**Executive Summary**
The document is a response to a parliamentary question addressing steps taken by the government to contain stubble burning, a significant contributor to air pollution. It outlines various schemes and initiatives implemented by multiple ministries and organizations to support crop residue management, promote alternative uses of paddy straw, and reduce fire incidents. The report includes financial assistance programs and policies initiated between 2018-19 and 2025-26 (as on 27.11.2025).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Central Sector Scheme on Crop Residue Management:**
* Implemented since 2018-19 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
* Provides financial assistance for the purchase of crop residue management machinery: 50% for farmers, 80% for Rural Entrepreneurs/Cooperatives/SHGs/FPOs/Panchayats for establishing Custom Hiring Centres.
* Offers 65% financial support (up to Rs. 1.50 Crore) for paddy supply chain projects.
* Releases financial assistance to States; Rs. 4,090.84 crores released to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and NCT of Delhi (from 2018-19 to 2025-26, as on 27.11.2025).
* Facilitates the provision of Crop Residue Machines (CRMs) and Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs).
* **Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):**
* Provides one-time financial support for establishment of pelletization and Torrefaction plants.
* Support is capped at Rs. 28 lakhs per TPH or 40% of capital cost (whichever is lower) with a maximum of Rs. 1.4 crore for pelletization plants.
* Support is capped at Rs. 56 lakhs per TPH or 40% of capital cost (whichever is lower) with a maximum of Rs. 2.8 crore for torrefaction plants.
* **Ministry of Power:**
* Established the National Mission of Use of Biomass in Coal based thermal power plants.
* Issued a comprehensive policy for co-firing of biomass pellets in Coal based Thermal Power Plants (issued on 7th November, 2025).
* **Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE):**
* Provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for setting up Waste to Energy plants.
* Offers financial assistance for:
* Briquette manufacturing plants (Rs. 9 lakh/TPH, max. Rs. 45 lakhs/project)
* Non-torrefied pellet manufacturing plants (Rs. 21 lakhs/TPH or 30% of capital cost, max. Rs. 105 lakhs/project)
* Torrefied pellet manufacturing plants (Rs. 42 lakhs/TPH or 30% of capital cost, max. Rs. 210 lakhs/project)
* **Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG):**
* Launched a scheme for financial assistance to Compressed Bio-gas producers for procurement of biomass aggregation equipment.
* Launched ‘Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana' to support integrated bio-ethanol projects.
* **Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM):**
* Directed States to plan for rent-free availability of CRM machines for small/marginal farmers (Direction 90 dated 09.05.2025).
* States of Punjab and Haryana recorded a 90% reduction in fire incidents during paddy harvesting in 2025 compared to 2022.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers:**
* **Impact:** Access to subsidized machinery for crop residue management, potentially increased income from selling agricultural residue, and reduced air pollution.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available financial assistance programs for machinery purchase and residue management, adopt recommended practices for in-situ and ex-situ management.
**Rural Entrepreneurs/Cooperatives/SHGs/FPOs/Panchayats:**
* **Impact:** Opportunity to establish Custom Hiring Centres and Waste to Energy plants with financial support, creation of local employment.
* **Action Required:** Apply for financial assistance to set up Custom Hiring Centres and waste management facilities, promote awareness of crop residue management technologies.
**States (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, NCT of Delhi):**
* **Impact:** Access to central government funding for implementing crop residue management strategies, contribution to reducing air pollution.
* **Action Required:** Effectively utilize allocated funds for promoting crop residue management, ensure rent-free availability of CRM machines for small/marginal farmers, and promote awareness among farmers.
**Compressed Bio-gas Producers:**
* **Impact:** Receive financial support for biomass aggregation equipment.
* **Action Required:** Utilize schemes by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG).
Key Entities Referenced
Central Sector Scheme on Crop Residue Management: A scheme implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to address air pollution caused by paddy stubble burning.
Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM): Agency that issued a direction to states to plan for rent-free availability of CRM machines for small / marginal farmers.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): Agency that provides one-time financial support for establishment of pelletization and Torrefaction plants to promote utilisation of paddy straw.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The ministry implementing the Central Sector Scheme on Crop Residue Management.
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, NCT of Delhi: States in which the scheme to address air pollution is implemented and in which more than 43,270 Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) have been established.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: STEPS TAKEN BY
GOVERNMENT TO CONTAIN STUBBLE
BURNING
प्रव तथ: 04 DEC 2025 4:23PM by PIB Delhi
Air pollution is a collective result of multiple factors including high level of anthropogenic activities in the
high-density populated areas in NCR, arising from various sectors viz. Vehicular Pollution, Industrial
Pollution, Dust from Construction and Demolition Project activities, Road and Open Areas Dust, Biomass
Burning, Municipal Solid Waste burning, Fires in Landfills, air pollution from dispersed sources, etc. as
well as various meteorological factors. Stubble burning has also been identified as an episodic event
which aggravates the Air Quality Index.
To support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address
air pollution caused due to paddy stubble burning and to subsidize machinery required for management of
crop residue, a Central Sector Scheme on Crop Residue Management has been implemented by
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare since 2018-19.
Under this scheme, Financial Assistance @ 50% is provided to the farmers for purchase of crop residue
management machinery and financial assistance @ 80% is provided to Rural Entrepreneurs (Rural youth
and farmer as an entrepreneur), Cooperative Societies of Farmers (Agriculture/ Horticulture/Makhana
etc.), Day-NRLM Cluster Level Federations and Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer
Organizations (FPOs) and Panchayats for establishment of Custom Hiring Centres of crop residue
management machines.
Financial support of 65% up to a maximum of Rs. 1.50 Crore is also provided to paddy supply chain
projects on the capital cost of machinery and equipment like higher HP Tractors, Cutters, Tedder, Medium
to large Balers, Rakers, Loaders, Grabbers & Tele handlers.
Financial assistance to the States and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is also provided for
undertaking Information, Education and Communication activities for mass awareness of farmers on crop
residue management. The scheme promotes the usage of machines and equipment recommended by ICAR
for management of crop residue for in-situ management as well as ex-situ utilization.
During the period from 2018-19 to 2025-26 (as on 27.11.2025), an amount of Rs. 4,090.84 crores has been
released to States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, NCT of Delhi by the Central
Government under the above mentioned scheme. More than 3.45 lakh Crop Residue Machines (CRM)
have been provided to the individual farmers and more than 43,270 Custom Hiring Centres (CHC) have
been established in these States.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) provides one-time financial support for establishment of
pelletization and Torrefaction plants to promote utilisation of paddy straw. In case of setting up of
pelletisation plant, Rs. 28 lakhs per tonne per hour (TPH), or 40% of the capital cost considered for plant
and machinery of a 01 TPH plant, whichever is lower, is provided with a maximum financial support ofRs. 1.4 crore per proposal. In case of setting up of torrefaction plants, Rs. 56 lakhs per TPH, or 40% of the
capital cost considered for plant and machinery of a 01 TPH plant, whichever is lower, is provided with a
maximum financial support of Rs. 2.8 crore per proposal.
Ministry of Power has established National Mission of Use of Biomass in Coal based thermal power
plants to address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble burning. A comprehensive policy for co-
firing of biomass pellets in Coal based Thermal Power Plants has been issued on 7th November, 2025.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for
setting up of Waste to Energy plants for generation of Biogas, Bio-CNG/enriched Biogas/Compressed
Biogas, Power/ generation of producer or syngas, from urban, industrial, agricultural wastes and municipal
solid waste. Details of financial assistance are as below:
Briquette manufacturing plant: Rs. 9 lakh/TPH with a maximum of Rs. 45 lakhs per project.
Non-torrefied pellet manufacturing plant: Rs. 21 lakhs/TPH production capacity or 30% of the capital cost
considered for plant and machinery of 1 MTPH plant, whichever is lower (Maximum Rs. 105 lakhs per
project).
Torrefied pellet manufacturing plant: Rs. 42 lakhs/TPH production capacity or 30% of the capital cost
considered for plant and machinery of 1 MTPH plant, whichever is lower (Maximum Rs. 210 lakhs per
project).
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has launched a scheme to provide financial
assistance to Compressed Bio-gas producers for procurement of biomass aggregation equipment for ex-
situ management of paddy straw.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched ‘Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran
Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana’ to provide financial support for integrated bio-ethanol projects
for setting up Advanced Biofuels projects in the country using lignocellulosic biomass and other
renewable feedstock, i.e. agricultural and forestry residues, industrial waste, synthesis (syn) gas, algae etc.
The aims to provide remunerative income to farmers for their agriculture residue, address environmental
pollution, create local employment opportunities, and contribute to India's energy security and self-
reliance.
Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) through Direction 90 dated 09.05.2025 directed the
States to plan for rent-free availability of CRM machines for small / marginal farmers. With the
coordinated efforts, the States of Punjab and Haryana have collectively recorded about 90% reduction in
fire incidences during paddy harvesting season in the year 2025 in comparison to the same period in the
year 2022.
This information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST
AND CLIMATE CHANGE, SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH, in a written reply to a question in Rajya
Sabha today.
*****
VM/SK
(Rajya Sabha US Q535)
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2198748) आगंतुक पटल : 927
इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: Urdu , ही