CAQM's Action Plan to Combat Stubble Burning

• 17 May 2025

Why in News 

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to establish a ‘Parali Protection Force’ at the district and block levels to curb the annual menace of stubble burning, which significantly contributes to air pollution in Delhi-NCR. 

Key Points 

Steps to Curb Stubble Burning 

• Parali Protection Force: 
  • It will be set up at district/block level in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. 
  • It will include police officers, agricultural officers, and local officials. 
  • Tasked with monitoring and preventing paddy stubble burning incidents. 
• Enhanced Surveillance Measures: 
  • Intensified patrolling, especially during late evening hours when farmers may attempt to bypass satellite tracking. 
  • Dedicated nodal officers are to be assigned to every group of 50 farmers for effective monitoring and assistance. 
• Strict Penalties for Violations: 
  • Red entries are to be made in land records of violating farmers. 
  • Environmental compensation fines are to be imposed for stubble burning. 
• Technology and Farm Mapping: 
  • All farms in villages to be mapped to assess suitable stubble management methods like in-situ management, crop diversification and use as fodder. 
• Online Monitoring System:  
  • A real-time online platform to be developed for tracking generation, storage, and usage of paddy residue. 
• Machinery Review and Support: 
  • States to review existing Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines. 
  • Phase out non-functional machines and evaluate current equipment gaps analysis, and procure new ones by August 2025. 
  • Free rental of machines through Custom Hiring Centres for small and marginal farmers. 
• Infrastructure for Straw Storage: 
  • States to create storage facilities using Panchayat or government land. 
  • Develop a district-level supply chain for collection, storage, and utilization of paddy straw in bioenergy and composting. 

Stubble Burning  

• It is a method of removing paddy crop residue from the field, used for sowing wheat from the last week of September to November, coinciding with the withdrawal of the south-west monsoon. 
• It emits large amounts of toxic pollutants into the atmosphere which include harmful gases like methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. 

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) 

• Background: 
  • Formed initially through an ordinance in 2021, later replaced by the CAQM Act, 2021. 
  • The Act also dissolved the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) set up in 1998. 
• Objectives: 
  • Ensure coordination, research, and policy execution to improve air quality. 
  • Identify and resolve issues affecting the Air Quality Index (AQI). 
• Scope: 
  • Applicable to NCR and adjoining areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, where pollution affects NCR air quality. 
• Composition: 
  • Chairperson: A retired Government of India Secretary or State Chief Secretary, for 3 years or up to 70 years of age. 
  • Members included from: 
    • Central ministries 
    • Stakeholder states 
    • Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), ISRO, Civil Society 
• Key Functions: 
  • Coordinate with states on air quality control actions. 
  • Develop and implement pollution control plans. 
  • Identify key air pollutants. 
  • Support research, training, and capacity building. 
  • Address specific issues like stubble burning, afforestation, and public awareness.