Decline in stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana this year: Centre's panel
Stubble burning: The number of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana has decreased by approximately 56% and 40%, respectively since September 15, compared to the same period last year.
The cumulative number of farm fires in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and NCR areas of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh between September 15 and October 29 decreased from 13,964 in 2022 to 6,391 in 2023, according to the Centre's Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
It said there were 11,461 stubble-burning cases in the same period in 2021.
This year, there were 5,254 stubble burning incidents in Punjab during this 45-day period, compared to 12,112 in 2022 and 9,001 in 2021. This represents a 56.6 and 41.6 percent reduction, respectively.
Haryana reported 1,094 stubble-burning cases during this 45-day period this year, which is significantly lower than the 1,813 cases reported in 2022 and 2,413 cases reported in 2021. This represents a 39.7 per cent and 54.7 percent fall, respectively.
The Central Government has allocated approximately 3,333 crore to the state governments of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi under the Crop Residue Management Scheme.
These funds support the subsidized purchase of machines for in-situ management of paddy straw by individual farmers, custom hiring centres, and cooperatives, as well as baling/raking machines and equipment for ex-situ applications.
- With inputs from agencies
