Stubble burning and the air-quality commission's review

Air pollution in the National Capital Region is a particular concern in the winter months, and the burning of paddy stubble in neighbouring States is among the sources under review. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), set up for the National Capital Region and the areas around it, issues directions on this problem. On 22 October 2026, the Commission, chaired by Rajesh Verma, held separate review meetings in Chandigarh with the Governments of Punjab and Haryana.

With Punjab, the focus was narrow: how far the State had carried out its action plan against stubble burning, which the Commission had required through its Direction No. 99 of 15 May 2026. The review looked at enforcement on the ground, preparation at the district level, and whether crop residue management machines were actually reaching farmers and being used. It also looked at how paddy straw is collected, moved and put to use, both in the field and away from it.

The meeting with Haryana was wider. Besides stubble, it covered pollution from vehicles, dust from roads, open land and construction sites, and industry. On vehicles, the measures discussed included cameras that read number plates at fuel and CNG stations to check for valid pollution certificates, action against vehicles at the end of their life, and the phasing out of diesel auto-rickshaws in NCR districts.

With both States, the Commission also checked compliance with Direction No. 92, which requires brick kilns to use pellets or briquettes made from paddy straw, and progress on co-firing biomass in thermal power plants. Monitoring tools such as satellite fire alerts, drones and low-cost sensors were reviewed as well.

The Commission asked for time-bound action and close coordination between State departments, district administrations and enforcement agencies. It warned district administrations that laxity leading to more burning incidents would be viewed seriously. At the same time, it urged that paddy straw be treated as a resource for a circular economy rather than only as waste whose burning must be stopped.