Chandigarh, April 24 -- The Union ministry of agriculture has sanctioned Rs.576 crore for crop residue management (CRM) to Punjab in the current financial year, marking the ninth consecutive year of central assistance for stubble management during the kharif (paddy) harvest season. Following the allocation, the state agriculture department will submit proposals outlining interventions, including the supply of subsidised machinery for both in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy stubble, along with awareness programmes for farmers, officials familiar with the development said. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution in the National Capital Region in October and November. As the window for rabi crop wheat is very short after the paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly get rid of crop residue for sowing of the next crop. The CRM allocation accounts for 58% of the total funds sanctioned for the state's agriculture sector. Under the scheme, individual farmers receive a 50% subsidy on machinery, while custom hiring centres, farmer groups, village panchayats and cooperative societies are eligible for an 80% subsidy. "Our action plan has been approved by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), after which the funds were allocated," said a joint director-level officer in the state agriculture department. The state has set a target to distribute 23,000 machines this year for stubble management. Since 2018, the Centre has consistently funded CRM initiatives, spending nearly Rs.2,000 crore over eight years until 2025. While the Centre initially provided 100% grants between 2018 and 2022, a revised funding pattern introduced in 2023 requires states to contribute 40% of the total allocation. Accordingly, the state government will contribute around Rs.230 crore out of the Rs.576 crore sanctioned this year. So far, around 1.6 lakh machines have been supplied to farmers, of which approximately 40,000 - about one-fourth - have become redundant due to wear and tear. Officials noted that most machines have a lifespan of five to six years and earlier batches supplied in the initial years of the scheme are now due for replacement. The machinery being distributed includes Super Seeders, Happy Seeders, Smart Seeders, surface mulchers, reverse ploughs, choppers and zero-till drills for in-situ management and balers, rakes, slashers and tedders for ex-situ management of crop residue. According to official data, farm fires have dropped by 94% over four years - from 83,000 cases in 2022 to 5,114 in 2025 in Punjab. Authorities expect further reduction during the October-November harvest season. Farmers are also increasingly monetising paddy straw, which sells between Rs.100 and Rs.500 per quintal during peak season. Additionally, some rural residents are generating income by working as straw aggregators alongside their primary agricultural activities....