NEW DELHI, 17 October 2026: Following yesterday’s visit to Moga District of Punjab, a high-level team of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), led by Dr. T.S. Panwar, Member Technical, CAQM, visited Firozpur and Faridkot Districts today during the ongoing paddy harvesting season to take stock of the ground-level implementation of measures for prevention of paddy stubble burning. The team held a joint review meeting with the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and concerned District Officers of Firozpur and Faridkot at the Firozpur DC Office.
During the meeting, the team reviewed the preparedness and coordination among the concerned departments and District Administrations for effective in-situ and ex-situ management and utilisation of paddy stubble. The availability and deployment of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery, field-level surveillance, monitoring of hotspot areas and enforcement measures were also reviewed. The team emphasised the need for strengthening in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy straw, ensuring timely availability and optimal utilisation of CRM machinery and close coordination among farmers, aggregators, industries and other stakeholders. The deployment of drones and low-cost sensors for technology-based monitoring and trend analysis, along with sensitization of farmers on the ill-effects of stubble burning and PM2.5, was also reviewed.
The Commission stressed upon greater facilitation of farmers with CRM machines and other in-situ management machinery and better coordination with aggregators for effective ex-situ management of paddy straw. The District Administrations were advised to ensure timely availability of machinery and close coordination among all stakeholders to prevent stubble-burning incidents.
Following the review meeting, the CAQM team also undertook field visits to selected hotspot villages in Firozpur and Faridkot to assess the prevailing ground-level situation and review the implementation of measures aimed at preventing stubble burning. The visit is part of CAQM’s continued monitoring and review of paddy management measures in hotspot Districts of Punjab, with the objective of strengthening in-situ and ex-situ management and preventing stubble burning incidents in the region.
Prominent Journalist Amritpal Singh
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