Chandigarh, Sept. 30 -- As North India braces for the season of smog due to widespread paddy stubble burning, the Haryana government has activated its Action Plan-2025 that promises to choke the annual practice by farmers at the root.

After the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directive to states to eliminate crop-residue burning following the paddy harvest in October and November, top Haryana government officials say they have adopted the carrot-and-stick policy to ensure the environment is free of stubble smoke, which along with adverse meteorological conditions, such as temperature inversion and low wind speeds, traps pollutants, impacting air quality and visibility in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Farmers burn the c...