Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, chaired a crucial meeting on stubble management on October 7, 2025, at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi. Agriculture Ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi’s Environment Minister joined virtually to discuss strategies to curb stubble burning and its adverse impact on air quality and the environment.
Current Status and State Efforts
Agriculture Ministers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh updated the union minister on their respective state efforts in implementing stubble management schemes. Haryana emphasized financial assistance to farmers to discourage stubble burning, which has yielded positive results. Officers and field departments remain actively engaged in awareness and machinery support initiatives.
Focus on Awareness and Panchayat Participation
Shri Chouhan emphasized continuous awareness efforts among farmers and involvement of panchayats, local representatives, and nodal officers at the village level to maximize impact. He stressed that effective community participation would lead to stronger and sustainable outcomes in reducing stubble burning incidents.
Promotion of Direct Sowing and Crop Diversification
The Union Minister urged state agriculture ministers to promote direct sowing practices, crop diversification, and practical planning for better crop residue management. Shri Chouhan announced plans to personally demonstrate direct wheat sowing in his field on October 12 to encourage farmer adoption. He also recommended use of modern equipment like rotavators, choppers, bio-decomposers, and promoted bio-CNG and ethanol plants for productive utilization of stubble.
Monitoring and Strategic Coordination
Highlighting the need for real-time monitoring, Shri Chouhan called for integrated efforts between the Centre and states to swiftly identify and address instances of stubble burning. Proper fund utilization was stressed to ensure machinery availability and support for farmers. The meeting also discussed linking bio-CNG, pellet, compost units, and industries with stubble collection for scientific management.
Environment Minister’s Address and Closing
Shri Bhupender Yadav praised state efforts and called for enhanced coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture and state governments. He highlighted the significance of stubble collection and storage for industrial usage, including brick kilns and thermal power plants. The session involved senior officials from both ministries and reinforced the collective resolve for sustainable air quality improvement.
Conclusion
This high-level meeting underscored the Indian government’s commitment to battling air pollution through strategic stubble management by combining awareness, technology adoption, crop management reforms, and robust monitoring, aiming to protect the environment and support sustainable agriculture.
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Source: PIB
