Patiala News:CAQM Officials Visit District Patiala to Review Paddy Straw Management Measures
A team of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), comprising Dr. S. D. Attri, Member-Technical, and Shri Vijay Kumar, Scientist-C, visited District Patiala on October 30, 2026, to review the arrangements and measures being undertaken by the District Administration and concerned departments for effective management of paddy straw and prevention of stubble burning during the ongoing harvesting season.
During the visit, the CAQM team first visited M/s SPS Ecofriendly Fuels, a paddy straw pellet manufacturing unit located at Village Badanpur, Tehsil Samana. The team was welcomed by Ms. Richa Goyal, SDM Samana. The CAQM officials, accompanied by officers of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and the District Administration, inspected the pellet manufacturing facility and obtained first-hand information regarding the utilisation of paddy straw for manufacturing biomass pellets, which are subsequently used as fuel in industries and thermal power plants.
Er. Rantej Sharma, EE, PPCB apprised the visiting team that such pellet manufacturing units play a significant role in promoting ex-situ management of paddy straw by providing an alternative avenue for its utilisation, thereby helping farmers avoid crop residue burning and contributing towards the prevention of stubble burning incidents.
Thereafter, the CAQM team visited Village Duttal and Village Gulhar in Tehsil Patran to assess the ground-level implementation of in-situ and ex-situ paddy straw management measures. During the visit, the team interacted with farmers of both villages. Shri Kala Ram Kansal, SDM Patran, along with officials of the Agriculture Department, apprised the CAQM team of the preparedness of the District Administration and the arrangements made for ensuring the availability of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery to farmers for in-situ management of paddy straw.
The farmers appreciated the proactive efforts of the District Administration, particularly the timely availability and provision of CRM machinery, which has facilitated the adoption of scientific methods for paddy straw management and reduced their dependence on stubble burning.
The CAQM officials appreciated the initiatives and coordinated efforts being undertaken by the District Administration, Agriculture Department and Punjab Pollution Control Board in District Patiala for promoting both in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy straw. The team urged all concerned departments to continue their coordinated efforts and maintain close monitoring to ensure effective prevention of stubble burning incidents.