setting on fire of crop residue to
remove them from the field in order to sow the next crop.
• Leaving stubble on the field will invite termites and other pests which can
damage the subsequent crop.
• In Punjab and Haryana, farmers burn the stubble (rice chaff) left after the rice
harvest so that the field may be readied for the next Rabi (winter) crop like
wheat.
• In these areas, it begins around October, the same time at which the southwest
monsoon withdraws.
• Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) makes stubble burning a crime.
Additionally, it was notified as an offence under the Air (Prevention and Control
of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Despite being banned, the practice continues in India, where farmers cite a lack
of viable alternatives to clear their fields of stubble.
 Burning of Paddy Straw.
• Why do farmers burn stubble?
• Paddy residue left by harvesters takes one-and-a-half months to decompose
while farmers don’t have sufficient time to sow their next crop. Stubble burning
is a quick, cheap and efficient way to prepare the soil bed for the next crop.
• Earlier, the stubble used to be used by farmers as hay to keep animals or homes
warm, and even for cooking. However, these uses of stubble have now become
outdated.
 Burning of Paddy Straw.
• A study estimates that crop residue burning released 149.24 million tonnes of
carbon dioxide (CO2), over 9 million tonnes of carbon monoxide (CO), 0.25 million
tonnes of oxides of sulphur (SOX), 1.28 million tonnes of particulate matter and 0.07
million tonnes of black carbon. These directly contribute to environmental pollution,
and are also responsible for the haze in Delhi and melting of Himalayan glaciers.
Solutions to the burning problem
• In 2014, the Union government released the National Policy for Management of
Crop Residue. Since then, crop residue management has helped make the soil more
fertile, thereby resulting in savings of Rs 2,000/hectare from the farmer’s manure
cost.
• Farmers can also manage crop residues effectively by employing agricultural
machines like:
• Happy Seeder(used for sowing of crop in standing stubble)
• Rotavator (used for land preparation and incorporation of crop stubble in the soil)
• Zero till seed drill (used for land preparations directly sowing of seeds in the previous crop stubble)
• Baler (used for collection of straw and making bales of the paddy stubble)
• Paddy Straw Chopper (cutting of paddy stubble for easily mixing with the soil)
• Reaper Binder (used for harvesting paddy stubble and making into bundles)
• On other hand, these machines are too costly and the state governments should
come forward and provide better subsidy so that farmer can afford these machines.
Former Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had said that the government is
providing subsidy at 50-80 per cent for crop residue management machinery.