New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has issued a statutory direction mandating coordinated and time-bound implementation of State Action Plans for prevention and elimination of wheat stubble burning during the 2026 harvesting season.
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According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Monday, the direction has been issued to the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with complementary efforts expected from the Government of NCT of Delhi and Rajasthan.
The Commission observed that agricultural residue burning “contributes to deterioration of air quality both locally and across the NCR and adjoining areas and therefore requires structured seasonal preparedness.”
As per the standard protocol developed by ISRO/IARI, the number of fire events recorded during the wheat harvesting season (April 1 to May 31, 2025) stood at 10,207 in Punjab, 1,832 in Haryana and 259 in NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Satellite-based monitoring during the April–May 2025 wheat harvesting season, recording such fire incidents across the region, “highlighted the need for targeted wheat-season interventions alongside existing paddy-season measures,” the statement said.
The issue of wheat stubble burning was deliberated in the 26th meeting of the Commission held on December 22, 2025, followed by a meeting with the State Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the same day. The states presented their respective action plans and were advised to update and refine them.
Through Direction No. 96, the Commission has directed the concerned states to implement their respective action plans “to abate burning of wheat straw, with specific facilitative measures to ensure viable alternatives.”
The states have been directed to “effectively implement the State Action Plan in letter and spirit, to eliminate and control the wheat stubble burning.”
Among the key measures mandated are mapping each farm in all villages for the proposed mode of wheat stubble management, tagging nodal officers to groups of farmers — with a maximum of 100 farmers per officer — and ensuring optimum utilisation and timely availability of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines through a mobile app.
The Commission has also directed that CRM machines be made available rent-free for small and marginal farmers through Custom Hiring Centres, and that adequate storage facilities be provided for wheat straw to minimise fire-related losses.
Further, states are required to establish a “robust and continuous supply chain of wheat straw in various forms for ex-situ applications including its use as fodder,” with a District Level Supply Chain Management Plan to be formulated for each district considering year-round demand and supply.
The Commission has also directed the constitution of a dedicated “Parali Protection Force” (PPF) at the district or block level comprising police officers, agriculture department officials, administrative officers and nodal officers “to closely monitor, oversee and guard against any incidence of open wheat stubble burning.”
States have been asked to intensify patrolling by enforcement agencies during late evening hours and ensure an appropriate environmental compensation mechanism.
The direction also mandates extensive IEC activities and awareness programmes to educate farmers about best practices, available schemes and the adverse impact of stubble burning.
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The governments of NCT of Delhi and Rajasthan have been advised to make all possible efforts to eliminate wheat stubble burning incidents during the forthcoming harvest season. States are required to submit monthly progress reports to the Commission for continuous monitoring and necessary action.
