A young man whose family owns a small holding of land in Haryana explained the reasons behind crop burning to me.
Till a few decades ago farming families like his had bulls to plough their land & turn the soil.
It was hard work for both man & beast.

The crop stubble in the turned soil was used as fodder for the animal & the rest mixed with dung to bind the dung cakes.
Then came tractors & threshers so the farmer found it more economical to dispense with the bull & instead hire machine & equipment every season.

So now -
After the soil is turned by the tractor there is a problem in disposing off the stubble/fodder.
There is no bull to feed nor cow dung cakes to make.
Also the silica content in the fodder & the fuel spillover of the threshing machine makes it a challenge to sell it

to those who still keep livestock....

Cost is the main hurdle.
When a single matchbox can do the job why would a farmer spend Rs 3500/acre ? - was a quote in one of the articles I read.

Not only does stubble burning cause serious pollution problems but also destroys the earthworms, bacterial & fungal population - the ecosystem that helps in rejuvenation of the soil.

Shamefully experts & governments over the last few decades have fallen short of incentivising technological solutions to tackle this very serious problem that affects life, health & productivity of millions.....

Success stories such as Kalra Majra in Punjab must be highlighted.
These farmers decided not to burn paddy stubble on 700 acres & ploughed it back into their fields.
Not only did they nourish the soil but their yield also went up by 20%.

'Green' Diwalis are an embarassing attempt to stomp out a forest fire with ones feet.
Evidently the Centre & State governments have to first self educate, take up the issue on a war footing & then ENFORCE

Short term saving now could mean spending billions on healthcare later ...