Brick-Kilns told to use paddy straw pellets; compliance deadlines set

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), Yamunanagar, has directed 77 brick-kiln owners in the district to begin using paddy-straw-based biomass pellets along with coal as fuel, in line with the Centre’s measures to curb paddy stubble burning.

The directions were issued by Pradeep Singh, Regional Officer (RO), HSPCB, Yamunanagar.

As per official information, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, had in June 2025 mandated the use of paddy-straw-based biomass pellets in brick-kilns located in Punjab and non-NCR districts of Haryana as part of its air pollution control strategy.

RO Pradeep Singh said, “The brick-kilns will be required to use 20 per cent biomass pellets by November 1, 2025, 30 per cent by November 1, 2026, 40 per cent by November 2027 and 50 per cent by November 1, 2028.”

He said kiln owners and operators must comply with these targets within the prescribed timelines. “In case of non-compliance with the said directions, necessary action will be initiated against the brick-kilns under applicable laws, without any further notice,” Singh warned.

Assistant Environmental Engineer Abhijeet Singh Tanwar said the adoption of biomass pellets would help curb open burning of paddy stubble.

Shakti Singh, adviser, Brick Kilns Association, Yamunanagar, said they were committed to following HSPCB’s directions. However, he pointed out technical constraints in using pellets. He said the firing process in traditional brick-kilns operates through narrow channels (‘mori’), which require manual fuel feeding at regular intervals. Pellets and briquettes, he noted, tend to disintegrate quickly and fail to sustain uniform combustion in such systems.

Therefore, he said, instead of pellets, the association preferred using chopped paddy straw mixed with coal in the prescribed ratio under CAQM guidelines. He added that feeding systems in brick-kilns differ significantly from those in boilers and furnaces, where pellets can be fed through automated mechanisms.

“We are going to purchase chopper (chipper) machines to chop paddy straw, which will be mixed with coal in the prescribed quantity as per the CAQM directions and used as fuel to achieve the mandated targets,” said Shakti Singh.