Data from HARSAC reveals a season marked by high incident counts and monitoring failures, casting doubt on the efficacy of state-led efforts to curb crop residue burning Despite repeated government assurances of robust control measures, Haryana recorded 1,828 farm fire complaints during the rabi season crop residue burning season that officially ended on May 31, exposing significant gaps in enforcement and compliance across the state.

Despite repeated government assurances of robust control measures, Haryana recorded 1,828 farm fire complaints during the rabi season crop residue burning season that officially ended on May 31, exposing significant gaps in enforcement and compliance across the state.

Data from the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC) reveals a season marked by high incident counts and monitoring failures, casting doubt on the efficacy of state-led efforts to curb crop residue burning.

Hindustan Times teams visited more than 20 villages in May and witnessed over 50 active fires in a single day across prominent agricultural districts including Jind, Sirsa, Jhajjar, Hisar, Rohtak, Rewari, Gurugram, Nuh, and Mahendragarh. In smaller villages, entire fields spanning hundreds of acres were visibly scorched, suggesting widespread disregard for crop residue management guidelines.

The agriculture department's Red Entry Summary Report recorded 2,301 confirmed fire incidents and 202 suspected cases across 18 districts as of May 3, 2025 — figures that far exceed officially acknowledged complaint logs. Jhajjar district topped the list with 1,004 cases, followed by Jind (259) and Sirsa (158).Urbanised zones like Gurugram and Nuh reported zero incidents, suggesting either exceptional compliance or chronic underreporting.

Rabi crop residue burning, primarily involving wheat stubble after the April-May harvest, represents the lesser-known but significant second wave of agricultural fires that plague north Indian states annually.

Unlike the heavily scrutinised rice stubble burning in October-November — which coincides with winter air pollution peaks and garners widespread attention — wheat residue burning occurs during summer months when better wind dispersion often masks its environmental impact.

However, the practice remains equally damaging to soil health, contributes substantially to carbon emissions, and destroys valuable organic matter that could enrich farmland.

The unchecked fires reveal persistent gaps in agricultural policy implementation, as farmers face similar time pressures to clear fields quickly before monsoon crop sowing, yet receive comparatively less government attention, subsidised machinery access, and enforcement oversight than during the more visible post-rice burning period.

For farmers, an age old issue

Farmers, largely unaffected by enforcement threats, openly set their fields ablaze, underscoring the ineffectiveness of current deterrents. Many villagers admitted to HT that there is virtually no fear of reprisal from local authorities.

“We understand the environmental damage, but the available alternatives remain prohibitively expensive and impractical for smallholder farmers like us,” said Rajbir Singh, a smallholder from Meham block in Rohtak, gesturing towards the charred fields behind him. “Even renting or purchasing a rotavator—a basic, general purpose tillage machine—is simply beyond our means,” he added.

Sunita Devi from Jhajjar's Mandothi village shared similar frustrations. “Government officials keep announcing schemes and subsidies, but we hardly see any equipment in our villages. The paperwork is endless and machines are given only to large landholders.”

In Jind district, Ramesh Lathar of Karsala village emphasised financial limitations. “The incentives offered don't cover even half the cost of machines or labour needed. This is the only option to clear fields effectively before the wheat season begins.”

Suresh Mann, another farmer from Bahu Akbarpur in Rohtak, said the entire system feels skewed against small cultivators. “They want us to use expensive machines, but we barely earn enough to meet our daily expenses. Give us real help on the ground—machines, manpower, or even shared cooperatives. Until then, these fires will continue.”

Meena Rani from Sirsa highlighted the urgency of time constraints farmers face. “We barely have a few days between harvesting rice and sowing wheat. Without quick, affordable alternatives, burning remains the only viable method for us.”

Baldev Singh, a farmer from Hisar's outskirts, highlighted weak enforcement as a critical factor. “Authorities see the fires, they even drive past them, but no action is taken. Fines are rare, and monitoring is weak.”

However, district officials maintain they are actively monitoring and taking action against violators.

Former Rohtak deputy commissioner Dhirender Khadgata said the district administration took strict steps during the 2024-25 Rabi season. HARSAC flagged 89 active fire locations in Rohtak, with 43 confirmed as stubble burning incidents. FIRs were lodged in 43 cases, and fines of ₹5,000 per violation were imposed in 40 instances.

“We are actively monitoring the situation. Enforcement teams have been deployed, fines levied, and legal action initiated wherever necessary,” Khadgata said.

Former Jhajjar deputy commissioner Pardeep Dahiya said his administration identified 90 active fire locations and registered 11 FIRs against violators. “Farmers found guilty will be barred from selling their crop to government procurement agencies for two harvest seasons,” he said.

HT reached out to the DCs currently in charge of the districts but didn't get a comment till the time of print.

Nuh deputy commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena said the district recorded fewer incidents due to swift action. “Two cases were reported last week and we took swift action against those responsible. The incidents are not recorded by the safelight but we had received several complaints,” he said.

Despite official claims of zero incidents in Gurugram and Nuh, farmers from these districts paint a different picture.

Mahesh Yadav of Gurugram district said many farmers still aren't fully informed about the damaging effects of burning stubble. “There needs to be more targeted educational outreach at the grassroots level.”

In Nuh, farmer Ayesha Khan emphasised the practical challenge. “The government must offer real, accessible support. Without it, farmers find it impossible to change their age-old practices.”

Vikram Malik from Pataudi summed up farmers' sentiments clearly. “Until practical, affordable solutions reach our fields, burning will continue, no matter what the government says.”

An ecological crisis unfolds

Environmental activists warn that persistent stubble burning causes severe ecological damage and public health risks.

“Small villages receive little effective awareness outreach. Farmers remain unaware of long-term environmental harm, and there's no real fear of punishment,” said activist Roma J Vinayak.

Vaishali Rana, an environmentalist from Gurugram, expressed concern about air pollution impacts. “Rural awareness drives barely scratch the surface. It's not enough to run campaigns only in big towns or district headquarters.”

The ecological toll extends beyond air quality. Birders and conservationists report distressing scenes of wildlife casualties in scorched fields.

Rakesh Ahlawat, a birder from Dighal village in Jhajjar, found four damaged eggs and three dead baby birds in a single field. “Hundreds of trees have been scorched. It's heartbreaking to witness innocent birds die like this every season.”

Agriculture minister Shyam Singh Rana said monitoring is underway and most reported incidents have been found accidental. “Action is being taken according to rules against farmers found deliberately burning crop residue. Agriculture Department officials have been deployed to investigate incidents on the ground.”

Despite various policy measures, including strict fines and enforcement drives, ground-level actions remain largely symbolic. The persistent gap between official assurances and reality underscores the need for stronger policy implementation and genuine follow-through on alternatives that reach farmers in a timely, affordable manner.

“At HARSAC, we monitor stubble burning incidents in real-time through high-resolution satellite imagery and share geo-tagged alerts, complete with time-stamped visuals, directly with district administrations to enable immediate action,” said Dr Sultan Singh, director, Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC).

He added: “While this system has significantly strengthened surveillance across Haryana and helped curb large-scale burning, there remain serious gaps — especially in districts like Gurugram and Nuh, where we've received anecdotal and media reports of fires, yet no corresponding satellite detections were recorded. This can happen due to limitations such as cloud cover, fires set during night hours, or small-scale burnings that fall below the detection threshold. It is critical that local enforcement officials supplement satellite inputs with ground-level vigilance and community reporting mechanisms to ensure that such incidents are not overlooked. Without bridging this visibility gap, we risk severely underestimating the ecological damage and losing the trust of affected communities.”

Source: HindustanTimes
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