Stubble Burning Reality Check: Fire Counts vs. Burnt Area Analysis

Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Context: iForest research reveals fire counts give skewed picture of stubble burning; burnt-area measurements show only 30% decline versus government’s claimed 90% reduction in Punjab-Haryana using misleading satellite data.

More in News:

• Environment Ministry claimed fire counts in Punjab and Haryana fell by 92% and 90% respectively since 2021, citing effectiveness of measures in both states using satellite-derived estimates.
• iForest study using different satellite data computed ‘burnt area’ (actual land affected by fire) showing gradual 30% reduction, falling from 31,500 sq km in 2022 to 19,700 sq km in 2025 (as of November 25).
• India’s official estimates rely on CREAMS (IARI) data built on NASA’s MODIS (Terra and Aqua satellites) and VIIRS (Suomi-NPP satellites) observing India only at fixed times 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m..
• Polar-satellite sensors only capture active fires, unable to compute actual 24-hour fire counts; monitoring gaps lead to underestimated emissions, mischaracterized aerosol loads, and incorrect air-quality simulations across India significantly.
• iForest used Sentinel satellite’s Multi-Spectral Instrument data calculating burnt area at 100m x 100m resolution; though passing over India once in five days with 8-15 days lag, it’s only satellite calculating burnt area accurately.
• Meteosat 8 and 9 with SEVIRI sensors are geostationary, continuously monitoring same spot every 15 minutes; data showed most fires concentrated in evenings since 2022 — outside polar satellites’ detection time, meaning true fire numbers undercounted systematically.

Understanding Stubble Burning

• Stubble burning is the practice of setting crop residues on fire, mainly after paddy harvest.
• It is widely observed in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh during October–November to prepare fields for wheat within a 15–20 day window.
• Farmers choose burning due to low-cost disposal, weed control, and pest management advantages.

Effects of Stubble Burning

• Environmental Degradation

• • Releases harmful aerosols and gases: CO₂, CH₄, CO, NOₓ and PM.
  • Contributes to severe air pollution and winter smog across NCR.

• Reduced Soil Fertility

• • Heat from residue burning raises soil temperature, killing microorganisms.
  • Causes loss of essential nutrients, degrading long-term productivity.

• Human Health Impact

• • Chronic exposure increases risk of asthma, COPD, bronchitis and lung cancer.
  • Heightens vulnerability of elderly and children during winter pollution episodes.

Key Challenges in Controlling Stubble Burning

• Technical & Infrastructure Barriers

• • • Combine harvesters leave 10–15 cm stubble requiring removal.
    • Insufficient storage zones and limited Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs).
    • Supply chain gaps for straw collection; machinery suffers high wear due to silica-rich paddy straw.

• Regulatory & Administrative Issues

• • Ambiguity in terms like stubble burning and environmental compensation.
  • Lack of clarity on Red Entry System and exit provisions.
  • Weak coordination across Ministries and State departments.

• Financial & Socioeconomic Constraints
  • Subsidies insufficient for widespread machinery adoption.
  • Inadequate frameworks for utilizing environmental compensation funds.
  • Low awareness of sustainable alternatives; punitive measures dominate incentives.

Government Measures

• Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Framework

• • In-situ management: CHCs, short-duration paddy varieties, bio-decomposer use, staggered harvesting.
  • Ex-situ management: Use of straw in biomass plants, thermal power co-firing, 2G ethanol, CBG plants, packaging material etc.
• Regulation: Prohibition of burning and environmental compensation on violators.
• Financial Support: SMAM (Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization) assistance for machinery procurement.
• Promotion of Alternatives: Happy Seeder, PUSA enzyme, pelletization, biofuel usage.
• State Initiatives:
  • UP: Parali ke Badle Govansh Khaad.
  • Punjab: i-Khet app and Cooperative Machinery Tracker for CRM equipment.

Parliamentary Committee Recommendations (Way Forward)

• Financial Measures

• • Create MSP-like price mechanism for buying stubble; revise annually.
  • Prices must reflect real residue collection costs.

• Technical & Infrastructure Improvements

• • Real-time crop mapping and maturity forecasting.
  • Establish interim storage sites; support local aggregators.

• Regulatory Reforms

• • Appoint a dedicated authority for farmer grievances.
  • Clear amendments for rule definitions and environmental compensation.
  • Introduce incentive-based Red Entry removal.

• Agricultural Practices

• • Promote short-duration varieties over PUSA-44.
  • Standardize procurement and seed certification bans.

• Policy Integration

• • A unified National Biomass Policy to integrate residues into bioenergy systems.
  • Prioritize ethanol, CBG, and biomass pellets for circular agriculture.