Stubble Burning Widespread in State, Paddy Straw Most Burnt
This Rabi, paddy — the single largest crop in Telangana across seasons — was grown in 65,92,627 acres, according to data from the agriculture department. Typically, one acre of paddy yields at least three tonnes of leftovers after harvest, translating into 1,97,77,881 tonnes of crop residue, leaving farmers with a big problem in dealing with post-harvest field conditions.
Hyderabad: Stubble burning appears to be becoming an increasingly serious problem with farmers setting fire to crop residues in their fields. This process, according to agriculture experts, is not only destroying the soil for the next crop season, but also resulting in loss of what could otherwise be a valuable nutrient input. Besides, the practice was spiking air pollution locally as the fires release not just smoke but also harmful toxic gases.
“We are seeing burning of stubble nearly in every village of the state,” said Dr A.V. Ramanjaneyulu, principal scientist, agronomy, and a professor at the Prof. Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University. The three most burnt crop residues come from paddy, cotton and redgram, while the left over stalks and matter from other main crops such as maize and jowar, are recycled into cattle fodder for most part he said.
This Rabi, paddy — the single largest crop in Telangana across seasons — was grown in 65,92,627 acres, according to data from the agriculture department. Typically, one acre of paddy yields at least three tonnes of leftovers after harvest, translating into 1,97,77,881 tonnes of crop residue, leaving farmers with a big problem in dealing with post-harvest field conditions.
Prof. Ramanjaneyulu, who in 2021 dived deep with his colleagues to study the problem and published their research on crop residue management in Telangana, said there were alternatives available to manage crop residues but they come with a cost.
“It is not just a problem, but a laborious and expensive problem. For instance, a farmer can leave the paddy straw in the field, apply water with single superphosphate to the field, which will then decompose the straw that can be used a mulch and this process takes just about 15 to 20 days,” he said.
Alternately, a paddy baler can be used but baling costs Rs.1,000 to Rs.1,200 per acre. It is the work involved and the costs that farmers baulk at and instead choose the simple way out by burning the crop residue, Prof. Ramanjaneyulu added. “Burning is a persistent problem, mainly in paddy areas, followed by cotton and red gram fields,” he said.
Though the agriculture department had been appealing to farmers for the past few years to desist from stubble burning, with the latest appeal made just two days ago, the incidents of farmers setting fire to the stubble in their fields appears to be on the rise.
The fire disaster response emergency and civil defence department’s data points just how stubble burning may be on the way to becoming a serious problem in the state. According to ‘fire statistics’ page on the department website, till May 23, 2026, the fire services responded to 1,250 fires in farm lands. Last year, for 2025, the department had reported that it attended to 1,587 such fire calls.
