CS Press Release *Haryana to deploy ‘Parali Protection Force’ to combat stubble burning Rs 1,200-per-acre incentive, drones and late-night patrols planned* *Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi reviews state’s action plan for elimination of stubble burning and compliance with CAQM directions* Posted On: 24 Sep 2026 3:53PM Chandigarh, September 24: Haryana will deploy a dedicated “Parali Protection Force” at district and block levels to prevent paddy stubble burning, intensify late-evening patrolling and use drones for surveillance, while offering farmers an incentive of Rs 1,200 per acre for optimal utilisation of crop-residue management machinery, as the state steps up enforcement ahead of the harvesting season. Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi on Thursday reviewed the state’s action plan for elimination of stubble burning and compliance with Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directions The action plan provides for a Parali Protection Force comprising police personnel, Agriculture Department officials, administrative officers, nodal and cluster officers and officials of other stakeholder departments. The force will operate at district and block levels to closely monitor farm-fire incidents and take action against stubble burning. Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar informed that the state has also called for intensified patrolling during late-evening hours, taking into account attempts by some farmers to burn paddy residue after dark to evade satellite recording of farm fires.The enforcement plan stipulates three actions in every verified case of paddy stubble burning — registration of an FIR, challan and a “red entry” in the farmer’s land record. Appropriate environmental compensation charges are also to be imposed and recovered from violators. At the same time, the government is focusing on incentives and machinery availability to provide farmers alternatives to burning. The state is providing an incentive of Rs 1,200 per acre, besides subsidy on the purchase of crop-residue management machines, for their optimal utilisation. The government plans to move balers, rakers and other machines between districts according to paddy harvesting schedules. Harvesting begins in Yamunanagar, Ambala, Karnal and Kurukshetra from September and progresses to Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar and Jind during the last week of October. Officials have been asked to coordinate with baler owners in neighbouring states and adjoining Haryana districts to facilitate movement of machinery during the season. *8,134 nodal officers deployed* Director, Agriculture, Sh. Amit Khatri informed that as many as 8,134 village-level nodal officers have been appointed for field monitoring. Haryana has around 621,285 registered paddy farmers across 5,600 villages, covering about 3.41 million acres. So far, 604,314 farmers have been covered by nodal officers.Under the monitoring mechanism, a maximum of 100 farmers can be tagged to each nodal officer, with the limit reduced to 50 in hotspot villages. Nodal officers are to use a mobile application to report active fire locations and record whether tagged farmers are managing crop residue through in-situ, ex-situ or fodder-based methods. The Parali Protection Force is expected to take immediate action on active fire locations reported through the app. *Drones to keep watch on farm fires* The state is also moving towards drone-based surveillance. In accordance with CAQM directions, Haryana is in the process of deploying drones in association with DRIISHYA for monitoring stubble-burning incidents. Deputy Commissioners will finalise in advance the villages and locations where drones will fly. The action plan further calls for government and panchayat land to be identified for safe storage of paddy straw bales, while storage facilities are to be arranged in coordination with industries that use paddy residue. District-level supply-chain plans are also envisaged to map baling, pelleting, briquetting and storage infrastructure and link farmers with end-user industries. The government is simultaneously expanding its awareness campaign. 646 village and block-level camps, discussions and demonstrations have been held, involving 23,189 farmers, while 370 school and college activities involving 19,232 students have been conducted. The Chief Secretary directed all concerned departments, Deputy Commissioners and field officers to maintain close coordination, intensify ground-level monitoring and ensure prompt action against every verified instance of stubble burning. He said the objective is to protect the environment and air quality while supporting farmers in adopting sustainable residue-management practices.No.IPRDH/ 2026   *****   (Release ID: 7164)