An end to stubble burning

Itis not a utopian vision, but a pragmatic and achievable goal over the next three years

- ARUNABHA GHOSH & KURINJI KEMANTH

Stubble burning has already begun in North India. Over the past seven years, several measures have been trialled to curb this polluting practice — from distributing crop residue management machines and supporting biofuel projects to levying fines. Yet, economic constraints and systemic inefficiencies leave many farmers with limited choices to manage stubble. Although penalties on burning may be tempting, its root causes must be addressed to achieve a lasting solution.

According to Delhi’s Air Quality Decision Support System, stubble burning contributes 15-30 per cent of Delhi’s PM 2.5 pollution during the peak burning period of around 20 days annually. Since this share originates outside the city’s territory, coordinated action in Punjab and Haryana is essential. Such collaboration would help bring cleaner air across the National Capital Region. Joint efforts over the next three years could deliver a winter without “severe” pollution peaks during October and November. By 2028, these measures could lead to an average reduction of 14 g/m? in PM 2.5 levels during the burning period, and upto 4opg/m* during peak pollution days in November. For comparison, Delhi’s monthly average PM 2.5 level in November 2024 was approximately 230 g/m3.

First, reform custom hiring centres (CHCs) for better management of straw-handling machines. Punjab and Haryana possess over 250,000 such machines, theoretically enough to cover all non-basmati paddy fields. Yet, inefficient and opaque rental systems plague CHCs, which operate at about 40 per cent of this fleet. According to a recent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), only 15 per cent of Punjab’s farmers who practice on-farm stubble management use the rental machines from CHCs. Although CHCs procure these machines at an 80 percent subsidy, they must cover sufficient acreage per season to ensure financial viability.