The Haryana government on Tuesday told the Central government that incidents of stubble burning in the state have reduced by nearly a half compared to last year.
Presenting an “intensified” action plan for controlling pollution in Delhi and national capital region (NCR) during a review meeting held by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), additional chief secretary (ACS), Environment, Forests and Wildlife, Sudhir Rajpal said the incidents of stubble burning came down due to their consistent and coordinated efforts. The meeting was chaired by secretary, MoEFCC Tanmay Kumar.
An official spokesperson said the ACS informed the central officials that Haryana has undertaken a series of short-term and long-term measures across major sectors—including transport, agriculture, municipal management, and power generation—to curb pollution in NCR-linked districts.
Rajpal said that measures to reduce vehicular emissions have also shown results, with diesel autos taken off the roads, deployment of mechanical road-sweeping machines in Gurugram and Faridabad, and actions to control road dust across urban areas.
The spokesperson said that brick kilns in districts beyond NCR have transitioned to using paddy-straw-based pellets and briquettes, supporting both clean fuel usage and stubble-management efforts. He added that Gurugram and Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authorities have implemented IT-based technological systems to monitor farm fires, ensuring real-time detection and prompt action, while electric buses have been deployed to reduce emissions in urban centres.
The spokesperson said that the Union Ministry was also informed that Haryana is implementing a World Bank-supported Clean Air Programme. The project will support the strengthening of air quality management systems in the state, while synergising efforts being undertaken by the Government of India. It will focus on designing and implementing sector-specific air pollution abatement measures and facilitating coordination among Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) states to reduce cross-border emissions.
{{/usCountry}}The spokesperson said that the Union Ministry was also informed that Haryana is implementing a World Bank-supported Clean Air Programme. The project will support the strengthening of air quality management systems in the state, while synergising efforts being undertaken by the Government of India. It will focus on designing and implementing sector-specific air pollution abatement measures and facilitating coordination among Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) states to reduce cross-border emissions.
{{/usCountry}}MoEFCC officials reviewed the current air quality scenario and sought detailed updates from state governments on the implementation of pollution-control actions mandated for the winter months.