Chandigarh, November 10 — The Centre’s recent acknowledgment of Punjab’s sharp decline in stubble burning is being viewed as an official endorsement of the state’s ground-level work to curb post-harvest fires — an area long criticized as the root of North India’s pollution crisis.
Rajesh Verma, Chairman of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), who visited the Rajpura Thermal Plant last week, said Punjab’s farmers had turned “a pollution challenge into a livelihood opportunity,” describing the shift as part of a “stubble revolution.” His remarks mark one of the rare instances where the central pollution body has credited a state government’s policy for measurable results.
Read more: CAQM Chief Praises Punjab’s Progress in Stubble Management
Officials said the Centre’s praise effectively serves as testimony to Punjab’s record progress. The state reported 71,300 farm fire incidents in 2021, which fell to 10,900 in 2024 and have dropped further to 3,284 this year. The 85 percent reduction has coincided with widespread adoption of biomass utilization, supported by government-backed infrastructure and purchase guarantees from power plants.
While air quality in Delhi and neighboring states remains poor, Punjab’s experience is being cited within policy circles as evidence that direct farmer engagement — rather than penal action — yields sustainable outcomes. “Punjab focused on creating value for crop residue, and the results speak for themselves,” a senior official in the agriculture department said.
Verma’s visit to the Rajpura plant, where biomass is now being mixed with coal, underlined a growing shift in national policy thinking: moving away from short-term pollution control to long-term agricultural adaptation. CAQM officials noted that Punjab’s model could be replicated in other grain-producing states with suitable infrastructure and market linkages.
For the Aam Aadmi Party government, the recognition marks a policy milestone after years of criticism over seasonal smoke. But officials insist the credit belongs to the state’s farmers, who embraced alternatives when offered viable options. “This success belongs to those who decided to stop burning, not those who just imposed rules,” an official said.
Environmental experts say the acknowledgement from the central air-quality body also strengthens Punjab’s case for federal incentives under clean-energy and sustainable-farming programs. As Verma noted, Punjab’s farmers are now “not just food producers, but partners in environmental protection” — a rare nod from the Centre that the state’s strategy is paying off.
Read more: Punjab Launches Action Plan-2025 to End Stubble Burning
