Haryana to take decisive action towards making Haryana a stubble-burning-free state: Chief secretary

CHANDIGARH: In a strong reaffirmation of the Haryana government’s commitment to combating stubble burning and its detrimental effects on air quality and public health, chief secretary TVSN Prasad urged the deputy commissioners on Tuesday to take decisive action towards making Haryana a stubble-burning-free state.
During a virtual meeting with divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, and superintendents of police from Fatehabad, Jind, Kaithal, Ambala, Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Hisar, Sonipat, and Yamunanagar, Dr Prasad directed the formation of a four-member committee at the block level to identify hotspots and implement necessary measures to prevent stubble burning incidents.
This committee will include the concerned SDM/BDO/Tehsildar, an Agriculture Development Officer, an officer from Haryana Agricultural University in Hisar, and a representative from the police department. The committee is required to submit a daily report to the monitoring and coordination department by 5 pm.
"I will personally monitor the situation every single day," said the chief secretary, emphasizing that not a single case of stubble burning will be tolerated under any circumstances. He added that those officers who perform well in preventing paddy straw burning will be duly honored.
The chief secretary highlighted the urgent need to raise awareness among farmers about the detrimental effects of burning paddy straw. He directed the Deputy Commissioners to engage with farmers and inform them about the incentive scheme aimed at encouraging responsible crop residue management. He also stressed the importance of conducting night patrols to monitor and prevent incidents of paddy straw burning. Additionally, he requested that they involve Aarhtiyas in motivating farmers against burning paddy straw.
Prasad reiterated the Haryana government’s unwavering commitment to combating stubble burning and its harmful effects on air quality and public health. He emphasized that a collaborative approach involving all stakeholders is necessary to address this pressing issue effectively. The chief secretary underscored the government’s commitment to optimizing the use of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery. These machines, available at Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), are being fully utilized for in-situ and ex-situ stubble management practices, thereby reducing the need for burning. Furthermore, a robust ecosystem is being developed to ensure the continuous utilization of paddy straw, providing farmers with alternative options that are both environmentally friendly and economically viable.
Substantial rise in Paddy cultivation area
It was reported in the meeting that in the ongoing agricultural cycle of 2024, the area under paddy cultivation in Haryana has expanded to 15.73 lakh hectares. This increase has resulted in a significant rise in paddy straw generation, both for Basmati and non-Basmati varieties.
Paddy straw generation
The generation of Basmati paddy straw has reached 4.06 million tons in 2024. Similarly, non-Basmati paddy straw production has risen to 4.04 million tons. The combined total of paddy straw generated in Haryana is now 8.10 million tons.
Focus on ex-situ utilization of Paddy straw
To address the environmental impact of paddy straw burning and promote its industrial use, Haryana has concentrated on various ex-situ utilization methods. For 2024, a total of 2.54 million tons of paddy straw has been allocated for industrial usage across different sectors.
Industrial usage and applications
The key areas of ex-situ utilization include industrial boilers and furnaces, which have consumed 1.03 million tons of straw, and biomass-based power generation, which has utilized 0.83 million tons. Compressed biogas (CBG) plants have also begun using paddy straw, applying 0.1 million tons, while 2G bio-ethanol plants have utilized 0.2 million tons. Co-firing in thermal power plants (TPPs) accounted for 0.28 million tons, and brick kilns and miscellaneous industries used 0.10 million tons.
The additional chief secretary for environment, forests, and wildlife, Anand Mohan Sharan, along with chairman of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) P Raghavendra Rao and senior officers of HSPCB, were also present at the meeting.