92% Drop in Stubble Burning! PPCB Wins SKOCH Silver Award 2025
Chandigarh, April 09
In a major recognition for its relentless fight against stubble burning, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has been awarded the SKOCH Silver Award 2025 in the Environment category.
The award was conferred for PPCB’s flagship project titled “From Crisis to Breakthrough – Punjab’s Clean Air Transformation”, which successfully achieved a remarkable 92% reduction in farm fire incidents across the state. The honour was presented at the 107th SKOCH Summit titled “Governance Transformed”, held on 28th March 2026 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
Over the past five years, Punjab has made impressive progress in tackling the longstanding challenge of stubble burning through a well-coordinated, multi-departmental strategy. Key initiatives included real-time monitoring and strict enforcement coupled with long-term structural reforms such as:
- Large-scale deployment of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery
- Strengthening of Custom Hiring Centres
- Massive increase in ex-situ utilisation of paddy straw — from 8.8 lakh tonnes per annum to more than 40 lakh tonnes annually
These efforts, significantly facilitated by PPCB, have played a pivotal role in transforming the situation on the ground.
watch…..ਆਪ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ 4 ਸਾਲ: ਗਾਰੰਟੀਆਂ ਪੂਰੀਆਂ, ਨਸ਼ੇ ਮੁਕਤ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਨੇੜੇ
Reena Gupta, Chairperson, PPCB, expressed her delight while receiving the award and said, “We are honoured to receive this national recognition. It reflects the Government of Punjab’s strong commitment to addressing a complex environmental challenge that impacts not just the state but the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain. This achievement is the result of sustained, collective action across multiple stakeholders.”
While celebrating this substantial progress, the state remains focused on building further momentum. Targeted action plans are being implemented with the goal of completely eliminating stubble burning in the coming years, positioning Punjab as a replicable model for other states facing similar challenges.
The SKOCH Award is one of the most competitive and respected recognitions in the country. It follows a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process involving detailed project submissions, presentations before an expert jury, and public voting. PPCB’s initiative stood out among several high-impact projects from across India, highlighting its effectiveness, innovation, and scalability.
This national award is being seen as a significant boost to Punjab’s ongoing mission for clean air and sustainable environmental management.
