New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS) Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh said on Monday that 5,114 cumulative paddy residue burning incidents have been reported in Punjab from September 15 to November 30, 2025.

“Punjab and Haryana have collectively recorded about 90 per cent reduction in fire incidents during paddy harvesting season in the year 2025 in comparison to the same period in the year 2022 as per the information made available by CAQM,” said the MoS in response to a question asked in Lok Sabha by Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Speaking about the air pollution situation in Delhi, Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “With coordinated efforts, the number of good days (AQI<200) in Delhi has increased to 200 days in 2025 from 110 days in 2016.”

He said that while there is an overall improvement in the AQI this year, very poor days (AQI: 301-400) and severe (AQI more than 401) days have reduced from 71 days in 2024 to 50 days in 2025.

“Delhi has observed the lowest average AQI in the past 8 years – from 2018 to 2025 (barring 2020 – Covid lockdown),” said the MoS.

He also shared details of instructions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) and steps taken by the government to curb stubble burning.

Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “To support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab,

Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution caused due to paddy stubble burning and to subsidise machinery required for management of crop residue, a Central Sector Scheme on Crop Residue Management (CRM) has been implemented since 2018-19.”

The MoS said, “CAQM, on June 3, 2025, directed the State Governments of Punjab and Haryana to mandate use of paddy straw-based bio-mass pellets/briquettes in all brick kilns located in the districts beyond NCR, as one of the means towards elimination of the practice of open paddy stubble burning.”

The CAQM has also issued directions to all the coal-based Thermal Power Plants located within a 300 km radius of Delhi to co-fire biomass-based pellets, torrefied pellets/ briquettes (up to 5-10 per cent) with coal to promote the use of biomass, he said.

The MoS said that 31 Flying Squads from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have been deployed from October 1 to November 30 in identified hotspot districts in Punjab and Haryana to closely monitor the actions and coordinate with the authorities/officers at the district level, officers of the Pollution Control Boards/CAQM cell.

These teams provide daily updates, photographic evidence, and compliance status, he said.

–IANS

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