Lok Sabha Question No. 2801 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-18
Subject: Stubble Burning
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Hibi Eden

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2801

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 18 TH  MARCH 2025

## STUBBLE BURNING

## 2801. SHRI HIBI EDEN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether any steps have been taken by the Government to curb stubble burning in different States in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government  has taken any  steps towards addressing the  issue  of pollution, particularly in States like Delhi, due to stubble burning and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether  any  facilities  have  been  provided  to  farmers  in  different  States  in  the country to reduce their dependence on stubble burning?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (c): Department  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  (DA&FW)    is  primarily supporting the  efforts of States  of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi for combating  paddy  stubble  burning  under  the  Crop  Residue  Management  Scheme  being implemented from 2018-19, focusing on both in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy straw.

Under this scheme, financial assistance @ 50% of the cost of machine is provided to the farmers for purchase of crop residue management machinery and @ 80% for the projects costing up to Rs. 30 lakhs is provided to Rural Entrepreneurs (Rural youth & Farmer as an entrepreneur), Cooperative  Societies  of  farmers,  Registered  Farmers  Societies,  Farmers Producer Organization (FPOs) and Panchayats for establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs)  of  crop  residue  management  machines.  The  scheme  promotes  the  usage  of machines and equipments such as Super Straw Management System, Happy Seeder, Super Seeder, Smart Seeder, Surface Seeder, Zero Till Seed cum Fertilizer Drill etc. for in-situ management of crop residue and Balers & Straw Rakes for collection of straw for further exsitu utilization.

With a view to enable efficient ex-situ management of paddy straw generated in these States, provisions have been made to establish projects for paddy straw supply chain with financial assistance @ 65% on the capital cost of machinery costing up to Rs. 1.50 crores. The intervention aims at establishing a robust supply chain of paddy straw for various end user industries in biomass power generation and biofuel sectors.

Under this scheme, during the period from 2018-19 to 2024-25 (as on 28 February 2025), an amount of Rs. 3698.45 Crore have been released to these States and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).  The States have established more than 41,900 CHCs of crop residue  management  machines  and  more  than  3.23  lakh  crop  residue  management machines have been supplied to these CHCs and individual farmers of these States.

As  per  the  reports  released  by  the  Consortium  for  Research  on  Agroecosystem Monitoring  and  Modeling  from  Space  (CREAMS)  Laboratory,  Division  of  Agricultural Physics, ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, the paddy straw burning events  between 15th September to 30th November during the last year in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were 42962, which have been reduced to 18457 events during 2024 for the same period, which indicates 57 percent reduction in paddy straw burning over the last year.

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