Govt claims air quality in Delhi improving, stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana declines

The Central Government has claimed significant progress in reducing air pollution in Delhi and surrounding regions, attributing it to a sharp decline in stubble burning incidents across Punjab and Haryana.

Year-wise stubble burning cases

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State 2021 2022 2023 2024

Punjab 71,304 49,922 36,663 10,909

Haryana 6,987 3,661 2,303 1,406

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In a written reply to a question raised by Sirsa MP Kumari Selja in the Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said Delhi’s air quality has shown improvement due to several coordinated efforts by the Centre and states.

Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh said air pollution in Delhi-NCR is a complex issue caused by multiple factors, not a single source. These include vehicular emissions, industrial activities, dust from construction and demolition, road dust, and burning of biomass and municipal solid waste.

He said, “During winter months, meteorological conditions like low temperatures, temperature inversion, and stagnant winds trap pollutants close to the ground, worsening the situation.”

The Minister acknowledged that stubble burning during October and November in Punjab, Haryana, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh remains one of the key seasonal contributors to air pollution in the capital.

To tackle the issue, Singh said the government has introduced a slew of policy and technological interventions. A comprehensive framework has been developed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in collaboration with state governments and scientific agencies such as ISRO, ICAR, and IARI.

Under this framework, states were directed to prepare action plans targeting the reduction of farm fires. Since 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has implemented a subsidy scheme to help farmers procure crop residue management equipment and set up custom hiring centres in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

In 2023, the scheme was expanded to include support for building a supply chain for paddy straw, and an Inter-Ministerial Committee was formed in December that year to coordinate all initiatives related to ex situ crop residue management.

Other major initiatives include financial incentives for compressed biogas producers using crop residue, CPCB guidelines for setting up pelletisation plants, mandating thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi to co-fire biomass pellets with coal and encouraging brick kilns outside NCR to use paddy straw-based fuel.

To deter open burning, new rules were notified in November 2024, allowing for environmental compensation to be imposed on those found burning stubble.

According to official figures, Punjab recorded a fall in farm fire incidents from 71,304 in 2021 to 10,909 in 2024, a reduction of nearly 85%. In Haryana, the number dropped from 6,987 to 1,406, showing an 80% decline.

Despite the encouraging numbers, Kumari Selja maintained a cautious stance. “Although the government’s data shows some improvement, there is still a lot of work to be done. North India continues to suffer due to pollution, and only time will tell how accurate the government's claims really are,” she said.

Selja emphasised that reducing pollution is a major responsibility of the government. “This is not about one or two states — it’s a matter of national interest,” she added.