New Delhi: More than 35 lakh metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions have been avoided through biomass co-firing at thermal power plants, while stubble burning in Punjab has dropped by over 80% between 2021 and 2024, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said, reports The Economic Times.
By mid-2025, 11 thermal power plants in the National Capital Region (NCR) and 71 across India had adopted biomass co-firing, saving 25.79 lakh MT of CO₂ in NCR and 34.77 lakh MT nationwide. The 2021 rule requires NCR plants to co-fire 5–10% biomass with coal. In June 2025, CAQM extended the mandate to brick kilns in non-NCR Punjab and Haryana, aiming for at least 50% biomass use by November 2028.
Stubble fire cases in Punjab fell from 71,304 in 2021 to 10,909 in 2024, and in Haryana from 6,829 to 1,315. Thermal plants in Punjab are using paddy straw as biomass, providing farmers with extra income.
Delhi-NCR recorded an average AQI of 167 between January and September 2023 — the second-best in six years. July 2025 saw an AQI of 79, the cleanest July in a decade. PM₁₀ levels have dropped 15% since 2017–18, and Stage III GRAP restrictions were lifted in early 2025 after sustained air quality improvement.
CAQM’s work in reducing stubble burning and encouraging cleaner fuel use in power generation marks an important step in long-term change, said Dr. Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri of TERI School of Advanced Studies, who called for better combustion technology, carbon capture, renewable integration, and strong biomass supply chains. Agricultural economist Deepak Pareek said turning crop residue into biomass or biochar can boost farmers’ income while cutting waste and replacing polluting fuels.
Dr. Rajeev Sharma noted that biomass co-firing volumes in power plants rose from 11.7 lakh MT in FY24 to 21.49 lakh MT by mid-FY26, helped by pellet manufacturing. CAQM has also introduced dust control rules at construction sites, AI-based vehicle monitoring, drone surveillance, and public awareness drives, with its framework now being considered for other polluted cities, including Bengaluru.
