Stubble-burning incidents fell by 86% between 2023 and 2025; government to intensify village-level outreach and promote sustainable straw management

Chandigarh, 01 September (H.S.): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday directed officials to launch a massive, multi-level information and awareness campaign to further reduce paddy straw burning across the state. He stressed that greater participation from NGOs, social workers, Panchayats and farmers, along with extensive social media outreach and stronger ex-situ and in-situ straw management, would be crucial to sustaining the progress achieved so far.

Chairing a meeting on the Paddy Straw Management Strategy, Mann said around 30 lakh hectares of paddy has been sown in Punjab this year, which is expected to generate approximately 18.81 million tonnes of paddy straw.

The Chief Minister highlighted the significant decline in stubble-burning incidents in recent years. According to the figures shared during the meeting, incidents fell from 36,663 in 2023 to 10,909 in 2024 and further to 5,114 in 2025, representing an overall reduction of 86% between 2023 and 2025.

Mann said the government must build on this progress and ensure that the number of stubble-burning incidents falls further this year.

The Chief Minister directed officials to take the awareness campaign to the grassroots level, particularly villages and blocks. He said farmers should be made aware of the harmful effects of paddy straw burning and encouraged to adopt practical and sustainable alternatives.

He called for the active involvement of NGOs and social workers in motivating farmers. Machinery demonstrations, street plays, meetings with Sarpanches, pledge-taking programmes and other awareness activities will be used to strengthen the campaign and ensure that information reaches farmers directly.

Mann also called for a comprehensive multimedia strategy to support the village-level campaign. He directed officials to use radio jingles, print media, television, mobile SMS, outdoor media and social media platforms on a large scale.

He said the digital campaign should focus on creating awareness about the environmental impact of stubble burning as well as the different straw-management options available to farmers.

The Chief Minister stressed the importance of recognising farmers and village institutions that perform well in managing paddy straw. He said progressive farmers, best-performing Panchayats, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and other stakeholders should be felicitated for their contribution.

According to Mann, such recognition would encourage others to adopt better practices and help turn paddy straw management into a collective movement involving villages and communities.

Mann directed all concerned departments and districts to maintain close coordination while implementing the strategy. He said effective cooperation between different stakeholders would be necessary to ensure that the campaign delivers results on the ground.

He also emphasised the importance of both ex-situ and in-situ management of paddy straw. The Chief Minister said farmers should be provided with practical alternatives that allow them to manage straw effectively while also protecting the environment.

He directed officials to strengthen the availability and adoption of suitable management options so that farmers can benefit economically while reducing the environmental impact of residue burning.

Cabinet Ministers Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Hardeep Singh Mundian, Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Secretary Science and Technology KK Yadav, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr. Ravi Bhagat, Secretary Agriculture Arshdeep Singh Thind and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH