Delhi on High Alert as Crop Burning Campaign Intensifies Ahead of Winter
As winter approaches, Delhi ramps up efforts to curb crop burning, a major contributor to seasonal air pollution.
New Delhi, October 14 (Daily Kiran) : With the harvest season for rice underway in northern India, residents of New Delhi are preparing for the winter months ahead. This time of year typically sees an increase in air pollution due to the annual practice of crop burning, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR).
While burning agricultural residue is not the sole cause of pollution, scientific studies and government assessments identify it as a significant seasonal factor during October and November. Farmers in Punjab, Haryana, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh harvest rice from late September to October, needing to prepare fields quickly for wheat sowing. This narrow window often leads many farmers to burn rice stubble as a quick and inexpensive method to clear their fields, despite its environmental repercussions.
The government’s Crop Residue Management Operational Guidelines for 2026 indicate that a substantial amount of rice straw is burned primarily to clear fields for the next crop, contributing to severe pollution and depleting soil nutrients. Estimates suggest that burning one ton of rice straw releases approximately 3 kilograms of particulate matter, 60 kilograms of carbon monoxide, 1,460 kilograms of carbon dioxide, 199 kilograms of ash, and 2 kilograms of sulfur dioxide, all of which significantly impact air quality, human health, and soil health.
Recent reports reveal a notable decrease in crop burning incidents this year, with a 53.3% drop in Haryana and nearly a 32% decline in Uttar Pradesh between September 15 and October 12 compared to the previous year. However, higher incidents have been recorded in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Since 2018, the central government has implemented the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme to assist farmers with machinery and alternative residue management systems. Between 2018-19 and 2025-26, the government allocated ₹4,266.47 crore to various states, including ₹2,056.50 crore for Punjab, ₹1,171.71 crore for Haryana, ₹868.67 crore for Uttar Pradesh, and ₹59 crore for Madhya Pradesh.
For the current financial year, ₹592.57 crore has been earmarked, with ₹430.87 crore already disbursed. However, the slow utilization of these funds remains a concern.
During this period, over 323,000 crop residue management machines and more than 41,900 Custom Hiring Centers (CHCs) have been established. These centers aim to provide agricultural machinery for rent, making essential tools accessible to small farmers for sustainable farming. Additionally, revised guidelines now allow for up to 65% financial assistance for projects that develop straw supply chains and provide feedstock for biomass, biofuel, and pelletization industries. Thermal power plants, compressed biogas plants, and biomass energy projects are seen as long-term solutions, converting agricultural waste into fuel instead of burning it in the fields.
Tackling crop burning is crucial as Delhi braces for the winter months, with air quality expected to deteriorate further without effective intervention.
