Cases of crop burning are more in Uttar Pradesh than Haryana, less in Punjab.

This year, incidents of stubble burning after the paddy harvest have been reported more frequently in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh than in Haryana. Satellite monitoring of farm fires has revealed this trend. According to satellite remote sensing data of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), between September 15 and October 25, 849 incidents of stubble burning were recorded in Uttar Pradesh, 869 in Madhya Pradesh and 689 in Haryana. Punjab recorded the highest number of farm fires at 1,749 during this period, followed by 442 in Rajasthan and 11 in Delhi.

Why do farmers burn stubble?
In the Rabi season, before sowing wheat, farmers burn paddy straw to clean the fields. They get only 15 days to prepare for the next crop and it is challenging to decompose the paddy straw directly into the soil in such a short period. Therefore, farmers resort to burning it to clear the fields. However, strict measures have been taken in Haryana and Punjab to control pollution caused by stubble burning. Cases are being registered against farmers and red entries are being made in government records. Many farmers have also been arrested in Haryana.

Stubble burning incidents increased in UP and MP
As winter approaches, farmers from Haryana and Punjab are often blamed for the increasing air pollution in Delhi. However, IARI data shows a significant increase in the incidence of farm fires in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In 2022, between September 15 and October 25, 561 and 210 incidents of stubble burning were recorded in UP and MP respectively, which has now increased to 849 and 869 this year. Meanwhile, stubble burning cases in Haryana have declined from 1,372 to 689 in the last two years.

Reduction in farm fires in Haryana and Punjab
Punjab has also seen a decline in the incidents of stubble burning, although it still has the highest number of cases of stubble burning. From September 15 to October 25, 2022, 5,798 cases of stubble burning were recorded in Punjab, which declined to 2,704 in 2023 and 1,749 in 2024.

According to a report by environmental organization Climate Trends, there has been a decline in incidents of stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab between 2019 and 2023. In Haryana, the number of fires declined from 14,122 in 2019 to 7,959 in 2023. In Punjab, incidents fell from 95,048 in 2020 to 52,722 in 2023. However, despite the reduction, Delhi’s air quality is still affected, as most incidents occur from September onwards. until December.

Dr Palak Balyan, research lead at Climate Trends, told Rural Voice that stubble fire is one of the many causes of Delhi’s air pollution. However, falling temperatures and burning of paddy straw increase pollution in Delhi. The decline in stubble burning in Haryana and Punjab shows that farmers are becoming more conscious about stubble management. Dr. Balyan believes that controlling other factors like vehicle emissions and construction dust is also necessary to tackle Delhi’s pollution problem.

Need for integrated efforts
Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said the decline in stubble burning reflects the efforts of the Punjab government and farmers. Initiatives such as CRM (crop residue management) machines, alternative use of stubble and appointment of nodal officers have yielded positive results. Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana credited awareness, incentives for stubble management and subsidized farm machinery for the reduction in fire incidents.

A senior agricultural scientist of IARI said that farmers’ awareness and participation in stubble management is increasing. The incidence of stubble burning is decreasing due to better agricultural machinery, stubble management and alternative uses. Integrated efforts and collaborative approach are required to effectively address this issue.