Vidisha, the parliamentary constituency of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has recorded the highest number of stubble burning incidents in Madhya Pradesh between April 1 and 24. The state itself has reported the highest number of such cases in the country during the same period.
The figures are based on data compiled by the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS), a Union government-backed monitoring system.
According to the data, Vidisha district recorded 3,272 incidents of stubble burning, the highest in the state. On April 23 alone, the district reported a significant spike, with 545 instances of wheat stubble burning in a single day.
Overall, Madhya Pradesh reported 26,507 incidents of stubble burning between April 1 and 24, the highest among five states monitored. Uttar Pradesh followed with 11,383 cases during the same period. Haryana reported 221 incidents, while Punjab recorded 151, and Delhi reported 12 cases.
CREAMS, which tracks such incidents using satellite data, detected a total of 3,82,074 stubble burning events across these five states during the period. On April 24 alone, satellites recorded 2,225 residue burning incidents, including 34 in Punjab, 46 in Haryana, 3 in Delhi, 779 in Uttar Pradesh, and 1,363 in Madhya Pradesh.
Within Madhya Pradesh, the highest daily count was recorded on April 23, with 2,669 incidents, while the lowest was 327 on April 8.
CREAMS is an interdisciplinary research initiative of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, coordinated by its Division of Agricultural Physics. It uses remote sensing, agrometeorology, and modelling tools to assess crops and agricultural environments at both field and regional levels.
Stubble burning remains a major contributor to air pollution, particularly in South Asia, releasing harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). It is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, while also degrading soil health and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.