Lok Sabha Question No. 18 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-01
Subject: Impact of Stubble Burning
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

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

## LOK  SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 18

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.12.2025

## Impact of Stubble Burning

* 18. SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that despite a 20 per cent reduction in stubble burning incidents in Punjab during 2025, the Air Quality Index in Delhi-NCR has still crossed 450 due to contribution of pollutants from the neighbouring States including Punjab and Haryana;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  number of farm fires  reported in the State  of  Punjab  between October and November 2025, district-wise including Jalandhar; and
- (c) the  concrete  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  enforce  directives  of  the Commission  for  Air  Quality  Management  and  provide  alternative  machinery  to  the farmers in the said States to prevent recurrence of stubble burning?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

(a) to (c) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARAS (a) to (c) OF THE LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  No.  18  DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON  01.12.2025  REGARDING IMPACT  OF  STUBBLE  BURNING  BY  SHRI  CHARANJIT  SINGH  CHANNI, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.

(a)  to  (c): Air pollution in Delhi -  National  Capital  Region  (NCR) is a collective  result of multiple factors including high level of anthropogenic activities in the high-density populated areas in NCR, arising from various sectors viz. Vehicular Pollution, Industrial Pollution, Dust from  Construction  &  Demolition  Project  activities,  Road  and  Open  Areas  Dust,  Biomass Burning,  Municipal  Solid  Waste  burning,  Fires  in  Landfills,  air  pollution  from  dispersed sources, etc. as well as various meteorological factors. Stubble burning in the NCR region and Punjab during winter season has also been identified as an episodic event which aggravates the air quality index in Delhi and NCR region.

The  States  of  Punjab  and  Haryana  have  collectively  recorded  about  90%  reduction in  fire incidences during paddy harvesting season in the year 2025 in comparison to the same period in the year 2022.

With coordinated efforts, number of good days (AQI<200) in Delhi have increased to 200 days in 2025 from 110 days in 2016. While there is an overall improvement in the AQI this year, very poor days (AQI: 301-400) and severe (AQI more than 401) days have reduced from 71 days in 2024 to 50 days in 2025. Delhi has observed lowest average AQI in the past 8 years i.e., from 2018 to 2025 (barring 2020 - COVID lockdown).

The district-wise details of the number of farm fires reported in the State of Punjab during

October and November (up to 29.11.2025) 2025 are mentioned in Annexure I. Some of the measures taken by the Government to mitigate air pollution caused due to stubble burning include the following:

- i. During the period from 2018-19 to 2025-26 (as on  17.11.2025),  Rs.  3120.16  crores (Punjab - Rs. 1963.45 crores, Haryana- Rs. 1156.71 crores) have been released to the Governments of Punjab and Haryana for CRM machines. These States have distributed more than 2.6 lakh machines to the individual famers and to more than 33,800 CHCs in these States.
- ii. CAQM through Direction 90 dated 09.05.2025 directed to Plan for rent-free availability of CRM machines for small / marginal farmers. Punjab and Haryana have 1,59,194 and 1,08,729 CRMs for the paddy residue management.
- iii. CAQM, vide Direction No. 92 dated 03.06.2025, directed the State Governments of Punjab  and  Haryana  to  mandate  use  of  paddy  straw-based  bio-mass  pellets  / briquettes  in all brick kilns located in the districts beyond NCR, as one of the means towards elimination of the practice of open paddy stubble burning, aiming for 50% cofiring  of  paddy  straw  based  pellets  /  briquettes  with  a  target  of  at  least  20%   w.e.f. 01.11.2025, 30% w.e.f. 01.11.2026, 40% w.e.f. 01.11.2027 and 50% w.e.f. 01.11.2028.
- iv. CAQM  has  issued Direction No. 95 on 01.10.2025 authorizing the Deputy Commissioners  /  District  Collectors  /  District  Magistrates  in  the  States  of  Punjab, Haryana, NCR areas of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and in the NCT of Delhi to file a complaint  before  jurisdictional  judicial  magistrate,  in  case  of  inaction  in  respect  of officials, including nodal officers and supervisory officers at various levels and Station House Officers, responsible for effective enforcement towards ensuring elimination of paddy stubble burning in their respective jurisdiction.
- v. CAQM has issued directions to all the Coal based Thermal Power Plants located within 300 Kms radius of Delhi to co-fire biomass based pellets, torrefied pellets/ briquettes (upto 5-10%) with coal to promote use of biomass.
- vi. The MoEFCC through notification dated 11.07.2023, as amended, notified Environment  (Utilisation  of  Crop  Residue  by  Thermal  Power  Plants)  Rules,  2023 mandating minimum five per cent blend of pellets or briquettes made of crop residue along with coal by the Thermal Power Plants in the NCR and Adjoining Areas, failing which said Rules stipulates certain amount of Environmental Compensation against the Thermal Power Plants, as per unit of electricity generated.
- vii. CAQM has issued directions to State Governments of Punjab and Haryana to mandate use of paddy straw-based biomass pellets / briquettes in all brick kilns located in the districts beyond NCR, as one of the means towards elimination of the practice of open paddy stubble burning.
- viii. 31 Flying Squads from CPCB have been deployed from 01-10-2025 to 30-11-2025 in identified hotspot districts in Punjab and Haryana to closely monitor the actions and coordinate with the concerned authorities / officers at the district level, officers of the Pollution Control Boards/CAQM cell. These teams provide daily updates, photographic evidence, and compliance status.

In addition to the above mentioned measures/action, the Government has regularly reviewed and monitored the actions taken to address air pollution including stubble burning related issues in Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas. Some of the recent key meetings are as below:

- i. Minister  level  Inter-Ministerial  meeting  was  held  on  07.10.2025  under  the  Cochairmanship of Hon'ble Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Hon'ble Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare on the issues of management of Crop Residue Burning;
- ii. Regular review meetings have been held on 08.08.2025, 16.09.2025, 10.10.2025 and 11.11.2025 under the chairmanship of the Hon'ble Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on the issues relating to air pollution control in Delhi-NCR, to deliberate upon the undertaking of air pollution abatement measures and strategies for further strengthening air quality management across the region;
- iii. Meeting of CAQM's Statutory Sub-Committee on Safeguarding & Enforcement was held on 28.08.2025 under the Chairmanship of the Chairperson, CAQM to review and monitor the actions taken by the concerned implementing agencies and also to assess preparedness for the upcoming winter season;
- iv. Meeting of the full Commission (CAQM) was held on 17.10.2025 to review actions taken by the respective State Governments/ GNCTD and concerned agencies and also to assess the preparedness for the upcoming winter season;
- v. A  meeting  was  held  on  07.11.2025  in  Chandigarh  under  the  Chairmanship  of  the Chairperson, CAQM and Co-chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Government of Punjab with  senior  officers  of  the  State  Government  and  representatives  of  the  concerned agencies as well as the Deputy Commissioners and SSPs of all districts.

In the review meetings held under the Chairmanship of Hon'ble Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, further decisions, inter-alia, were taken to address stubble burning issue:

-  To  enhance  co-firing  of  paddy  stubble  to  5%  or  more,  in  TPPs  in  light  of  specific directions of MoEF&CC.
-  Sensitize districts level officers to intensify efforts for the prevention and control of stubble burning focusing on the hotspot districts aiming to eliminate stubble burning.
-  In view of serious concerns regarding sub optimal utilization of CRM machines, it was directed  to  review  the  ground  level  utilization  of  CRM  machines  provided  through CHCs under the CRM scheme and intensify efforts for optimum utilization of machines during the peak harvesting season.
-  Review the operational status of CRM machines provided through CHCs after paddy stubble harvesting season to ensure timely and adequate availability of CRM machines and  optimum  utilization  for  the  next  season.  A  comprehensive  plan  may  also  be prepared well in advance targeting next paddy harvesting season. Responsibility may be fixed on DCs and even utpo to Block/Tehsil level. Skill development and training for the operation of CRM to be provided.
-  Conduct  assessment  of  supply  and  storage  of  the  paddy  stubble  in  TPPs,  Biomass pellets plants, 2G ethanol plants by inspecting these sites through flying squads and ensure proper supply chain and storage facilities for the stubble management and also ensure that accountability is fixed in cases of inadequate storage facilities.

To review the action taken by the concerned authorities on the above decisions, regular follow up meetings are conducted at different levels by the MoEF&CC, MoAFW, CAQM, respective State Governments and other concerned agencies.

Annexure I The district-wise details of the number of farm fires reported in the State of Punjab during October and November (up to 29.11.2025) in the year 2025

| Place              |   October, 2025 |   November, 2025 (upto 29.11.2025) |
|--------------------|-----------------|------------------------------------|
| Amritsar           |             142 |                                118 |
| Barnala            |              31 |                                 71 |
| Bathinda           |              91 |                                277 |
| Faridkot           |              19 |                                112 |
| Fatehgarh Sahib    |              24 |                                 25 |
| Fazilka            |              20 |                                249 |
| Firozpur           |             166 |                                381 |
| Gurdaspur          |              49 |                                 37 |
| Hoshiarpur         |               7 |                                  9 |
| Jalandhar          |              33 |                                 52 |
| Kapurthala         |              59 |                                 77 |
| Ludhiana           |              26 |                                193 |
| Malerkotla         |              18 |                                 70 |
| Mansa              |              41 |                                265 |
| Moga               |              32 |                                300 |
| Muktsar            |              33 |                                343 |
| Pathankot          |               0 |                                  1 |
| Patiala            |              87 |                                138 |
| Rupnagar           |               0 |                                  0 |
| Sangrur            |             279 |                                414 |
| SAS NAGAR (Mohali) |              22 |                                  6 |
| SBS Nagar          |               5 |                                 10 |
| Tarn Taran         |             363 |                                322 |
| Total              |            1547 |                               3470 |

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