The Centre informed Parliament on Monday that stubble burning incidents across Punjab and Haryana have decreased by 90 percent during the 2025 paddy harvesting season compared to 2022. Despite these encouraging statistics regarding farm fires, the air pollution crisis in Delhi-NCR continues to pose a major health threat for residents.

Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, responding to a question from Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, stated that farm fires remain an episodic contributor to winter pollution. He emphasized that Delhi’s air quality is influenced by a combination of factors, including vehicular emissions, industrial pollutants, construction dust, waste burning, and unfavorable weather conditions.

While seasonal pollution spikes persist, official data highlights significant improvements in air quality over recent years. In 2025, Delhi recorded its best average Air Quality Index (AQI) in eight years, with the number of “good” air quality days rising to 200—up from 110 in 2016. Furthermore, days categorized as “very poor” or “severe” pollution decreased from 71 in 2024 to 50 in 2025, signaling progress yet underscoring ongoing challenges.

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The government credited the marked reduction in stubble burning to coordinated measures, including the distribution of over 260,000 crop residue management (CRM) machines, rent-free CRM access for small-scale farmers, mandatory use of paddy-straw biomass pellets in brick kilns, and stricter enforcement against officials failing to prevent stubble burning. Additionally, 31 monitoring squads were deployed across key districts in the region to ensure compliance.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality, although improved on some days, dropped back into the “very poor” category recently, with AQI levels crossing 300. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has called for urgent parliamentary discussions on the pollution crisis. He criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the perceived lack of effective response, highlighting concerns shared by Delhi’s residents, particularly the health risks to children exposed to toxic air.

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