DELHI - THE MOST POLLUTED CITY ON EARTH

#DelhiGasChamber was trending during November.

Air pollution levels were 48 times WHO’s guideline value.

Schools were shut.

Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency.

Breathing was akin to smoking 50 cigarettes/day!!

Meanwhile, in neighboring state of Haryana, farmers were preparing their land for sowing. That preparation meant burning millions of tonnes of agricultural stubble, triggering heavy pollution in Delhi. The burning fields are visible from space and suffocate Delhi.

THE FARMERS HAVE NO OPTION TO BURNING

Farmers have a very short window —20 days, to clear their fields between harvesting Paddy and sowing rice. Crop harvesters leave paddy stubble on the fields, which has to be quickly removed. But removal is expensive as machines cost INR 1000/hr and labour costs INR 4000/hectare. A matchbox costs just Re 1– the most economically “viable” option is burning the stubble.

In Haryana, 9 mn tonnes of stubble is burnt releasing 13mn tonnes of CarbonDioxide, 18000 tonnes of SuphurDioxide, 550,000 tonnes of CarbonMonoxide, 27000 tonnes of Particulate Matter and 1.8mn tonnes of Ash – a heady cocktail that hangs ominously over Delhi’s air.

Additionally, stubble burning damages soil and micro-organisms, resulting in loss of nutrients.

The National Green Tribunal imposed a fine on burning stubble, but coercion would not work. Moral arguments too won’t work. The farmer needed alternatives.

Our creative idea was pegged on a simple thought : Let’s talk to the farmer and tell him what stubble burning does to his soil quality, what are the alternates available and how they could contribute to a better environment.

A TEAM OF EXPERTS CREATED AWARENESS: 80 experts and 86 members from our team visited 288 villages. They highlighted impact on environment and soil fertility, and suggested alternates. Village heads from nearby 161 villages attended workshops.

PROMISE NOT TO BURN : 5040 farmers and 449 village heads took an oath to not burn crop residue.

INVOLVING POLICY MAKERS AND SPECIALISTS: 19 panel discussions with experts and policymakers deliberating on methods for crop residue management.

CHILDREN RALLIED AGAINST CROP RESIDUE BURNING: Carrying the message to over 4000 farmers

CAUSE ADVOCACY: 130 farmers who adopted alternate methods of crop residue removal, were nominated agents of change. Honored at public meetings, they worked as campaign ambassadors.

MAINTREAMING THE CAUSE THROUGH EDITORIAL CONTENT: We set the agenda on crop residue management for readers and government. We wrote about the impact, the predicament of farmers, profiled agents of change, and highlighted policy alternatives for government.

Reduction in Farm Fires by 21%

Number of active fires reduced from 11,195 in 2016 to 8,861 in 2017.

(Data period 7th Oct – 7th Nov, 2017 vs 2016)

Agricultural Associations reacted

1. Farmer’s association to create a report on handling crop residue

2. Agriculture Department announced the creation of a team of scientists to share research findings with farmers on alternatives.

3. Awareness camps to be setup across the state before the next sowing season

Affirmative Government Action

1. Agriculture Minister announced INR 120mn subsidy on buying stubble removal equipment and provided subsidized labor

2. Stories of 130 Agents of change showcased on government website

3. Custom Hiring Centers commissioned -a group of farmers will purchase and use crop residue removal machinery at subsidized cost.

Impact on Brand : Dainik Jagran became the No.1 newspaper in the state with 1.3 mn readers as per the Indian Readership Survey 2017

DOUSING THE FIRES

The cost incurred by not burning is borne by the farmer alone, while the benefits of not burning are shared by all. Economists term this problem a free-rider effect. It makes action almost impossible, unless the person who enjoys the benefit bears the cost.

Government policy ensured that procurement of rice and wheat is assured, and cash is quick. Paddy cultivation is thus incentivized. This gives little incentive to farmers, a majority of who are under high debt, to even think of crop diversification. Instead, farmers grow crops in rapid succession, burning the stubble to prepare fields quickly

At Dainik Jagran, we decided to intervene and change the equilibrium. It’s a subject of behavioral economics to design a mindset change and changing practices, not one designed by a judicial or a bureaucratic approach. And thus we began our behavior change campaign.

Dainik Jagran exists to shift the collective consciousness of people and transform lives to create a better world and a better future….because an awakened individual is one who goes beyond the barriers of his own mind and lives life in a larger context.

Living this vision of our brand, we draw from the very core of our newspaper’s editorial philosophy which has 7 Principles as its foundation – Women Empowerment, Environment Protection, Population Management, Poverty Eradication, Health, Education, and Water Conservation. These are intrinsically linked to our country’s progress. Everyday, we necessarily carry stories of change, of challenges, of hope and of crusaders across any of these domains.

Environment Protection , therefore is amongst the core priorities of the brand.

As per SDG, conserving and restoring the use of terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, drylands and mountains. Halting deforestation is also vital to mitigating the impact of climate changes. Our campaign drew from the SDG on Life on Land, with specific objectives to:

- Spread awareness on stubble burning’s impact on soil fertility and environment

- Suggest alternative measures

- Set practice and policy agenda for the Government