Karnal, Oct 23 (IANS) While the Delhi-NCR region braces for stubble-burning and subsequent air pollution every year, Haryana’s farming community has thrown up a ‘national model’ for sustainable crop residue management, as it has recorded a remarkable 95 per cent reduction in paddy stubble-burning incidents during the 2025 harvest season.

According to data sourced from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), only 7 incidents of stubble burning were reported till early this month, as compared to 150 in the same period last year.

The main factors driving this imitable change are government subsidies on agricultural equipment and dedicated teams for discouraging stubble burning in the fields.

Unlike earlier, the farmers are now getting 50 per cent subsidy on agricultural equipment, which has done a great deal in containing stubble-burning-induced air pollution.

Besides this, the incentives to farmers for adopting good practices of crop residue management have spurred a change in the way that paddy stubble is destroyed.

Haryana’s agricultural department is offering subsidies on equipment such as Super Seeders, and this has made crop residue management more convenient and efficient.

Farmers from Karnal also shared the positive impact of this initiative.

Bakshi Lal, a farmer from Takhana village in Karnal, said, “We used to be very worried about burying the stubble in our fields after harvesting paddy. But now, with the help of Super Seeders, we incorporate the stubble into our fields after harvesting paddy.”

He said this significantly revitalises the fields, as it creates more fertile soil and added that farmers are benefiting from this initiative.

He said that farmers previously set stubble on fire because they lacked agricultural equipment. He said that since the government introduced Super Seeders and the Central government provided subsidies for agricultural equipment, many farmers are happier.

He also appealed to fellow farmers not to burn stubble, adding that this pollutes the environment.

“The bacteria in the fields also die, which reduces the soil’s fertility. The farmers should have an SMS machine installed on their farm to harvest the paddy crop and then mix the stubble into the field. This will greatly benefit farmers and improve the fertility of their land,” he explained.

–IANS

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