SDG 13: Climate Action | SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Institutions: Government of Haryana | Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Chang
The Haryana Government has intensified measures against paddy stubble burning ahead of the peak harvest. At a high-level review chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, officials were directed to ensure 100% compliance with the State Action Plan on Crop Residue Management (CRM). Three farm fire cases reported so far this season have led to FIRs, red entries in land records, and environmental compensation charges.
Farmer participation has been unprecedented: 5.65 lakh farmers have registered for CRM, covering 39.33 lakh acres of paddy. Incentives worth ₹471.96 crore have been sanctioned, offering ₹1,200 per acre to promote sustainable residue management. Subsidised CRM machines are being provided directly and through Custom Hiring Centres for small farmers.
Enforcement is being tightened with a multi-departmental Parali Protection Force for patrolling fields, especially at night, and setting up state/district-level control rooms. The state is also building industrial linkages by connecting farmers with biomass plants, briquetting units, and power corporations, supported by 249 acres of panchayat land depots for straw storage.
Tackling stubble burning is central to India’s National Clean Air Programme and NCR pollution control measures. Haryana’s focus on farmer incentives, tech-enabled monitoring, and ex-situ industrial linkages provides a replicable model for balancing air quality goals with agricultural livelihoods.
What is Stubble Burning? → The practice of setting fire to crop residue after harvest to clear fields quickly. It reduces preparation costs but causes severe air pollution, soil nutrient loss, and health risks, especially across North India and the NCR.
What is Crop Residue Management (CRM)? → CRM refers to practices that manage leftover crop stalks and straw after harvest without burning. This includes in-situ methods (like mulching or using happy seeders to incorporate residue into soil) and ex-situ uses (like supplying straw to biomass plants or for fodder). Effective CRM reduces air pollution, preserves soil nutrients, and creates value chains for farmers.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India move from short-term subsidy and enforcement models towards systemic reforms so that stubble burning is structurally eliminated rather than managed season by season?
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