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2w ago

CAQM Directs Paddy Straw Pellets in Brick Kilns and Tightens Open Waste Fire Controls

The measures seek to drive rural income growth through residue use in cleaner heat production aligned with long-term renewable energy targets.

Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution in the NCR in October and November.
A fire at the Ghazipur landfill in 2022. (Archive)
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Overview

  • Direction No. 92 mandates co-firing of paddy straw-based biomass pellets in brick kilns across non-NCR districts of Punjab and Haryana, starting November 1, 2025 at 20% and rising to 50% by November 1, 2028.
  • Direction No. 91 orders Delhi-NCR authorities to assess fire risks at sanitary landfills, install CCTV cameras, methane detectors and fire-fighting infrastructure to curb open municipal waste and legacy dumpsite fires.
  • Urban local bodies must enforce Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, ramp up horticultural waste processing and deploy surveillance to halt open burning, with quarterly compliance reports from pollution control agencies.
  • State governments are required to submit monthly progress reports to the CAQM beginning November 2025 to monitor kiln compliance and track biomass pellet integration.
  • CAQM expects these steps to cut particulate emissions from stubble burning and landfill fires during Delhi’s winter smog season while supporting rural economies.