Background: Why is stubble burning a winter problem?
What it is: Stubble burning involves setting fire to crop residue after harvesting, mainly paddy straw in Punjab and Haryana, which together produce around 29 million tonnes. It releases particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other harmful substances, causing smog and reducing soil fertility.
Old practice, new timing: Burning became prevalent in Punjab in the late 1970s and early 1980s with combine harvesters, which leave stubble behind. Its timing shifted towards winter after the Punjab Preservation of Sub-Soil Water Act, 2009.
Groundwater conservation: The Act prohibited paddy sowing before 10 May and transplantation before 10 June to reduce groundwater depletion and align cultivation with monsoon rainfall.
Narrow sowing window: Delayed transplantation pushes harvesting into late October and early November, leaving only 10–15 days to prepare fields for wheat. The long-duration PUSA-44 variety further narrows this window.
Economic incentives: Assured procurement at the minimum support price (MSP) and free or nearly free electricity encourage farmers to continue growing water-intensive paddy and wheat.
Features: What are the existing measures?
Penal measures: The National Green Tribunal ruled in 2018, and the Supreme Court upheld the view in 2023, that farmers who burn stubble could be excluded from MSP benefits.
Official accountability: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed that complaints be filed against officials responsible for inadequate monitoring.
In-situ management: Crop residue is managed within the field using machines such as the Happy Seeder, Super Seeder and Rotavator, along with short-duration rice varieties and direct seeding.
Ex-situ management: Crop residue is removed from fields and used for alternative purposes, including bioethanol and compressed biogas production.
State-level approaches: Punjab has relied mainly on in-situ measures, while Haryana has also introduced financial incentives for residue management, direct seeding and crop diversification.
Has burning really fallen by 90%?
How fires are counted: The Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS) protocol relies on MODIS and VIIRS sensors on polar-orbiting satellites.
Midday blind spot: These satellites pass India only from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, and miss fires at other hours.
Evening shift: A November 2025 study led by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists, using geostationary satellite data (satellites that stay over one spot and watch all day), showed farmers have shifted burning to the evening.
Challenges
Economic dependence: Assured procurement and subsidised electricity discourage farmers from shifting away from paddy and wheat.
Costly machinery: Happy Seeders and Super Seeders require a 60-horsepower tractor, which remains underutilised for much of the year. Hiring one can cost around ₹10,000 and may involve delays.
Limited residue markets: Ex-situ management costs around ₹1,500–₹2,500 per acre, while markets for paddy straw remain inadequate.
Enforcement limitations: Excessive reliance on penalties may encourage collusion between farmers and officials, resulting in underreporting rather than genuine reductions.
Satellite measurement gaps: Polar-orbiting satellites observe India mainly between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., potentially missing fires at other times.
Evening burning: A November 2025 study led by ISRO scientists found evidence of a shift towards evening burning, highlighting limitations in existing monitoring methods.
Way Forward
Integrated approach: Combine in-situ and ex-situ residue management in the short term with crop diversification away from paddy in the long term.
Assured straw prices: Establish a minimum price covering the costs of selling paddy straw to ex-situ industries, as recommended by a Parliamentary Committee.
Improve machinery access: Strengthen custom-hiring centres and ensure affordable, timely availability of crop-residue management equipment.
Promote crop diversification: Provide financial incentives, assured markets and remunerative prices for alternative crops.
Improve monitoring: Combine polar and geostationary satellite data to detect fires throughout the day and obtain more reliable estimates.
Balanced enforcement: Treat penalties as a last resort and prioritise farmer support, economic incentives and effective implementation.
Conclusion
Stubble burning is the result of the interplay between groundwater conservation policies, assured procurement, expensive machines and limited planting period. Any long-term solution lies in moving away from a purely punitive method of action to an incentive-based one for crop diversification, low-cost residue management and viable straw markets. The end goal must be to make it economically worthwhile for farmers to act sustainably.
