In what is being hailed as a major environmental victory for the state, satellite data today confirmed that not a single active stubble fire was detected in Haryana’s farm belts.
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The Data Milestone: HARSAC, which monitors the state via the MODIS and VIIRS satellite sensors, released its daily report today showing a “Nil” count for fire events. Traditionally, the stubble burning season in Haryana begins in late September and peaks in early November, but by late November, the intensity usually drops.
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Reduction Trends: Compared to the same period in 2024, Haryana has reported a nearly 30-35% decrease in total fire counts this year. Districts that were once “Red Zones,” such as Fatehabad and Kaithal, saw a dramatic shift toward using balers to convert stubble into fuel for biomass plants.
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Contributing Factors:
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Machine Availability: The deployment of over 80,000 CRM machines (Super Seeders, Happy Seeders, and Balers) provided at subsidized rates.
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Financial Incentives: The ₹1,000 per acre incentive provided by the state government for not burning stubble encouraged thousands of small farmers to opt for green disposal.
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Vigilance: The appointment of nodal officers at the village level and the use of drones for real-time monitoring acted as a strong deterrent.
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Air Quality Impact: The cessation of fires has already started showing a positive impact on the regional air quality, with wind patterns now carrying less smoke toward the NCR. However, the legacy “smog” from earlier weeks remains a challenge due to low wind speeds.
