Steps Taken by Different Government Ministries to Address Stubble Burning

Every year, Delhi’s air quality reaches hazardous levels, with readings fluctuating sharply but often remaining well above 400, entering the “severe” to “hazardous” range.

Many locations in and around Delhi are blanketed in thick smog, due to air pollution caused by multiple factors, including high levels of anthropogenic activity in densely populated areas of the NCR.

There are many reasons for Delhi air pollution, including vehicular pollution, industrial pollution, dust from construction and demolition project activities, road and open-region dust, biomass burning, municipal solid waste burning, landfill fires, air pollution from dispersed sources, and various meteorological factors.

Seasonal stubble burning in neighbouring states (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh) has also been identified as an episodic event that aggravates air quality.

Farmers burn the leftover crop residue (stubble) after harvesting as a quick, inexpensive way to clear fields for the next crop. This practice emits large amounts of smoke and particulate matter into the air, severely degrading air quality and raising levels of the harmful PM2.5 and PM10 pollutants.

Reasons for Stubble Burning

The problem persists due to systemic issues, including insufficient alternative residue management, labour shortages, mechanised harvesting schedules that leave little time for crop residue removal, and low economic incentives for farmers to use stubble productively. Climate-related factors, such as unpredictable rainfall and late harvests, heighten the urgency of quickly burning stubble. 

The government has developed frameworks and action plans involving strict enforcement, promoting crop residue management techniques, and providing financial incentives to farmers.

Steps taken by the government to address Stubble Burning

To support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution caused by paddy stubble burning, various ministries and government agencies have launched schemes and initiatives.

The Central Sector Scheme on Crop Residue Management has been implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare since 2018-19 to subsidise machinery for crop residue management. 

Under this scheme, financial assistance @ 50% is provided to the farmers for purchase of crop residue management machinery and financial assistance @ 80% is supplied to Rural Entrepreneurs (Rural youth and farmer as an entrepreneur), Cooperative Societies of Farmers (Agriculture/ Horticulture/Makhana etc.), Day-NRLM Cluster Level Federations and Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Panchayats for establishment of Custom Hiring Centres of crop residue management machines.

Financial support of 65% up to a maximum of Rs. 1.50 Crore is also provided for paddy supply chain projects on the capital cost of machinery and equipment, including higher HP Tractors, Cutters, Tedders, Medium to large Balers, Rakers, Loaders, Grabbers & Telehandlers.

Financial assistance to the States and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is also provided to undertake Information, Education and Communication activities to raise farmers’ awareness about crop residue management.

The scheme promotes the use of machines and equipment recommended by ICAR for the in-situ management of crop residue and its ex-situ utilisation.

During the period from 2018-19 to 2025-26 (as on 27.11.2025), an amount of Rs. 4,090.84 crores has been released to the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and the NCT of Delhi by the Central Government under the scheme as mentioned above.

More than 3.45 lakh Crop Residue Machines (CRM) have been provided to the individual farmers, and more than 43,270 Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) have been established in these States.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) provides one-time financial support for the establishment of pelletization and Torrefaction plants to promote the utilisation of paddy straw.

In case of setting up of pelletisation plant, Rs. 28 lakhs per tonne per hour (TPH), or 40% of the capital cost considered for plant and machinery of a 01 TPH plant, whichever is lower, is provided with a maximum financial support of Rs. 1.4 crore per proposal.

For setting up torrefaction plants, Rs. 56 lakhs per TPH, or 40% of the capital cost for plant and machinery of a 01 TPH plant, whichever is lower, is provided, with a maximum financial support of Rs. 2.8 crore per proposal.

The Ministry of Power has established the National Mission for the Use of Biomass in Coal-based Thermal Power Plants to address air pollution caused by farm stubble burning. A comprehensive policy for the co-firing of biomass pellets in coal-based Thermal Power Plants has been issued on 7th November 2025.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for setting up Waste-to-Energy plants for the generation of Biogas, bio-CNG/enriched Biogas/Compressed Biogas, Power/generation of producer or syngas, from urban, industrial, agricultural wastes, and municipal solid waste. Details of financial assistance are as follows:

• Briquette manufacturing plant: Rs. 9 lakh/TPH with a maximum of Rs. 45 lakhs per project.
• Non-torrefied pellet manufacturing plant: Rs. 21 lakhs/TPH production capacity or 30% of the capital cost considered for plant and machinery of 1 MTPH plant, whichever is lower (Maximum Rs. 105 lakhs per project).
• Torrefied pellet manufacturing plant: Rs. 42 lakhs/TPH production capacity or 30% of the capital cost considered for plant and machinery of 1 MTPH plant, whichever is lower (Maximum Rs. 210 lakhs per project).

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has launched a scheme to provide financial assistance to Compressed Bio-gas producers for the procurement of biomass aggregation equipment for ex-situ management of paddy straw.

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched ‘Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan-Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana’ to provide financial support for integrated bio-ethanol projects for setting up Advanced Biofuels projects in the country using lignocellulosic biomass and other renewable feedstock, i.e. agricultural and forestry residues, industrial waste, synthesis (syn) gas, algae, etc.

The aim is to provide remunerative income to farmers for their agricultural residue, address environmental pollution, create local employment opportunities, and contribute to India’s energy security and self-reliance.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directed the States in May 2025 to plan for the rent-free availability of CRM machines for small/marginal farmers.

With coordinated efforts, the States of Punjab and Haryana have recorded about a 90% reduction in fire incidents during the paddy harvesting season in 2025, compared to the same period in 2022.