Chandigarh, Oct 22 The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining areas on Thursday held separate review meetings with the Punjab and Haryana governments in Chandigarh to review the measures implemented to prevent and control paddy stubble burning and mitigate other significant sources of air pollution, urging prompt action on the ground.
These measures were reviewed at a meeting led by CAQM Chairperson Rajesh Verma and attended by Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
The meeting with the Punjab government focused on the implementation of the State Action Plan aimed at preventing and controlling paddy stubble burning, as directed by the CAQM on May 15, 2026, an official statement said.
The commission reviewed on-ground enforcement measures, district-level preparedness, and monitoring mechanisms for effective paddy stubble management.
Key topics included the availability, deployment, and effective use of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery at both the district and farmer levels.
The commission assessed gaps in machinery utilisation and arrangements for the collection, transportation, and use of paddy straw through in-situ and ex-situ management.
The commission emphasised the need to strengthen the crop-residue supply chain and ensure effective utilisation of available machinery during the peak harvesting period.
The meeting also covered field validation of burnt-area assessment through satellite-based fire alerts, along with District-wise deployment of drones and low-cost sensors for monitoring stubble-burning incidents.
Other points of discussion included compliance with a CAQM directive mandating the use of paddy straw-based biomass pellets and briquettes in brick kilns, along with progress towards targets for biomass co-firing in thermal power plants.
The meeting with the Haryana government covered a broader range of air pollution sources, including paddy stubble burning, abatement of vehicular pollution, dust from roads and open areas, dust from construction and demolition (C-D) activities and industrial pollution, along with other identified sectoral measures.
Regarding paddy stubble burning, the commission reviewed the implementation of the State Action Plan, including on-ground enforcement, the deployment and utilisation of CRM machinery, crop-residue supply-chain management, field validation of burnt-area assessments, and the use of drones and low-cost sensors for monitoring burning incidents.
The review of vehicular pollution covered installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system at fuel and CNG stations for enforcement of requirements relating to valid Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCCs), action against end-of-life vehicles, adoption of cleaner mobility measures and progress towards phasing out diesel-operated auto rickshaws in NCR Districts.
At the meeting, the progress of ongoing initiatives and enforcement measures being implemented across the state to improve air quality was reviewed.
Director of Agriculture, Amit Khatri, informed the meeting that Haryana has distributed 13,200 crop-residue management machines against a target of 9,000, exceeding the target by 47 per cent.
To combat stubble burning, 52 FIRs have been filed this year, leading to the arrest of 21 individuals. The state has also recovered environmental compensation of Rs 10,000 and made “red entries” in farm records for cases related to stubble burning.
The state is using a mobile application developed by the National Remote Sensing Centre to verify burnt areas at the village level, helping authorities monitor incidents using satellite data.
To promote the use of paddy residue as a resource, district-level agreements have been made with industries to utilise 27.10 lakh metric tonnes of paddy residue during the current season.
The meeting was also informed that biomass-based power projects had consumed 7.284 lakh metric tonnes of paddy straw by September 30, achieving 77.16 per cent of their annual target. Additionally, compressed biogas plants had utilised another 1.053 lakh metric tonnes, according to the statement.
The meeting was informed that brick kilns in eight non-NCR districts are using paddy straw pellets as fuel, with an average co-firing rate of 21.9 per cent. Of the 708 brick kilns in these districts, 707 have achieved compliance.
Chairman Shekhar Vidyarthi of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board informed the meeting that to enhance monitoring of air pollution and stubble burning, Haryana has installed 79 PM2.5 sensors in identified red-zone villages.
Haryana has approved the procurement of 600 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras for Rs 14.50 crore. Additionally, a separate tender has been issued for another 1,500 cameras.
To reduce traffic congestion and its associated emissions, measures have been implemented at 84 congestion points that require short-term interventions and at 10 points needing long-term solutions. A total of 205 ANPR cameras have been installed at these locations to facilitate automated enforcement.
The Punjab and Haryana governments were also advised to implement Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) action plans more effectively on the ground.
The commission called for prompt action at the local level and warned district administrations that any negligence leading to an increase in stubble-burning incidents would be taken seriously.
(PTI News)
