Haryana steps up measures to tackle paddy stubble burning ahead of season

he state registered 1,406 cases in 2024, a 39 per cent drop in active fire locations during the last paddy season compared to 2023.

The Haryana government is preparing for the paddy stubble burning season beginning in October with advanced surveillance, higher incentives for farmers, and strict action against violations, officials of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) said on Friday.

Deputy commissioners across the state have been directed to create control rooms to monitor stubble burning incidents. (HT Photo)

Officials said gaps in the existing action plan to curb air pollution were identified ahead of the season. Deputy commissioners across the state have been directed to create control rooms to monitor stubble burning incidents. “As part of the preventive action, the task force is coordinating on a regular basis to identify the sensitive spots based on the experiences from previous years,” said Nirmal Kashyap, senior environment engineer (SEE), HSPCB.

The state registered 1,406 cases in 2024, a 39 per cent drop in active fire locations (AFLs) during the last paddy season compared to 2023. According to Kashyap, their focus this year would be on ten districts--Fatehabad, Jind, Kaithal, Ambala, Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Hisar, Yamunanagar, and Sonepat--that reported the maximum AFLs last year.

Kashyap added that the HSPCB is working closely with the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSEC) for constant monitoring of AFLs using satellite imagery. “This will help us act against instances of stubble burning,” he said.

A senior official said this year’s focus is on rectified locations based on last year’s experience, where farmers indulged in crop burning. “By lodging FIRs, a deterrent action would be taken against those villagers who had previously violated the law by burning the stubble,” the official said.

A red entry of farmers--who indulge in stubble burning--in the Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal will disqualify them from selling their produce through e-kharid for two consecutive seasons, as per officials.

To discourage burning, the state has revised its incentive scheme. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini had last year announced a payment of ₹1,000 per acre for farmers who refrained from burning stubble. “Under the new plan, farmers who adopt in-situ and ex-situ methods of stubble management will be incentivized with ₹1,200 per acre,” Kashyap said, adding that farmers will be able to purchase equipment to manage crop residue like straw balers, happy seeders, and paddy straw choppers at subsidised rates.

Kashyap also warned that officers who failed to implement last year’s plan would face punitive action if lapses are repeated.

Environmental advocates have called for stronger support to farmers. “Haryana’s track record on curbing the stubble burning was better than Punjab last year, due to which expectations are high now,” said Bhavreen Kandhari, an advocate for environmental rights and member of ‘My Right To Breathe’.

Kandhari noted that mechanised harvesting methods using threshers leave the lower stalks intact, compelling farmers to burn fields to clear them quickly. “They want to clear fields quickly and cannot afford manual harvesting either, leading to a rise in instances of stubble burning,” she said. She suggested using MGNREGA funds to finance labor-intensive harvesting methods, which could also help address rural unemployment.

“Instead of relying just on fancy reports and extensive studies that go on and on, the authorities must understand the ground reality,” she added.

Kashyap claimed that ISRO and HARSEC experts are working on round-the-clock surveillance solutions.He added that only a small number of farmers burn their fields after 2.30 pm—the overpass time of NASA satellites over the subcontinent—making detection challenging.