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Agriculture
CAQM Engages Punjab and Haryana to Refine Stubble Burning Estimation Protocol
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 04 Sep 2026, 06:36 AM
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The Central Agricultural Quality Management (CAQM) agency is in discussions with the governments of Punjab and Haryana to upgrade the methodology used to estimate stubble‑burning emissions.
New Delhi – The Central Agricultural Quality Management (CAQM) body has opened talks with the state administrations of Punjab and Haryana to overhaul the protocol that quantifies stubble‑burning across the two grain‑producing regions. Officials said the current estimation framework, based largely on satellite imagery and farmer reports, often yields inconsistent data, hampering both policy response and compensation schemes.
During a series of meetings held this week, CAQM representatives outlined a plan to integrate higher‑resolution remote‑sensing tools, ground‑level verification, and a standardized reporting format. The aim is to produce more reliable figures on the volume of crop residue burned, which contributes to severe air‑quality deterioration during the post‑harvest period.
Both state governments welcomed the initiative, noting that accurate estimates are essential for designing targeted interventions, such as subsidised machinery for residue management and stricter enforcement of anti‑burning regulations. The collaboration is expected to produce a revised protocol draft by the end of the next quarter.
Stakeholders, including farmer unions and environmental NGOs, have been invited to provide feedback before the final version is adopted. If successful, the new methodology could serve as a model for other Indian states grappling with similar agricultural pollution challenges.
During a series of meetings held this week, CAQM representatives outlined a plan to integrate higher‑resolution remote‑sensing tools, ground‑level verification, and a standardized reporting format. The aim is to produce more reliable figures on the volume of crop residue burned, which contributes to severe air‑quality deterioration during the post‑harvest period.
Both state governments welcomed the initiative, noting that accurate estimates are essential for designing targeted interventions, such as subsidised machinery for residue management and stricter enforcement of anti‑burning regulations. The collaboration is expected to produce a revised protocol draft by the end of the next quarter.
Stakeholders, including farmer unions and environmental NGOs, have been invited to provide feedback before the final version is adopted. If successful, the new methodology could serve as a model for other Indian states grappling with similar agricultural pollution challenges.