“Hum chote kisan hai… muaavza bhi itna nahi milta. Buaayi ka samay bhi nikal jaata hai. Sansadhno ki kami mein agar parali na jalayein, to kya sir par haath rakh kar baithe rahein?”

A small farmer from Neelbad, Bhopal, said this with quiet frustration, a sentence that captures the helplessness of thousands of farmers across Madhya Pradesh this winter. His voice trembles with the exhaustion of someone who has run out of choices. He explains that the chemical decomposer needed to melt stubble is too costly. While machines and labour are beyond his financial reach. For farmers operating on thin margins like him, stubble burning is not an act of neglect but is the last option left. 

The helplessness in this farmer’s voice is not an isolated sentiment. It reflects a pattern across Madhya Pradesh, where thousands of small farmers are caught between climate pressures, financial strain, and the urgent need to prepare fields for the next cycle. As winter approaches, their struggle has spilt into the atmosphere, contributing to one of the worst phases of air pollution the state has seen in recent years. The crisis unfolding is both agricultural and environmental, shaped by choices farmers cannot afford and systems that have failed to respond in time.

This winter, as fog begins to settle across Madhya Pradesh, the state is also facing one of its worst phases of air pollution. The smoke rising from continuous stubble burning is mixing with the cold air and creating a thick layer of smog over both villages and cities. On the ground, the air feels heavier, and the smell of burnt stubble hangs over both rural fields and city roads. Locals say the mornings have become difficult to step out into, and even in the afternoons, the sky looks pale and dusty. 

According to the latest ICAR-CREAMS (Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space) report, India has recorded 22,818 stubble burning cases this season, of which 10,175 incidents are from Madhya Pradesh alone, accounting for more than 50% of the country’s total. The rise in farm fires is directly reflected in the state’s deteriorating air quality.

Many other districts in the state have also recorded poor air quality levels, showing that pollution has spread widely across Madhya Pradesh and is no longer limited to a few urban centres.

Across all these locations, PM2.5 remains the dominant pollutant, a fine particulate matter that enters deep into the lungs and is known to trigger severe respiratory complications.

Health Impact: Expert Flags Sharp Rise in Respiratory Diseases and Health Complaints

Field observations show a clear rise in respiratory discomfort across affected districts. Residents, especially during early morning hours, report breathlessness, Chest congestion, Irritation in the throat and eyes.
In several villages, evening visibility drops to 20-30 metres, creating unsafe driving conditions. Motorists say locating potholes, vehicles, or even turns on village roads becomes difficult due to dense smog and heavy pollution.

Doctors say these complaints reflect the immediate impact of poor air quality. Rural areas are reporting higher levels of discomfort than cities because smoke from farms settles directly over nearby homes and roads. With limited healthcare access in these regions, the health burden is higher.

Pulmonary specialist Dr Lokendra Dave of Gandhi Medical College says the toxic mix of fog, dust, and smoke during winter significantly increases health risks. Smog in this season becomes extremely harmful. It affects the eyes, nose, skin, and most importantly, the lungs, he said. According to him, prolonged exposure also impacts the brain and heart.

Dr. Dave reports a seasonal spike in asthma, COPD, sinus infections, and pneumonia, especially among vulnerable groups. These cases rise sharply every winter and long exposure can cause permanent lung damage, leading to chronic respiratory diseases, he added. He also points to a worrying long-term trend that COPD deaths, once ranked 8th globally four decades ago, are now 3rd, while asthma prevalence has risen from 1-2% to 7-8% in two decades.

These indicators show how pollutants are affecting human health at a faster rate, he said. Dr Dave advises citizens to reduce outdoor activity during high pollution hours and use masks and protective glasses when outside. Basic precautions can reduce immediate health risks, he added. 

MP Tops Stubble Burning Despite Environmental Concerns

Madhya Pradesh continues to lead India in stubble burning. In April 2025, the state recorded 34,164 cases, according to ICAR and IARI, and it also topped the charts in 2020, 2023, and 2024. Despite the repeated warnings from environmental and agricultural experts, the state has so far failed to effectively curb the practice, raising concerns about both climate impact and farmers welfare.

Environmentalist Dr Vipin Vyas told The Mooknayak that stubble burning significantly increases air pollution. Combustion releases greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CO, which contribute to climate change. Fine carbon particles from the smoke are particularly harmful to human health, causing a rise in respiratory illnesses. He added, burning also kills beneficial soil microbes and depletes essential nutrients, reducing fertility and increasing reliance on chemical fertilisers.

Experts point to delayed paddy harvests, an increase in paddy cultivation, the lack of affordable alternatives for clearing fields, and limited government support as key reasons farmers continue to burn crop residue. Farmers are also struggling with unseasonal rains, hailstorms, fertiliser shortages, low market prices, and limited access to credit and crop insurance, making investments in machines or chemical decomposers largely unfeasible.

The state government has banned stubble burning and warned that violators will forfeit benefits under the Chief Minister Kisan Kalyan Yojana and lose eligibility for MSP based procurement, according to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in April 2025. Officials stress that the ban aims to protect both the environment and soil fertility, and authorities are promoting eco-friendly alternatives such as happy seeders and residue management machines.

Despite these measures, the continued rise in stubble burning suggests a gap between policy and ground-level implementation, affecting the environment, public health, and the livelihoods of small farmers.

However, experts and farmers point out that strict policies alone are not enough. Without affordable alternatives and adequate support, smallholders remain caught between environmental regulations and the urgent need to prepare fields for the next crop. 

Speaking to The Mooknayak, Rahul Dhoot, State Organisation Minister of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, said that farmers have no affordable and practical option for destroying stubble in the fields. Managing stubble using modern machines costs up to 10,000 rupees per acre, which is difficult for small and marginal farmers to afford. He explained that chemical stubble removal is also expensive and often ineffective. Even with mechanical stubble removal, the fields are not completely cleared, further exacerbating the problems of farmers. 

Rahul Dhoot said that the government should find a concrete solution to this issue, as farmers face immense difficulties in destroying stubble. They are forced to resort to burning stubble to prepare for the next crop, even though they do not want to. 

Burning fields, dying soil

Despite Madhya Pradesh’s vast agricultural footprint, 139.87 lakh hectares under Kharif crops in 2025, and an expected 138 lakh hectares under Rabi crops by October 2025, its soil health continues to deteriorate.

Agricultural scientist Dr Manoj Ahirwar told The Mooknayak that stubble burning directly disrupts the soil’s nutrient carbon cycle and accelerates long-term damage. While forest land naturally holds more than 1% organic carbon, agricultural soil in the state has already fallen below 0.5%, primarily due to repeated burning of crop residue. As a result, soil fertility is diminishing, and the land is hardening, which causes a decline in production.

Dr Ahirwar warns that the long-term consequences are severe and irreversible if ignored. He further emphasises that the only sustainable way to revive soil nutrients is to shift from monocropping to multiple and mixed farming systems. He explains that growing a single crop repeatedly exhausts the same nutrients, while mixed farming naturally replenishes nitrogen and organic carbon in the soil.

Integrating livestock also helps by returning organic manure to the fields. Dr Ahirwar insists that farmers should adopt crop rotation, green manuring, mulching, and mechanical stubble management instead of burning residue, while insisting that Madhya Pradesh urgently needs a comprehensive state-level plan so that crop residue is processed through technology and not fire.