NEW DELHI: Though they fell short of targets, Haryana and Punjab may have made a beginning in combating stubble burning by recording a 29% and 11% fall in incidence over 2017 of farm fires that are seen as a major source of winter pollution in Delhi and surrounding areas.Together, the states recorded a 14% dip in number of such cases this year as compared to 2017. The results, following central funding and state measures for machines to encourage farmers to cut stubble instead of simply setting it ablaze to clear the land, fall short of the target 40-50% reduction but could mark a start in changing an ingrained habit.In keeping with reports, Haryana performed better than Punjab in the first year that marked the government’s direct and active intervention to help farmers opt for alternatives, backed by subsidies.Stubble burning is considered an important contributors to air pollution in Delhi and national capital region (NCR), specifically during the two-month harvest season (September 30 - November 30) when farmers cut summer crops, mainly paddy, and rush to prepare farms for sowing of winter crops that include wheat and mustard.Underlining the problem, the Centre earmarked an outlay of over Rs 1,151 crore for two years to help states during 2018-19 and 2019-20 period. States are expected to help farmers buy subsidised machines for in-situ management of crop residues.Final figures of the stubble burning cases for September 30 - November 30 period, shared by states with the Union environment ministry, show Haryana reported 9,232 cases of farm fires this year as compared to 13,085 in 2017 - a decline of 29%. On the other hand, Punjab reported as many as 59,695 cases this year as compared to 67,079 last year, a 11% reduction. The large number of farm fires in Punjab clearly remain the major problem area that needs to be tackled.“Though we have not reached the expected target (40-50% reduction), it’s a good beginning. Even a decline of nearly one-third is an achievement. We have performed much better than Punjab. The Centre should, therefore, reward Haryana by extending more allocation for additional interventions in the second year,” said Suresh Gahlawat, additional director of Haryana agriculture department.According to a report of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune, the estimated percentage share of stubble burning in hazardous PM2.5 reached a high of 36% on October 26 and 33% on November 5 this year.Among all toxins, the PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers) poses the greatest health risk as it can penetrate deep into the lungs or cardiovascular system.Noting contribution of crop residue burning in overall air pollution in Delhi and NCR, the government’s think tank, Niti Aayog, in its strategy for ‘New India at 75’, has set a target of completely eliminating the practice of stubble burning by 2022-23.As a way forward, the Aayog expressed the need to implement recommendations of its action plan for biomass management “expeditiously”. Besides suggesting financial assistance for farmers, it also recommended creation of a “Clean Air Impact Fund” to provide viability gap funding for bio-power projects (the ones which uses crop residue) and instituting a “reward scheme for village panchayats with zero burning”.