Crackdown on Stubble Burning: CAQM Deploys Flying Squads Across 34 Districts in Punjab and Haryana

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas has strengthened its ground-level monitoring system to control paddy stubble burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana. Under this initiative, following notification to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), flying squads have been deployed across a total of 34 districts in both states for the period from October 1, 2026, to November 30, 2026.

These flying squads have been deployed in 18 districts of Punjab and 16 districts of Haryana to ensure comprehensive monitoring during the paddy harvesting season. The squads will assess ground conditions in their assigned districts and coordinate with relevant officials and stakeholders to prevent stubble burning. These teams will work in collaboration with farmers, stubble protection forces, district-level officials, state government nodal officers, state pollution control boards, and the CAQM cell located in SAS Nagar.

To make the monitoring process effective, the deployment has been divided into different phases. The flying squads will send daily reports on ground conditions and the steps taken to the CAQM cell, allowing the commission to continuously assess the situation and take necessary actions.

In Punjab, teams are deployed in key districts including Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Bathinda, Amritsar, Moga, Mansa, Fazilka, Patiala, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Barnala, Malerkotla, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, and Fatehgarh Sahib. In Haryana, the coverage includes districts such as Jind, Fatehabad, Hisar, Kaithal, Sonipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Karnal, Palwal, Jhajjar, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Faridabad, Panipat, and Hansi.

The commission clarified that the objective of this system is to establish better synergy between implementing agencies and to immediately stop stubble burning incidents. CAQM is conducting continuous reviews with the respective state governments, state pollution control boards, and district administrations. The commission emphasized that achieving this goal requires the shared efforts of all agencies as well as the active cooperation of farmers and other stakeholders.