Smog rolls in over Delhi‑NCR every winter, a blight traced back to paddy stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. The air quality index spikes in October, crossing the 300‑point threshold, and residents report breathing‑in sickness. Farmers, however, keep the practice alive to clear residue before sowing wheat.
Bhagwant Mann, speaking at a Kisan Mela on Friday, said he would not register FIRs against farmers who burn straw. He pointed out that Punjab supplies 180 lakh metric tonnes of paddy to the central pool, yet the stubble from that crop is not accounted for in the pollution tally. The Chief Minister also jabbed at Pakistan’s Punjab leader Maryam Nawaz, who had threatened to write to him over Lahore’s smog, calling the move a smear.
Under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, farmers face fines and a 'red entry' that bars them from loans. The state has seen an 86 per cent cut in stubble fires from 2023 to 2025, yet political parties still brand Punjab as the main culprit of winter haze. Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan of the Ekta Ugrahan demanded that all existing FIRs be dropped before a new incentive scheme is rolled out.
Mann has requested the central government to offer a ₹3,000 per acre cash incentive for stubble management. He also warned that failing to address the issue could hurt the AAP’s prospects in the upcoming state elections. The cabinet is set to review the incentive proposal on 12 October, with a vote expected in the next legislative session.