Stubble Burning Drops by 54% in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and NCR States, says Centre

Stubble Burning Drops by 54% in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and NCR States, says Centre

VoM News Desk | October 30, 2023 | 06:13 PM IST | Breaking News, Climate & Environment | Follow on Google News

Stubble Burning Drops by 54% in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and NCR States, says Centre

Stubble Burning Drops by 54% in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and NCR States, says Centre

The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has reported a substantial decrease in stubble burning incidents in the northern states of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, National Capital Region-UP, and National Capital Region-Rajasthan. Between September 15 and October 29 in 2022, there were 13,964 incidents, which have now reduced to 6,391 this year. The government attributed this decline to consistent reviews and daily monitoring efforts.

Punjab’s Decreasing Stubble Burning Incidents

Punjab recorded 1,068 farm fires in a single day on Sunday, marking the highest for this season and bringing the total incidents of stubble burning to 5,254. In contrast to the previous years, the ministry reported that stubble burning incidents in Punjab have declined significantly. During the 45-day period mentioned, there were 5,254 incidents, compared to 12,112 in 2022 and 9,001 in 2021. The government noted that farm fire incidents in the state during these 45 days are 56.6 percent and 41.6 percent lower than the corresponding periods in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Haryana’s Improved Stubble Burning Scenario

In Haryana, 1,094 stubble burning incidents were reported between September 15 and October 29 this year, a notable reduction compared to the previous two years when there were 1,813 incidents last year and 2,413 in 2021. This marks a decrease of 39.7 percent and 54.7 percent, respectively. The ministry stated that Fatehabad, Kaithal, Ambala, Jind, and Kurukshetra were the five districts with the highest farm fires.

Government Initiatives and Crop Residue Management

The government has released around ₹3,333 crore under the Crop Residue Management Scheme to Punjab, NCR states, and Delhi. This funding supports the subsidized procurement of machines by individual farmers, custom hiring centers, and cooperatives to facilitate in-situ management of paddy straw, as well as baling/raking machines and equipment for ex-situ applications. Currently, Punjab has 1,17,672 crop residue management (CRM) machines, Haryana has 80,071, and UP-NCR has 7,986. Plans are underway to procure an additional 23,000 CRM machines in Punjab, 7,572 in Haryana, and 595 in Uttar Pradesh for the NCR, further increasing availability during the current harvesting season.

Preventive Measures and Continued Efforts

While acknowledging the recent increase in stubble burning cases in Punjab, the government has advised both Punjab and Haryana to mobilize their entire state administrative machinery to take preventive and corrective measures. These efforts align with the recommendations of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas to maintain the momentum and ensure that the gains in reducing stubble burning are sustained in the coming days.

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