The Centre appreciated the efforts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi in reducing the cases of paddy stubble burning and advised them to work towards Mission Zero Burning. An inter-ministerial meeting to address the issues of crop residue management was co-chaired by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi on Saturday.

During the meeting, the ministers from the state governments informed about the actions they are taking to prevent paddy stubble burning. They also communicated various initiatives being implemented to support farmers in managing paddy stubbles without burning.

In a statement, the Agriculture Ministry noted that a suitable mechanism is in place at the state level to ensure effective utilization of more than three lakh machines already supplied. It also said that the District Collector of hotspot districts should take proactive steps and monitor the situation at ground level to further reduce paddy stubble burning. Both Union Ministers urged the states to promote the use of powdered bio-decomposer in conjunction with crop residue management machines for effective in-situ decomposition.