HDFC Bank Parivartan Contributes to Saving Over 3.26 Lakh Acres of Farmland from Stubble Burning Across North India

India, June, 2026: On World Environment Day, HDFC Bank, through its CSR programme Parivartan, in partnership with CII Foundation, announced a landmark milestone in its Crop Residue Management (CRM) initiative, 88% of 3,78,425 acres of farmland have been saved from stubble burning across Punjab and Haryana in the 2025 season. Reaching 86,000 farmers across more than 380 villages in Ludhiana and Sangrur districts of Punjab and Fatehabad district of Haryana, the programme is a comprehensive and impactful private-sector-led effort to tackle agricultural air pollution in North India.

Stubble burning after the paddy harvest is among the contributors to the severe air pollution that blankets North India every winter, disrupting life and aggravating chronic heart and lung diseases. Burning one tonne of paddy straw, generated in approx. 1/3rd of an acre farm, releases three kilograms of particulate matter into the atmosphere, while also stripping the soil of essential nutrients. Despite a 53% reduction in burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana in 2025, small and marginal farmers continue to face barriers in accessing machinery and managing residue within tight inter-seasonal windows.

Launched in October 2023 in Ludhiana and expanded in 2024 to Sangrur and Fatehabad, the three-year programme is implemented by CII Foundation across 380 villages. To date, 8 villages have eliminated stubble burning entirely, and 174 have achieved over 90% non-burning compliance.

As the programme continues through 2026–27, HDFC Bank Parivartan and CII Foundation are committed to deepening adoption in new villages, expanding ex-situ straw management infrastructure, and building long-term agricultural resilience across the region.