The District Administration, Fatehgarh Sahib, has achieved a remarkable 80% reduction in stubble burning incidents during the ongoing paddy harvesting season. This significant achievement reflects the district’s sustained commitment to promoting In-situ and Ex-situ Crop Residue Management (CRM) and ensuring environmental sustainability through coordinated field action.
Under Ex-situ management, baling operations are being actively undertaken by straw-based industries in close coordination with farmers. Major industries such as Shree Ganesh Edibles Pvt. Ltd., Shri Ram Panels Pvt. Ltd., Tiwana Oil Mills Pvt. Ltd., Farm to Fuel, Sohi Green Energy, Jalkheri Power Plant, and Cities Innovative Biofuels Pvt. Ltd. (CBG Plant) are playing a pivotal role in lifting and utilizing paddy straw for use in industrial fuel, pelletization, and bio-CNG production.
This industry–farmer partnership has emerged as a sustainable alternative to stubble burning, ensuring efficient utilization of crop residue. Simultaneously, In-situ management practices are being widely adopted by farmers using Happy Seeders, Super Seeders, and other CRM machinery provided through the Department of Agriculture.
To ensure effective on-ground implementation, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sona Thind, IAS personally visited the villages Wazidpur, Bassi Pathana, Sanghol, Ranva, and Mandera (Khamanon Tehsil) to review the ongoing field activities.
During the visit, she was accompanied by Smt. Harveer Brar, SDM Bassi Pathana; Smt. Manreet Rana, SDM Khamanon; Sh. Mohit Singla, XEN, PPCB; Dr. Jagdev Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer and Sh. Daman Jhanzi, Agriculture Development Officer. As part of the field inspection, the Deputy Commissioner also visited the paddy storage dump of M/s Punjab Renewable Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. (PRESPL) at village Mandera, spread over 7 acres, where around 12,000 tonnes of paddy straw collected from nearby villages is being stored for biomass-based energy production.
The site showcases the district’s successful implementation of large-scale Ex-situ crop residue management practices through industrial collaboration. In village Wazidpur, Sarpanch Sh. Varinder Singh informed that the entire village has refrained from stubble burning this year, setting an example of collective community participation and environmental awareness.
Deputy Commissioner observed that farmers in Wazidpur are actively using Super Seeder machines for effective In-situ management of paddy straw, which is yielding encouraging results. During the inspection, Deputy Commissioner also met Sh. Dilbag Singh, owner of a baler machine and resident of village Amrala, who has established a straw dump on 5 acres of land at village Ranva, Khamanon.
He is managing paddy straw from nearby villages—Maheshpura, Ranva Khamanon Kalan, and Khamanon Khurd—for baling and Ex-situ utilization, significantly contributing to sustainable crop residue management in the area. For strict field-level monitoring, 257 Nodal Officers and 45 Cluster Officers have been deployed across all villages of the district.
These officers remain present in the fields throughout the day to supervise harvesting operations and ensure immediate response to any stubble burning activity. As a result of these proactive efforts, the district has recorded an 80% decline in stubble burning incidents compared to the previous year.
As of 28.10.2025, only 15 incidents have been reported, as against 76 incidents in 2024 and 201 in 2023. Upon verification, actual fire was found at only 06 sites, and environmental compensation amounting to ₹35,000 has been imposed, of which ₹20,000 has already been recovered. FIRs have been registered in all confirmed cases in line with the Government’s zero-tolerance policy.
Deputy Commissioner lauded the efforts of farmers, field officers, and industry partners for their active role in implementing effective crop residue management. She emphasized that Fatehgarh Sahib is steadily progressing towards the goal of 'Zero Stubble Burning District' through collective responsibility, awareness, and sustained ground-level action.