Stating that Haryana is fully prepared to eliminate paddy stubble burning in 2025, State Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive and multi-pronged strategy to combat air pollution across the state, particularly in the NCR region, during the meeting of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). After participating in the meeting, Rastogi said that the State has taken proactive steps involving both financial incentives and regulatory actions to address the issue in a holistic manner. Out of the total 41.37 lakh acres under paddy cultivation, the state anticipates a straw generation of approximately 85.50 lakh metric tonnes. Of this, 22.63 lakh acres are under basmati and 18.74 lakh acres under non-basmati cultivation. To support farmers, Haryana is offering financial assistance through three flagship schemes: Rs 8000 per acre under Mera Pani Meri Virasat, Rs 1200 per acre under the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme, and Rs 4500 per acre for Direct Seeded Rice (DSR). Applications for these schemes are being received through the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal, ensuring transparency and easy access for farmers. On the enforcement front, the state has also implemented strict measures. Further, Rastogi informed the CAQM about Haryanas aggressive push to mandate the use of paddy straw-based biomass pellets in brick kilns located in non-NCR districts. Under Direction No. 92, a clear implementation timeline has been laid out—requiring 20 per cent biomass usage by November 2025, gradually scaling up to 50% by November 2028. This environmentally sustainable initiative has already received approval from the Chief Minister of Haryana. Rastogi said that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for implementation will be issued within 15 days to ensure uniform adoption across all concerned kilns. To address dust pollution from roads and open areas in the Haryana-NCR region, the Chief Secretary outlined a robust strategy. He had earlier chaired a state-level review directing all departments to submit department-wise final action plans for the financial year 2025–26 along with financial commitments. Each road-owning agency has been asked to develop at least one model road stretch aligned with the Standard Framework prescribed by CAQM.

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