As air quality continues to remain severe in the national capital, industrialist Anand Mahindra on Wednesday suggested a unique solution to Delhi's yearly battle with toxic smog.
The industrialist, who is known for sharing intriguing takes on issues that make the news, pitched a new way to "heal" Delhi's pollution on X. In his post, Mr Mahindra batted for "regenerative agriculture" to provide an alternative to stubble burning, one of the major causes behind the deteriorating air quality in the city and surrounding areas.
"To heal Delhi's pollution, Regenerative Agriculture MUST be given a chance. It provides a remunerative alternative to stubble burning while simultaneously increasing soil productivity. @VikashAbraham of @naandi_india stands ready to help. Let's do it!," he said in his post on X, formerly Twitter.
To heal Delhi's pollution, Regenerative Agriculture MUST be given a chance. It provides a remunerative alternative to stubble burning while simultaneously increasing soil productivity. @VikashAbraham of @naandi_india stands ready to help. Let's do it!
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) November 7, 2023
pic.twitter.com/XvMPAghgdQ
Regenerative Agriculture, according to the ORF, is a “way of farming to build and improve soil fertility, while storing atmospheric CO2, increasing on-farm diversity and improving water and energy management”. The practice can restore soil health and productivity in degraded soil while also improving water use and "nutrient-holding capacity of the soil."
The industrialist was pointing to the efforts by Urban Farms Co, an initiative that works to support farmers as they shift to sustainable farming focused around organic practices. The initiative procures crop stubble from farmers and converts it to "high quality farm inputs" that in turn enrich the farmer's soil and prevents the use of chemical fertilisers.
So far, the initiative claims to have prevented the burning of over 1 million kilograms of paddy stubble each year.
Yes sir! Our sleeves are rolled up and ready for action! @anandmahindra@UFCo_India@naandi_indiahttps://t.co/ZwvHHdBqFd
— Vikash Abraham (@VikashAbraham) November 7, 2023
Replying to Mr Mahindra, Vikash Abraham, founder of the agriculture initiative, said his organisation was ready for action." "Yes sir! Our sleeves are rolled up and ready for action! @anandmahindra @UFCo_India @naandi_india," he wrote.
Delhi's air quality continued to deteriorate on Saturday, remaining in the "poor" category for the fifth consecutive day, with nine monitoring stations falling in the red zone of the "very poor" category as pollution levels spiked ahead of Diwali.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) around Akshardham was recorded at 230, in the 'Poor' category, in Delhi this morning as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Delhi's air quality remained in the 'poor' category for the fourth consecutive day on Friday as the city continued to reel under rising pollution levels in the run-up to Diwali.
As pollution levels rise across Indian cities, understanding what Air Quality Index (AQI) numbers mean is key to protecting your health.
Delhi's winter anti-pollution plan for 2025-26 is now active, with authorities stepping up measures across dust control, vehicles, construction, industry, waste, and stubble burning as the city braces for seasonal pollution.
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