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Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav connected Monday (December 1, 2025) told the Lok Sabha that stubble burning successful Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR) is an “episodic event” successful the discourse of aerial contamination successful Delhi-NCR.
Later successful the day, the Commission for Air Quality Management successful the NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) issued a connection noting a “substantial reduction” successful workplace fires successful Punjab and Haryana — the biggest driblet since the bureau began monitoring State-wise harvest residue absorption successful 2018.
Mr. Yadav made the remarks portion responding to a question from Congress’s Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi connected whether Delhi’s aerial prime scale (AQI) crossed 450 this twelvemonth contempt a reported 20% simplification successful workplace fires successful Punjab. He besides sought details astir the steps taken to enforce the CAQM’s directives, including subsidies for harvest residue absorption machinery.
The Minister said aerial contamination successful Delhi-NCR is the effect of respective section and determination factors, including vehicular and concern emissions, particulate from construction, burning of municipal waste, landfill fires and meteorological conditions. Stubble burning successful Punjab and the NCR is an further “episodic event”, helium added.
Listing the measures taken to curb stubble burning, Mr. Yadav said Punjab and Haryana unneurotic received implicit ₹3,120 crore since 2018-19 for harvest residue absorption machinery. More than 2.6 lakh machines person been distributed to idiosyncratic farmers, and the CAQM has directed some States to guarantee rent-free entree to these machines for marginal farmers.
The Minister besides said that Delhi had recorded its lowest January-November mean AQI since 2018, barring the COVID-induced lockdown twelvemonth of 2020.
The AQI is simply a measurement of contamination connected a standard of 0-500. A higher worth suggests accrued toxicity.
90% less cases
Meanwhile, the Centre’s aerial prime monitoring sheet said successful a connection connected Monday (December 1) that the paddy harvesting play — from September 15 to November 30 — witnessed a “substantial reduction” successful workplace fires.
Punjab recorded 5,114 workplace fires this season, which was 53% little than past year, 86% little than successful 2023, 90% little than successful 2022, and 93% little than successful 2021, it said.
Likewise, Haryana logged 662 cases, registering a 53% simplification from 2024, 71% from 2023, 81% from 2022, and 91% from 2021.
“These numbers correspond the astir important diminution achieved since CAQM began monitoring State-specific harvest residue absorption measures arsenic per their enactment plans,” stated the contamination watchdog.
It attributed the betterment to assorted factors, including “large-scale deployment of harvest residue absorption machinery, strict enforcement measures, and strengthened ex situ utilisation of paddy straw”, and consciousness campaigns among farmers.
Season’s coldest day
After a time of respite, Delhi’s aerial prime slipped backmost into the ‘very poor’ class connected Monday (December 1), registering an AQI of 304 arsenic against 279 (‘poor’) logged the erstwhile day. Monday (December 1) besides witnessed the coldest time of the season, with the minimum dropping to 5.7 degrees Celsius, 4.6 degrees beneath the season’s average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
(With inputs from PTI)
