Stubble burning cases drop by 50% in Punjab, Haryana; Rs 68 cr fine imposed in 2 years

New Delhi: With stubble burning cases falling by more than 50 per cent and FIRs dropping from 6,469 to 2,193 within a year, enforcement against farm fires in Punjab and Haryana appears to have intensified, according to RTI data accessed from the CAQM.

The total number of farm fire incidents across the region fell from 12,750 in 2024 to 6,080 in 2025, according to information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Incidents of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana directly impact Delhi’s air quality, which battles severe air pollution every winter.

However, several recent research studies suggest that stubble burning is no longer the main culprit behind Delhi’s pollution spikes, as the number of farm fire incidents has dropped sharply.

According to the RTI reply, 6,469 FIRs were registered against farmers in Punjab and Haryana in 2024 for stubble burning. This number fell sharply to 2,193 FIRs in 2025.

To break the data down, Punjab reported 5,802 cumulative stubble burning cases and Haryana 667 last year, while this year the numbers fell to 1,963 in Punjab and 230 in Haryana.

In 2024, 12,750 stubble burning incidents were reported across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (NCR), while in 2025 the number dropped to 6,080 cases, a decline of more than 53 per cent.

The financial penalties imposed on farmers also reflect the enforcement drive. In 2024, fines amounting to Rs 21.80 crore were imposed in Punjab and Rs 21.87 crore in Haryana for stubble burning.

In 2025, the penalties declined to Rs 12.58 crore in Punjab and Rs 12.65 crore in Haryana, in line with the reduced number of violations.

Over the past two years, fines totalling around Rs 68 crore have been imposed across the two states.

A comparison of residue burning events over the last six years shows a consistent downward trend.

In Punjab, 5,114 stubble burning cases were reported in 2025, compared to 10,909 in 2024, 36,663 in 2023, 49,922 in 2022, 71,304 in 2021 and 83,002 in 2020.

Similarly, in Haryana, the number of cases stood at 662 in 2025, 1,406 in 2024, 2,303 in 2023, 3,661 in 2022, 6,987 in 2021 and 4,202 in 2020.

Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of stubble burning cases in 2025 at 7,290, compared to 6,142 in 2024, 3,996 in 2023, 3,017 in 2022, 4,242 in 2021 and 4,631 in 2020.

“Despite a 50 per cent reduction in stubble burning, November 2025 was among the second most polluted months in the last five years. It is now clear that stubble burning is not the main reason behind severe air pollution in Delhi-NCR,” Noida-based environmentalist Amit Gupta said.

Referring to enforcement measures in the neighbouring states, Gupta said more than 8,600 FIRs were registered and Rs 58 crore in fines were imposed on Punjab and Haryana farmers, but questioned the action taken against local polluters in Delhi-NCR.

“How many FIRs have been registered against repeated violators here, and how much fine has been recovered?” he asked.

Recent research and analysis also indicate that stubble burning was not the main source for daily pollution spikes in Delhi this year.

The report notes that farm fire incidents in Punjab and Haryana were significantly subdued, partly because floods disrupted the crop cycle.

For most of the early winter period, farm fires contributed less than 5 per cent to Delhi’s pollution, rising to 5-15 per cent on some days and peaking at 22 per cent on November 12-13.

Delhi recorded an average AQI of 318 on Monday, with 27 monitoring stations in the “very poor” category and 11 in the “poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app.

According to the CPCB classification, an Air Quality Index (AQI) between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.