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Centre intensifies push to curb stubble burning
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Thursday, 15 October, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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The Union Agriculture and Environment ministries have called for intensified efforts to prevent crop residue burning during the ongoing paddy harvesting season, directing state governments and district administrations to implement stubble management measures on a mission mode.
A high-level inter-ministerial review meeting was held at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, co-chaired by Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary, representatives of key states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, and senior Central and state government officials attended the meeting.
The ministers stressed that the limited time between paddy harvesting and rabi crop sowing required immediate action on the ground. District collectors were directed to convene meetings, strengthen monitoring and ensure that farmers had access to affordable and practical alternatives to stubble burning.
Addressing the meeting, Chouhan said crop residue burning contributes to air pollution, damages beneficial soil organisms and depletes essential soil nutrients. He emphasised the need to establish viable alternatives that allow farmers to manage residue while protecting soil health and generating additional income.
He highlighted opportunities to utilise crop residue for organic manure, bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG), bioethanol, electricity generation and animal fodder. He also called for developing economically viable systems that could enable farmers to benefit from sustainable agricultural practices, including potential carbon credit opportunities.
Reviewing the data for September 15 to October 12, Chouhan said stubble-burning incidents had declined by 53.3 per cent in Haryana and approximately 32 per cent in Uttar Pradesh compared with the corresponding period last year. Punjab had also recorded a reduction.
However, the increase in incidents in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan raised concern. The minister directed the two states to identify affected districts and villages and implement special action plans immediately. He cautioned that all states must remain vigilant until the harvesting season concludes.
The Centre has provided more than 3.54 lakh crop residue management machines to states, including 26,109 new machines during the current financial year, 2026–27. Chouhan directed officials to ensure the effective utilisation of available machinery and repair non-functional equipment without delay.
He also called for strengthening Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) to ensure that small and marginal farmers could access machinery at affordable, subsidised rates when required.
Under the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme, the Centre released Rs4,266.47 crore to states between 2018–19 and 2025–26. This included Rs2,056.50 crore for Punjab, Rs1,171.71 crore for Haryana, Rs868.67 crore for Uttar Pradesh and Rs59 crore for Madhya Pradesh.
For 2026–27, Rs592.57 crore has been allocated, of which Rs430.87 crore had been released at the time of the meeting. Chouhan expressed concern over the slow utilisation of funds and urged Punjab to submit the utilisation certificate for earlier releases promptly to facilitate further financial assistance.
The agriculture minister called for establishing direct connections between farmers and industries that can utilise crop residue. These include thermal power plants using stubble pellets for co-firing, compressed biogas (CBG) facilities and second-generation (2G) bioethanol plants.
He also directed officials to collect and store crop residue in drought-affected areas for use as animal fodder. State governments were asked to expedite approved supply projects to create additional revenue opportunities for farmers.
Chouhan further encouraged the adoption of short-duration paddy varieties, including Pusa 2090 and PR126, instead of longer-duration varieties such as Pusa-44. Early harvesting could give farmers more time to clear their fields before the next sowing season.
He said the Centre would extend technical, administrative and financial assistance to states, while emphasising that effective implementation depended on coordinated action by state governments, district administrations, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and other agencies.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav called for intensified ground-level monitoring and enforcement, particularly in vulnerable districts of Punjab, including Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Patiala and Gurdaspur, and Haryana, including Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala and Fatehabad.
He stressed the need to integrate stubble-burning data with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Authorities were also asked to assess harvesting schedules and meteorological conditions to anticipate their potential impact on air quality in the National Capital Region.
Yadav emphasised that satellite monitoring must be supplemented by field inspections, ground patrols and flying squads. Particular attention was directed towards the period after 3 pm, when satellite monitoring gaps could leave incidents undetected.
The ministers reiterated that coordinated action by the Centre and state governments was essential to prevent crop residue burning, reduce air pollution, preserve soil health and improve farmers’ livelihoods through the productive utilisation of agricultural waste.
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