📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Satdeep Gill
Agriculture
CAQM Orders Punjab, Haryana to Deploy Drones for Real‑Time Stubble Fire Tracking
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 29 Jul 2026, 09:38 AM
👁 1
The Central Agricultural Quarantine Mission (CAQM) has directed the states of Punjab and Haryana to acquire drones for real‑time monitoring of stubble fires, aiming to curb the environmental damage caused by post‑harvest burning.
The Central Agricultural Quarantine Mission (CAQM) has issued a directive to the governments of Punjab and Haryana to procure unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for real‑time surveillance of stubble fires.
Stubble burning, a common post‑harvest practice in the region, releases large amounts of particulate matter and contributes to severe air‑quality degradation during the winter months.
By deploying drones equipped with high‑resolution cameras and thermal sensors, the states aim to detect and monitor fire outbreaks promptly, enabling quicker response and reducing the spread of smoke.
CAQM has asked the state authorities to submit a procurement plan within 30 days, after which the drones will be integrated into existing agricultural monitoring frameworks.
Stubble burning, a common post‑harvest practice in the region, releases large amounts of particulate matter and contributes to severe air‑quality degradation during the winter months.
By deploying drones equipped with high‑resolution cameras and thermal sensors, the states aim to detect and monitor fire outbreaks promptly, enabling quicker response and reducing the spread of smoke.
CAQM has asked the state authorities to submit a procurement plan within 30 days, after which the drones will be integrated into existing agricultural monitoring frameworks.