Farmers in India are being blamed for the toxic smog choking New Delhi, but growers say without government help they've got no choice but to keep burning their stubble as the alternatives are too costly. - REUTERS
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00:00Farmers in India are being blamed for the toxic smog choking New Delhi.
00:06Burning fields to clear stubble creates giant plumes of smoke that find their way to the
00:10capital and other parts of the country.
00:13It happens every year at the onset of winter, when farmers clear paddy fields to make way
00:17for planting wheat.
00:19But the growers say they shouldn't be blamed, as they have no alternative in the absence
00:23of government support.
00:27Jung Singh is a village head in Punjab state.
00:30He says small farmers can't afford alternative means, even though the burning is illegal.
00:37Though the government does subsidize machines that could clear the fields without fire,
00:41they remain unaffordable to most.
00:43There's also a long wait to rent the equipment.
00:46Besides the pollution, Punjab Farmers Union General Secretary Sarwan Singh says it's all
00:52a missed opportunity, with the stubble having potential uses, including energy generation.
01:00This month, Delhi has been battling air quality described as hazardous.
01:04Last week, pollution hit a peak of 494 on a scale to 500, prompting the government to
01:11limit vehicle movements and instruct schools to teach online.