90% dip in Punjab, Haryana  farm fires, Centre tells Parl

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav told Parliament on Monday that Punjab and Haryana have collectively recorded about 90 per cent reduction in fire incidents during paddy harvesting season in 2025 in comparison to the same period in 2022.

Responding to a question from Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, who asked if the government was aware that the air quality index in Delhi-NCR has crossed 450 mark, though there is a reduction in stubble burning in the two states, Yadav said this year Delhi-NCR has recorded 200 good days of better air quality.

“While there is an overall improvement in the air quality index this year, very poor days (AQI: 301-400) and severe days (AQI more than 401) have reduced from 71 in 2024 to 50. Delhi has observed the lowest average AQI in the past eight years i.e., from 2018 to 2025 (barring Covid lockdown in 2020),” Yadav said.

The minister pointed out that the Centre has taken measures to mitigate air pollution caused due to stubble burning. It disbursed a sum of Rs 3,120.16 crore — Rs 1,963.45 crore to Punjab and Rs 1,156.71 crore  Haryana — for crop-residue machines from 2018-19 to 2025-26. These states have distributed more than 260,000 machines to farmers and to more than 33,800 custom hiring centres in these states.

The minister recalled that the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has also directed Punjab and Haryana to mandate the use of paddy straw-based biomass pellets or briquettes in all brick kilns located outside NCR districts. As many as 31 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) flying squads were deployed across hotspot districts in Punjab and Haryana this season to monitor violations.

Yadav said in a meeting held under his chairmanship, it was directed to review the ground-level utilisation of CRMs and conduct assessment of supply and storage of the paddy stubble in thermal power plants, biomass pellets plants, 2G ethanol plants by inspecting these sites through flying squads and also ensure that accountability is fixed in cases of inadequate storage facilities.