Gurgaon: Ahead of the paddy harvesting season, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has directed all brick kiln owners in the state’s non-NCR districts to register on a dedicated online portal and report every purchase and monthly consumption of paddy straw-based biomass pellets, stepping up enforcement of Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) clean fuel mandate.The directions, issued under Section 31A of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, enforce CAQM Direction No. 92, which requires non-NCR brick kilns to gradually replace conventional fuel with paddy straw-based pellets. Under the CAQM roadmap, kilns must co-fire a minimum 20% pellets from Nov 1, 2025, rising to 30% from Nov 1, 2026, 40% from Nov 1, 2027, and 50% from Nov 1, 2028.To monitor compliance, HSPCB has built an online portal requiring kiln owners to upload procurement details — invoices, supplier information, GST number, and a declaration of the paddy straw percentage — immediately after every purchase.Monthly reporting is also mandatory — owners must submit the number of bricks produced, total fuel consumed, and a fuel-wise breakup covering coal, plain biomass, and paddy straw-based biomass. The board says continuous digital monitoring will enable transparent verification and help prevent false compliance claims.HSPCB Hisar regional officer Shakti Singh warned that kilns failing to comply would face strict action. “In Hisar, closure proceedings and revocation of consent to operate (CTO) will be initiated against brick kilns that fail to register on the portal, do not use paddy straw-based pellets or briquettes in the prescribed co-firing percentage, or fail to upload monthly proof — including invoices and bills — of paddy straw pellets used in co-firing fuel,” Singh said.Kiln owners and regional officers in non-NCR districts have been directed to acknowledge receipt of the order within seven days, with regional officers required to submit action-taken reports for their jurisdictions.HSPCB data shows 1,197 brick kilns have registered on the portal to date. Sonipat leads with 224 registrations, followed by Palwal (112), Sirsa (104), Bhiwani (95), Ambala (75), Yamuna Nagar (71), Kaithal (50), Panchkula (46), Kurukshetra (44), Panipat (38), Mahendergarh (37), Karnal (35), Nuh (12), Charkhi Dadri (11) and Gurgaon South (8). No kilns have registered yet from Rewari or Ballabgarh.The initiative is part of a broader push to curb stubble burning by creating a stable market for paddy straw, which farmers otherwise burn after the kharif harvest. By diverting crop residue to industrial fuel use, authorities hope to cut both open-field burning and kiln emissions — two of north India’s major seasonal pollution sources.
