Stubble burning down 83% this year so far but the days ahead look hazy

There has been an 83 per cent drop in incidents of paddy stubble burning between September 15 and October 5 across India, with Punjab and Haryana seeing considerable slump, compared to last year. How far this trend will be maintained needs to be observed since excessive rains in September have dela­yed harvesting of the paddy crop in several major growing states.
 
“The paddy stubble in several areas is still wet. Incidents of stubble burning will be fewer this year due to increased awareness among farmers and the use of decomposers,” said A K Singh, director, Indian Agriculture Research Institute