Union Environment Minister Reviews Stubble Management and Air Quality

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav highlights a decline in stubble burning as the CAQM intensifies monitoring of air quality and meteorological conditions to implement comprehensive environmental action plans across the national capital.

Stubble Management and Air Quality Monitoring

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday said the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is monitoring the implementation of environmental action plans and meteorological conditions amid continued poor air quality, while adding that around 40 per cent of paddy stubble had been utilised through ex-situ management this year.

Government Initiatives and Progress

Speaking about stubble management and measures to tackle air pollution, Yadav said more comprehensive environmental action plans had been prepared this year. "Around 40 per cent of the paddy stubble has been utilised through ex-situ management this time. I have also shared the relevant data. There has certainly been a decline in stubble-burning incidents compared to previous years. This time, more comprehensive environmental action plans have also been prepared. Under these action plans, CAQM has established a dedicated dashboard to monitor implementation and track progress," Yadav said.

Meteorological Assessments and Coordination

The Union Minister said CAQM is continuously monitoring meteorological conditions, including wind direction, wind speed and the movement of air. "CAQM is continuously monitoring meteorological conditions, including wind direction, wind speed and the movement of air. Based on these assessments, the necessary steps are being taken. CAQM has issued directions in coordination with all the concerned state governments to ensure implementation of the required measures," he said.

Air Quality Records in Delhi

Earlier in the day, Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the city witnessed its cleanest October in over a decade, with the National Capital Region recording 220 clean-air days in 2026, the highest in the past decade. He also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of facilitating stubble burning and manipulating pollution data.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Minister Sirsa said, "I also want to tell the people of Delhi that over the past decade, the Delhi government under Rekha Gupta, along with the people of Delhi, has achieved a lot. Delhi recorded 220 clean-air days this year, the highest in the past decade. October 2026 was also the cleanest October in the last decade. I also want to highlight that the average AQI recorded this year was the lowest in the past decade, with a 10% improvement compared with previous years. The annual average AQI was also lower this year." (ANI)

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