Haryana records 95% drop in paddy stubble burning cases

In a remarkable achievement, Haryana has recorded a 95% reduction in incidents of paddy stubble burning compared to last year, according to data reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi here today.

As per figures from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the state reported just seven active fire locations up to October 6, 2025, against 150 cases during the corresponding period last year.

Officials informed that all districts have constituted Parali Protection Forces to ensure swift enforcement against violators. Of the seven active fire cases, action has already been taken in three, including issuance of challans, registration of FIRs, and making red entries in land records. Notably, two of the seven fires were found to be non-agricultural — one involving garbage in Faridabad and another caused by industrial waste in Sonepat.

Rastogi lauded the coordinated effort, attributing the success to rigorous monitoring, technological intervention and active farmer engagement.

A robust surveillance and outreach mechanism has been established with 9,036 nodal officers deployed across districts — exceeding the required strength of 8,494. Each officer supervises 50 farmers in the high-risk Red and Yellow zones and 100 farmers in other areas.

Deputy Commissioners have been directed to ensure that nodal officers are trained through a new mobile application designed to monitor crop residue management. The officers are tasked with engaging farmers regularly, overseeing residue disposal practices, tracking Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery and reporting fire incidents in real time.

The government’s efforts to provide viable alternatives to residue burning have also paid off. Nearly 90% of CRM machinery identification work has been completed and 51,526 machines have been verified as operational.

Procurement of new machines is progressing rapidly, with a 94.74% completion rate. Of the 14,088 machines selected through a lottery system, permits have been downloaded for 8,213, and bills uploaded for 7,781. Districts such as Faridabad, Jhajjar, and Rohtak have emerged as top performers, each recording over 98% completion in machinery distribution.

Officials said these measures have not only reduced farm fires but also helped improve air quality and farm-level sustainability in the state.