Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Environment Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav chaired a high-level inter-ministerial meeting at Krishi Bhavan to review stubble management strategies and the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme. The meeting focused on preparations for the upcoming paddy harvesting season and permanent solutions for stubble management.
A provision of Rs. 544.15 crore has been made under the CRM scheme for 2026-27, with the first installment of Rs. 272.07 crore already released. Since the scheme's inception in 2018-19, total financial assistance of Rs. 4,266.47 crore has been provided to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). This funding has supported the distribution of over 3.54 lakh crop residue management machines and establishment of more than 43,500 Custom Hiring Centres.
For the current year, states have set ambitious targets including distribution of more than 46,000 crop residue management machines, establishment of 910 Custom Hiring Centres, and development of 141 stubble supply chain projects. The plan aims to manage an estimated 2.762 crore tonnes of stubble during the 2026 paddy harvesting season.
The meeting emphasized strengthening ex-situ stubble utilization through biomass power plants, compressed biogas (CBG) units, ethanol production plants, and pellet manufacturing units to create permanent markets for stubble. Special emphasis was placed on promoting short-duration and low-water requiring paddy varieties to increase the time window between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing.
Monitoring arrangements include activating a 'Stubble Protection Force' in 70 tehsils of 14 districts in the National Capital Region to ensure strict surveillance and further reduce stubble burning incidents. The inter-ministerial committee for crop residue management is holding regular review meetings, and states have been advised to complete machine distribution before August 2026, strengthen Custom Hiring Centres, ensure full utilization of available machinery, and run extensive public awareness campaigns.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was advised to review available stubble stock and its utilization capacity for pellet/briquette manufacturing units, CBG plants, and co-firing in thermal power plants. The government aims to turn stubble from a problem into a resource through mechanization, technical innovation, industrial use, and coordinated stakeholder efforts.