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Stubble burning check: CAQM team reviews Firozpur and Faridkot as NCR enforcement drive continues

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Stubble burning in Punjab’s paddy belt was the focus of a field review by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on 17 October 2026, the Environment Ministry said. A high-level team led by Dr T.S. Panwar, Member (Technical), visited Firozpur and Faridkot districts after an earlier stop in Moga. The visit came as the commission also reported fresh enforcement figures for the National Capital Region and as Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav met start-ups working on air pollution.

stubble burning: Satellite view of Punjab and Haryana on 17 October 2026, with red dots marking active fire detections
Satellite view of Punjab and Haryana on 17 October 2026, with red dots marking active fire detections Photo: NASA Worldview, EOSDIS (MODIS Terra imagery, VIIRS fire detections; public domain).

What CAQM checked on stubble burning in Punjab

The team held a joint review with the Deputy Commissioners and district officers of Firozpur and Faridkot at the DC Office in Firozpur. It looked at how ready the districts were, how departments were coordinating, and how paddy stubble was being handled both in the field (in-situ) and by moving it elsewhere for use (ex-situ). Officials also reviewed the availability and deployment of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines, field surveillance, monitoring of hotspot areas and enforcement. The use of drones and low-cost sensors for monitoring was discussed, along with efforts to tell farmers about the harm caused by stubble burning and PM2.5. The team then visited selected hotspot villages.

Key Facts

  • Field visit: Firozpur and Faridkot, 17 Oct 2026
  • Team leader: Dr T.S. Panwar, Member (Technical), CAQM
  • NCR inspections (25 Sep-9 Oct): 124, with 55 violations
  • Flying squads so far: 28,868 units inspected
  • Start-up meet: problem statements in 9 areas

Paddy straw, drones and the NCR enforcement numbers

The commission asked district officials to make sure farmers can get CRM machines on time and to work closely with aggregators who collect paddy straw. Separately, CAQM’s Enforcement Task Force said at its 141st meeting on 16 October that 124 inspections were reported across the NCR between 25 September and 9 October: six at construction and demolition sites, 54 at industries and 64 involving diesel generator sets. These found 55 violations. Proposed action includes closing two construction projects and three industrial units and sealing 12 units. As on 16 October, CAQM’s flying squads had inspected 28,868 units and issued 1,837 closure directions.

Start-ups pitch air pollution fixes for Delhi-NCR

On the same day, Bhupender Yadav met start-ups and innovators in Delhi under the ‘Saaf Hawa mein Hissedaari, Hum Sabhi ki hai Zimmedaari’ campaign. He set out problem statements in nine areas of air pollution management. The ministry said technologies shown included round-the-clock detection of stubble and open biomass burning, tamper-proof emission monitoring and systems to turn paddy straw into bioenergy, fuel, compost and packaging. Yadav called for guidelines on storing parali and said start-ups should focus on scientific ways to manage crop residue. NASA satellite imagery from 17 October shows scattered fire detections across Punjab, a reminder that the harvest season is not over.

Why It Matters: Smoke from burning paddy stubble adds to the poor air that Delhi-NCR breathes every October and November, so checks in Punjab's hotspot districts matter far beyond the state.

Also on TrendDesh: El Nino 2026: NASA satellites track what may be the strongest El Nino since 1950 · Amazon fires: NASA satellite shows smoke over Manaus as El Niño drought fuels a long burning season

Source: PIB (Environment Ministry), CAQM Punjab visit · PIB (Environment Ministry), CAQM enforcement review · PIB (Environment Ministry), start-up interaction · NASA Worldview

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