Lok Sabha Question No. 1737 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: Stubble burning in Punjab
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1737

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025

## Stubble burning in Punjab

## 1737.   SMT. HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of stubble burning incidents reported in the State of Punjab in 2024;
- (b) the total amount of environmental penalties collected from farmers for stubble burning;
- (c) the effectiveness of the increased penalties for stubble burning;
- (d) the alternatives provided to farmers for stubble management; and
- (e) the impact of stubble burning on air quality in Punjab and neighbouring States?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

## (a) to (e)

The number of Stubble burning incidents reported in the State of Punjab is 10,909 during Paddy Stubble season in 2024 i.e from 15 th  September, 2024 to 30 th  November, 2024.

Total amount of environmental compensation (EC) collected from farmers for Stubble burning during Paddy Stubble season in 2024 in the State of Punjab is Rs 1,48,03,000 /- (Rupees One crore forty Eight Lakh Three Thousand).

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) developed a framework for effective prevention  and  control  of  Stubble  Burning  by  considering  the  needs  of  the  farmers.  This includes measures like in-situ crop residue management, ex-situ utilization of paddy straw, strict monitoring and enforcement, and extensive awareness campaigns, all aimed at reducing the practice of burning agricultural residue after harvest.

The plans / schemes to promote sustainable agriculture practices and to reduce generation of paddy straw include crop diversification, promoting Basmati variety as this is conveniently used as cattle fodder, promoting low straw and early maturing paddy varieties - to enhance time window between harvest and sowing of wheat crop and promoting direct seeding of rice method against transplant to shorten the overall crop cycle etc.

Farmers are provided with alternative measures like in-situ crop residue management, ex-situ utilization  of  paddy  straw  in  various  applications.  The  in-situ  crop  residue  management envisages  in-situ  mulching  /  incorporation  of  the  paddy  residue  in  the  field  itself  through efficient and affordable mechanised means / crop residue management machinery.

The Government of India  has taken several  initiatives  to  address  the  issue  of  paddy  straw burning in Northern India and to provide the famers with alternatives for stubble management:

-  Ministry  of  Agriculture  &  Farmers  Welfare  (MoA&FW)  has  implemented  a  Central Sector Scheme on Crop Residue Management (CRM) w.e.f. 2018-19. Under this scheme, financial  assistance  of  50%  is  provided  to  the  farmers  for  purchase  of  crop  residue management  machinery  and  financial assistance of 80%  is provided to Rural Entrepreneurs  (Rural  youth  &  Farmer  as  an  entrepreneur),  Cooperative  Societies  of farmers,  Registered  Farmers  Societies,  Farmers  Producer  Organisations  (FPOs)  and Panchayats  for  establishment  of  Custom  Hiring  Centres  (CHCs)  of  crop  residue management machines. Financial support of 65 % up to a maximum of Rs. 1.50 Crore is also  provided  to  paddy  supply  chain  projects  on  the  capital  cost  of  machinery  and equipment like higher HP Tractors, Cuffers, Tedder, Medium to large Balers, Rakers, Loaders, Grabbers & Telehandlers.
-  During the period from 2018-19 to 2024-25 (as on 28.02.2025), Rs. 3698.45 crores have been released by MoA&FW (Punjab - Rs. 1756.45 crores, Haryana - Rs. 1081.71 crores, Uttar Pradesh - Rs. 763.67 crores, NCT of Delhi - Rs. 6.05 Crores, ICAR- Rs. 83.35 crores  &  others  Rs.  7.22  Crores).  The  states  have  distributed  more  than  3.00  lakhs machines to the individual farmers and to more than 40000 CHCs in these 4 States, which also include more than 4500 Balers & Rakes which are used for collection of straw in the form of bales for further ex-situ utilization.
-  Large  scale  workshops  have  also  been  convened  at  Ludhiana  (Punjab)  &  Kamal (Haryana) by ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) on effective management of paddy straw through Crop Residue Management scheme.
-  Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has framed Guidelines for grant of one-time financial  support  under  Environment  Protection  Charge  funds  for  establishment  of pelletisation and Torrefaction plants to promote utilisation of paddy straw. A total of 15 applications for establishment of pelletization and Torrefaction plants under the above mentioned CPCB Guidelines have been sanctioned so far. Pellet production capacity of 15 sanctioned plants is 2.07 lakh tonne/annum. These plants are expected to utilize 2.70 lakh tonne of paddy straw per annum.
-  The CAQM has issued directives & advisories to various stakeholders including the 11 Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) located within 300 km of Delhi, State Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on 'Ex-Situ Stubble Management' and to establish an ecosystem and robust supply chain mechanism to boost ex-situ utilisation of straw for tackling the problem of stubble burning.
-  Ministry  of  Petroleum  and  Natural  Gas  (MoPNG)  has  launched  a  scheme  to  provide financial  assistance  to  Compressed  Bio-gas  producers  for  procurement  of  biomass aggregation equipment for ex-situ management of paddy straw.
-  MNRE is supporting setting up of Biomass Briquette/Pellet manufacturing plants and to support Biomass (non-bagasse) based cogeneration projects in Industries in the country, by providing Central Financial Assistance (CFA).
-  MNRE is also providing CFA for setting up of Waste to Energy plants for generation of Biogas, Bio-CNG/enriched Biogas/Compressed Biogas, Power/ generation of producer or syngas, from urban, industrial, agricultural wastes and municipal solid waste.
-  Under the Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, a 2G Ethanol Project has been set up by Indian Oil Corporation Limited at Panipat, Haryana, which is expected to utilize 2 lakh metric tonnes of paddy straw per annum. Another 2G Ethanol Project is being set up by HPCL at Bathinda (Punjab).

In addition to above, the Government of Haryana is providing incentives to the farmers which include an incentive of Rs. 1000/- per acre for management of crop residue by making bales, additional top up of Rs. 500/MT in addition to above in the clusters identified by Indian Oil Corporation Limited for 2G Ethanol plant at Panipat, declaring common determined Rate of Paddy Straw of Rs 2500/ MT, transportation charges of Rs. 500 per acre limited to maximum of Rs. 15000 to Gaushalas for consumption of paddy straw bales, one time grant of Rs. 7000 per acre under Mera Pani Meri Virasat (MPMV) initiative for diversification of paddy to other crops, incentive of Rs. 4000 per acre for Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR).

The Government of Punjab  is also  providing  a  financial incentive  of  Rs.  1500  per  acre  to farmers who adopt the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technique, aiming to bring a total of 7 lakh acres under DSR cultivation. The Government of Punjab has offered the incentives of SGST reimbursement on the cost of the boiler (based on paddy straw) to be installed in industries such as Sugar Mills, Paper Mills and boilers of steam generation capacity more than 25 TPH under the PBIP Investment promotion policy of the State of Punjab. Further incentives under agriculture infra fund for industrial units utilising paddy straw is also offered.

With  persistent  efforts  made  continually  from  year  to  year,  significant  reduction  has  been recorded in the number of open paddy residue burning incidences as tabulated under:

| Paddy Residue Burning events during September 15 - November 30   |   Paddy Residue Burning events during September 15 - November 30 |   Paddy Residue Burning events during September 15 - November 30 |   Paddy Residue Burning events during September 15 - November 30 |   Paddy Residue Burning events during September 15 - November 30 |
|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Name of State                                                    |                                                             2021 |                                                             2022 |                                                             2023 |                                                             2024 |
| Punjab                                                           |                                                            71304 |                                                            49922 |                                                            36663 |                                                            10909 |
| Haryana                                                          |                                                             6987 |                                                             3661 |                                                             2303 |                                                             1406 |

Daily  Mean  contribution  from  Stubble  Burning  to  PM2.5  mass  concentration  in  Delhi  is provided  by  Decision  Support  System  of  Indian  Institute  of  Technology  and  Management (IITM), Pune, Ministry of Earth Sciences. Contribution of stubble burning to PM2.5 in Delhi for the past 05 years is given below:

| Contribution (earlier SAFAR, now IITM)   | 2024                 | 2023                 | 2022                | 2021                 | 2020                 |
|------------------------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|---------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Average Contribution                     | 10.6% (Oct 08-Dec 7) | 11% (Oct 22- 10 Dec) | 9% (Oct 12- 01 Dec) | 13% (Oct 10- 23 Nov) | 13% (Oct 10- 03 Dec) |
| Maximum Contribution                     | 35%                  | 35%                  | 34%                 | 48%                  | 42%                  |

It has been reported that an average contribution of stubble burning towards PM2.5  in Delhi is 10.6 % with a maximum contribution of 35% during the period of 8 th  October - 7 th  December 2024.

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