E-Paper
CAQM directs Punjab, Haryana to get drones to track stubble fires in real time
The measure will help Punjab and Haryana government get real-time data on crop burning and limit such instances in the states.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR has asked Punjab and Haryana governments to start procuring drones for the harvest season to detect crop-residue burning in realtime, a senior official aware of the matter said. CAQM had carried out a pilot project in Patiala district in May, which found visuals to be clear and accurate, allowing them to pinpoint farm fire incidents, the official added.
A detailed standard operating procedure for using drones, including the number needed to be procured per village or district, is still being formulated and will be issued soon, with initial focus to only be around crop burning hotspots in these two states, the official told HT.
“The pilot project, which was initially planned in three districts, was only carried out in Patiala in May, but was successful. We were able to use drones to get clear visuals from a good height, which can allow real-time action against those found to be burning crop residue,” the official said, stating the current challenge was a delay in getting data on crop burning.
State and central governments have grappled for more than a decade with the problem of crop residue burning -- a quick and easy way that many farmers, especially those who grow paddy, prefer to clear their fields. But the method sends up clouds of smoke so severe that hundreds of millions of people downwind in Delhi, Haryana and UP have to live with dreadful air pollution for weeks -- a crisis that remains an annual affair every winter.
Also Read I 12k river pollution cases pending before NGT: Expert member
Till now, the enforcement on the ban against crop residue burning rests on data from satellites. “Satellite data submitted to us is a day-old data, as it is from the previous day. The satellites also only make around two captures in a day, during the overpass. Meanwhile, data on burnt area is submitted to CAQM once in 15 days, so by the time we get this information, farm fires in an area will long be over. Meanwhile, drones allow real-time action by allowing teams to go and stop farmers immediately,” the official said, stating that over multiple meetings since May, both Punjab and Haryana governments have been asked to start drone procurement preparations.
In the recently concluded Rabi harvest season, CAQM, through the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), monitored farm fire incidents between April 1 and May 31, 2026, with 9,806 farm fires recorded in Punjab and 3,398 in Haryana. In the same period last year, Punjab saw 10,207 fires, while Haryana saw 1,832 fires. The summer season fires are typically not a public health alarm since the season is windier and blows the smoke away.
Also Read I Hry govt floats tender for 21 AQI stations in NCR districts
The count in both states is concerning, since farm fires are typically higher in the winter harvest season between September 15 and November 30. Last winter, in this period, Punjab had 5,114 fires as compared to 10,909 in 2024. Haryana saw 662 farm fires last winter as compared to 1,406 in 2024.
“The increase in fires this summer is a worry, and we have noticed that while farmers are using machines to remove stubble, the residue, which is barely four inches, is still being burnt as the farmer does not want to till it into the ground, in fear that it has pesticides. As part of our outreach to states, this will be another focus this winter, to make farmers more aware about such practices,” said the official, stating they are still working on the specifications and how many drones will be required by both states and who will deploy them.
“The initial plan is to use them only at farm fire hotspots in both states and gradually expand, if required,” the official added.
Last year, multiple studies revealed farmers were setting fields ablaze much later in the day, thus evading satellite captures and resulting in a lower farm-fire count. One such study, released by the environmental think-tank the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST) in December last year, found this was true across both Punjab and Haryana, with most fires being observed after 3 pm – hours when the satellites had concluded their passes. But it also assessed the total burnt area and found it to have reduced by 25-35%.
As part of the study, Sentinel-2 satellite’s burnt-area mapping showed the burnt cropland in Punjab fell from 31,447 sq kms in 2022 to roughly 20,000 sq kms in 2025 – a 37% reduction. In Haryana, the burnt area decreased from 11,633 sq kms in 2019 to 8,812 sq kms in 2025 – a 25% dip, the report had said.
