CAQM reviews preparedness of States for elimination of Stubble Burning in 2026

📌 Summary:

• CAQM convened meeting with Punjab, Haryana, and UP officials including DCs/DMs of hotspot districts and State Pollution Control Boards to review preparedness for eliminating paddy stubble burning in 2026
• Commission stressed urgent need for systematic, year-round (not merely seasonal) approach to stubble burning elimination
• Key emphasis: (1) In-situ crop residue management — processing residue in-field using equipment like Happy Seeder; (2) Ex-situ management — using biomass for energy/raw material; (3) Strengthened district-level enforcement; (4) Farmer awareness campaigns
• State Action Plans reviewed; district-level coordination between DMs, agriculture departments, and pollution control boards is essential
• CAQM noted stubble burning is a complex agricultural and environmental challenge requiring multi-stakeholder coordination
• Effective field-level implementation requires alignment between CAQM, state pollution control boards, and agriculture departments
• Crop residue management technologies need to be scaled up with farmer subsidies and handholding
• Action is time-sensitive: paddy harvesting season requires advance preparation to prevent Delhi-NCR air quality crisis

📌 Prelims Facts:

• CAQM: Statutory body established under CAQM Act 2021; has powers of a civil court; replaced EPCA
• Stubble burning: Major source of PM2.5/PM10 in Delhi-NCR during October-November
• In-situ technologies: Happy Seeder (allows wheat sowing without removing paddy straw), rotavator, mulcher
• Ex-situ: Biomass power plants, biogas plants, compressed biogas (CBG)
• PUSA bio-decomposer: Low-cost solution developed by IARI to decompose crop residue in-field