Chandigarh: The state government will deploy drones to monitor agricultural fields for stubble burning, with surveillance to be intensified during the afternoon-to-night window when some farmers allegedly attempt to avoid satellite detection, Punjab Newsline reported.
Drone-based monitoring will be conducted particularly between 3 pm and 9 pm, a period identified as critical for detecting crop residue burning incidents.
The move is part of the Bhagwant Mann-led government’s five-year roadmap to achieve zero stubble burning in Punjab by 2030. Alongside enforcement, the government is focusing on converting paddy straw into an economic resource through a combination of in-situ and ex-situ management measures.
Punjab has nearly 31 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation, which is expected to generate around 18.81 million metric tonnes of paddy straw during the current season, according to official estimates.
Under the state’s in-situ management plan, around 10.15 million tonnes of paddy straw will be incorporated into the soil using 1,58,898 subsidised agricultural machines. Another 7.08 million tonnes is planned to be utilised through biomass and biogas plants under the ex-situ model, while around 0.86 million tonnes will be diverted for cattle fodder.
Crop diversification is a key component of the long-term strategy. The state plans to reduce paddy cultivation by nearly seven lakh hectares over the coming years, thereby lowering paddy straw generation at the source.
Punjab has reported a substantial decline in stubble-burning incidents in recent years. Recorded cases fell from 76,929 in 2020 to 10,909 in 2024 and further to 5,114 in 2025, representing a nearly 54% decline from the previous year.
However, stubble burning remains concentrated in a number of districts. Sangrur, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Moga, Muktsar, Mansa, Tarn Taran and Faridkot together accounted for nearly 67% of the reported cases, with 3,454 incidents recorded in these districts.
To strengthen monitoring and enforcement in sensitive areas, the state government has deployed more than 12,000 officials. Administrative and legal action has also been intensified alongside technological surveillance.
Authorities registered 1,963 FIRs against farmers for violating stubble-burning regulations last year, while 2,176 farmers received red entries in their land records. Environmental compensation charges have also been increased for violations.
Officials said the key feature of Punjab’s new roadmap is its focus on developing an end-to-end utilisation chain for paddy straw rather than treating it only as agricultural waste. The strategy includes crop diversification, subsidised farm machinery and the expansion of biomass, biogas and compressed biogas (CBG) plants.
The government’s approach, officials said, combines monitoring and enforcement with economic utilisation of crop residue. Its effectiveness will depend on the implementation of these measures at the village level across the state.
