Stubble Burning On The Rise Again: Can Tech Prevent Another Smog Crisis In Delhi-NCR?

New Delhi:

As winter approaches, the familiar stubble-burning problem is back.

Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the biggest source of crop-residue fires this season, while Punjab has recorded a sharp decline. Between September 15 and October 6, 2026, 287 crop-residue burning incidents were detected across Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, according to data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute's CREAMS bulletin. Madhya Pradesh accounted for 118 of these incidents, followed by Punjab at 88 and Uttar Pradesh at 65.

The shift matters for Delhi-NCR because stubble burning is closely linked to the seasonal deterioration in air quality across North India. The question, therefore, is not only how authorities can stop farmers from burning crop residue. It is also about whether technology can give farmers a practical alternative.

Why Farmers Still Burn Stubble

For many farmers, burning remains the quickest way to clear fields after the paddy harvest and prepare them for the next crop.

Crop-residue management machinery can help, but access, cost and availability remain important issues. Simply asking farmers not to burn the residue does not solve the problem unless there is an affordable way to manage it.

This is where technology can play a larger role. "Stubble burning is not just an agricultural challenge; it is also an air-quality challenge for the entire North Indian region, particularly during the winter months," Sameer Sagar, Founder & Director, AlgaeTree & Mushroom World Group, told NDTV.

According to Sagar, the solution needs to be practical for farmers while also addressing the wider environmental impact. Better access to crop-residue management machinery, biomass utilisation systems and technologies that can make crop residue economically useful could reduce the incentive to burn it.

Instead of treating stubble as waste, technology can help turn it into a resource.

Satellites Can Help Catch Fires Faster

Technology is already being used to track the problem. Satellite remote sensing is being used to monitor active fires linked to paddy residue burning. The CREAMS system provides data through bulletins and dashboards, allowing authorities to track the spread of crop-residue fires.

On October 6 alone, satellites detected 33 crop-residue burning incidents across the seven states. Madhya Pradesh accounted for 24, or 73 per cent, of the total. But monitoring is only one part of the solution.

Sagar said satellite monitoring should be combined with ground-level verification and real-time data. This can help authorities identify fires faster and improve enforcement.

Delhi Needs More Than A Winter Fix

The bigger opportunity could be finding a commercial use for crop residue. If farmers can sell or otherwise monetise agricultural waste, burning it becomes less attractive. Biomass utilisation systems can help create this link. That could mean connecting farms with industries that can use crop residue as a raw material or fuel, provided such systems are economically viable and logistically practical.

It is worth mentioning here that stubble burning is only one part of Delhi-NCR's air pollution problem. Vehicular emissions, dust, industrial pollution and other sources also contribute to poor air quality.

Sagar said source-level interventions need to go hand in hand with stronger long-term urban air-quality infrastructure. He pointed to climate-tech solutions such as microalgae-based systems as one possible complementary layer, particularly in urban and industrial spaces where conventional green infrastructure can be difficult to deploy.

"The larger lesson is that there is no single technology that can solve Delhi-NCR's pollution problem," Sagar said. The approach, he added, needs to combine source-level interventions, monitoring, cleaner practices and nature-based and technology-enabled solutions.