CHANDIGARH, September 2: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann ordered a comprehensive information campaign across rural blocks to promote sustainable paddy straw management as the state prepares for the upcoming harvest season. The administration seeks to build on recent progress, with official data recording an 86 percent decline in stubble burning incidents between 2023 and 2025. Fire reports decreased from 36,663 in 2023 down to 5,114 in 2025.
Addressing a high-level review meeting on Paddy Straw Management Strategy, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann affirmed that state machinery will work alongside Panchayats, non-governmental organizations, and community workers to reach agricultural communities directly. With roughly 30 lakh hectares dedicated to paddy cultivation this year, the state expects an estimated 18.81 million tonnes of straw generation. Administrative efforts will focus on expanding field demonstrations, localized pledge drives, and public awareness initiatives to highlight practical alternatives to field clearing.
The Chief Minister asserted that the strategy combines both in-situ and ex-situ crop residue management to offer accessible machinery options for cultivators. Digital communication platforms, radio broadcasts, and print outreach are being deployed in tandem with block-level activities. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann maintained that recognizing high-performing Panchayats and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies will play a key role in fostering community-led compliance. Senior officials, including Cabinet Ministers Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Hardeep Singh Mundian, along with Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, attended the strategic planning session.
