Financial Incentives and Education Drive 29% Decline in Stubble Burning in Haryana

There has been a 29 per cent decline in stubble burning incidents this year compared to the corresponding year-ago period due to the significant steps being taken by the Haryana government for crop residue management, it said on Monday. 

Acting on the directives of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, a state-specific scheme has been implemented to curb incidents of stubble burning, according to an official statement. 

This initiative provides financial assistance to farmers for crop residue management while setting zero-burning targets for panchayats. As a result of these efforts, there have been 713 recorded incidents of stubble burning this year, marking a 29 per cent reduction compared to the corresponding year-ago period, it said. 

However, strict action has been taken against law violators, the statement further said. 

Police cases have been registered against 192 farmers for burning stubble, it added. 

"So far, 334 challans have been issued and fines amounting to Rs 8.45 lakh recovered from farmers. In addition, 418 'red entries' have been recorded in the field records of these farmers," it said. 

The statement said burning paddy stubble after harvest not only contributed to air pollution but also diminished soil fertility. 

The government has categorised villages into three zones—red, yellow and green—based on paddy stubble burning incidents last year. 

Panchayats in the red and yellow zones will receive incentives to reduce stubble burning incidents. 

Red zone panchayats will be awarded an incentive of Rs 1 lakh, while those in the yellow zone will receive Rs 50,000 for achieving zero-burning targets. 

The statement said the government was actively raising awareness among farmers at the village level about the importance of not burning stubble. 

The government is providing equipment to farmers on subsidised rates for both in-situ and ex-situ crop management. From 2018-19 to 2024-25, a total of 1,00,882 crop residue management machines have been made available to the farmers at subsidies ranging from 50 to 80 per cent. This year, farmers have purchased 9,844 machines, it said. 

The farmers are being given an incentive of Rs 1,000 per acre for managing paddy crop residue.  

In addition, an incentive of Rs 7,000 per acre is provided for adopting alternative crops in paddy areas under the Mera Pani-Meri Virasat Yojana. 

This year, 33,712 farmers have registered for crop diversification, opting for other crops instead of paddy on 66,181 acres. 

From 2020-21 to 2023-24, incentives worth Rs 223 crore have been disbursed to farmers, the statement said. 

The Haryana government is also offering an incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre for adopting Direct Seeding of Rice technology. 

Various industries are being established near villages to utilise the stubble, allowing farmers to generate additional income instead of resorting to burning it, the statement added.