Punjab’s Fields on Fire Again: Why Stubble Burning Persists Despite Policies and Penalties

As winter nears, the familiar haze of stubble burning once again threatens to blanket North India. Smoke from Punjab’s paddy fields has begun its annual journey toward Delhi — choking hospitals, grounding flights, and forcing school closures. For millions in the National Capital Region, this has become an unfortunate seasonal ritual. For Punjab’s farmers, however, it is a cycle of compulsion, not choice — a fight for survival between the sickle and the plough.

Each year, as the air quality in Delhi deteriorates, farmers in Punjab are cast as culprits in the pollution drama. Yet, a growing body of research suggests that the real problem lies deeper — in systemic policy failures, rigid market structures, and the absence of viable alternatives.

According to estimates, stubble burning accounts for nearly 32% of India’s air pollution during peak months, making cities like Delhi among the most polluted in the world.

Now, a new study by Sujit Raghunathrao Jagadale and Javed M. Shaikh of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Amritsar, published in the Journal of Macromarketing, urges policymakers to rethink the narrative. It argues that stubble burning is not a reckless act of negligence but a symptom of an economic and structural trap.

The Root of the Problem: Policy and Pressure

Paddy is cultivated over 32–35 lakh hectares across Punjab, generating nearly 20 million tonnes of stubble every year. Farmers, already reeling from erratic weather and volatile markets, have only two weeks to clear fields before sowing wheat — their next crucial crop in the two-crop cycle that sustains their livelihood.

The IIM-Amritsar study reveals that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system — while providing income assurance — has inadvertently deepened the crisis. By encouraging the cultivation of wheat and rice almost exclusively, MSP discourages crop diversification and locks farmers into a high-residue cycle.

As one young farmer told the researchers:

“What are we to do with the stubble when there’s no market for it, and the government isn’t buying it? We know it harms the environment, but without funds or resources, we have no way to manage it.”

The Role of Commission Agents

The study also highlights the powerful role of arhtias (commission agents), who dominate Punjab’s agricultural markets. Acting as intermediaries between farmers and procurement agencies, they determine not only what crops are grown but also at what price and when payments are made.

One farmer lamented:

“Long-grain rice sells for ₹2,500–3,000 a quintal, short-grain for around ₹2,000. But agents deduct prices arbitrarily, citing moisture or stains. We have no say — we take what they give.”

This entrenched dependency means farmers are often forced to borrow from the same agents at high interest rates, perpetuating a cycle of financial bondage that leaves little room for experimentation or sustainable practices.

Beyond the Blame Game

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that one-fourth of India’s crop residue is burned annually, releasing vast quantities of greenhouse gases and black carbon — a pollutant second only to CO₂ in its warming impact.

Yet, the study emphasizes that the solution does not lie in punitive bans. It calls for a market-based value chain for stubble, offering assured prices, cash subsidies for transport, and investment in stubble-based industries such as bioenergy and packaging materials.

“Farmers are not villains but victims of a system that prioritizes cheap food over sustainable livelihoods,” the researchers write.

Cash Incentives: A Realistic Path Forward

Jagadale suggests that cash incentives per acre, disbursed after harvest, could motivate farmers to adopt cleaner practices. He also recommends expanding support for Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) to ensure affordable access to crop residue management (CRM) machines, fuel, and tractor rentals.

Peer-to-peer learning from progressive farmers, the introduction of lightweight machinery compatible with smaller tractors, and the creation of digital platforms connecting farmers directly with stubble buyers could also accelerate change.

Since 2018, Punjab has distributed 1.48 lakh CRM machines, with another 9,000 provided this year out of a planned 12,500. However, experts say that unless financial, technological, and market mechanisms work together, these numbers will not be enough to end the burning.

The Bottom Line

Until India’s agricultural policies, procurement systems, and environmental governance align with farmer welfare, the fires will continue to burn — along with the nation’s hope for cleaner air.

“We fill the government’s warehouses with grain,” one farmer told the researchers. “But when it comes to stubble, we are left alone with the ashes.”