CAQM in talks with Punjab, Haryana to improve stubble burning estimation protocol
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is in discussions with the Punjab and Haryana governments to refine the protocol used to estimate stubble (crop residue) burning
The Commission is also engaging with ISRO to develop better "ground-truthing" mechanisms to validate satellite-detected fire counts
The concern flagged is that satellite fire-count passes may not give the most accurate picture of the actual extent of farm fires on the ground
The move comes as both states enter the paddy harvest season, when residue burning typically peaks between October and November
Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and Adjoining Areas
The CAQM was constituted as a statutory body under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, replacing the earlier Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). It has overriding powers over State Pollution Control Boards and other authorities in matters of air quality within the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Key Details
- Established via an ordinance promulgated in October 2020, converted into the CAQM Act, 2021
- Composition: a Chairperson, a member-secretary (Joint Secretary rank), ex-officio members from central and concerned state governments, three independent technical members, three NGO members, plus technical members drawn from CPCB, ISRO and NITI Aayog
- Powers include restricting industrial activity, conducting inspections, and directing closure of non-compliant units or cutting their power/water supply for non-compliance
- Chairperson/members hold office for a term of three years or until age 70, whichever is earlier
The satellite-based fire-count and ground-truthing protocol under discussion is precisely the kind of technical, evidence-based mechanism the CAQM Act empowers the Commission to develop and enforce across Punjab and Haryana, both falling within its adjoining-area jurisdiction.
ISRO/NRSC Satellite Protocol for Crop Residue Fire Monitoring
Satellite-based detection of farm fires in India uses thermal-anomaly data from polar-orbiting satellites, processed through a standard protocol developed by ISRO in consultation with agencies such as ICAR. The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO's remote-sensing arm, compiles daily fire-count bulletins during the harvesting season that are used by pollution-control authorities to track farm fires.
Key Details
- Fire counts are derived from thermal sensors that detect heat signatures during satellite overpasses (typically twice daily), which can undercount fires that occur between passes or are obscured by cloud cover/smoke
- CAQM has previously directed Punjab and other NCR-adjoining states to adopt the ISRO-developed standard protocol for estimating crop-residue-burning fire events
- "Ground truthing" refers to on-the-ground verification (via flying squads, nodal officers, or field surveys) to cross-check satellite-derived data against actual conditions
- CPCB deploys flying squads to assist CAQM with intensified monitoring and enforcement during the peak burning season
The push to improve ground-truthing protocols is aimed at closing the gap between what satellites detect during their limited overpass windows and the actual extent of farm fires, improving the accuracy of the data used for enforcement and policy decisions.
Legal and Institutional Framework for Air Pollution Control
Stubble burning falls within the broader ambit of India's air pollution regulatory framework, anchored in the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, with the CAQM Act, 2021 providing NCR-specific overriding authority. The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), enforced by CAQM, is the operational mechanism that escalates restrictions as Delhi-NCR's Air Quality Index (AQI) worsens.
Key Details
- GRAP has four stages tied to AQI bands: Stage I ("Poor," AQI 201-300), Stage II ("Very Poor," AQI 301-400), Stage III ("Severe," AQI 401-450), and Stage IV ("Severe+," AQI above 450)
- GRAP measures are invoked pre-emptively based on forecasts from IMD/IITM rather than only after thresholds are breached
- CAQM has statutory power under Section 14 of its Act to issue directions and take punitive action, including under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, for non-compliance
- The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP, launched 2019) sets city-specific PM2.5/PM10 reduction targets under which NCR air quality also falls
More reliable stubble-burning data feeds directly into GRAP's trigger mechanism and into apportioning pollution sources accurately between farm fires and other contributors like vehicular and industrial emissions, which affects how CAQM calibrates its interventions each winter.
- CAQM constituted under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021 (ordinance: October 2020)
- GRAP AQI bands: Stage I 201-300, Stage II 301-400, Stage III 401-450, Stage IV above 450
- Punjab recorded 5,114 farm-fire cases in 2025, a roughly 93% decline from 2021; Haryana recorded 662 cases, a roughly 91% decline over the same period
- A January 2025 field-based study found stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana contributes only around 14% of Delhi-NCR's PM2.5 load during the burning season, with local/industrial sources found to be larger contributors
- CAQM technical membership statutorily includes representation from CPCB, ISRO and NITI Aayog