TSPL Becomes a Role Model in Preventing Stubble Burning and Improving Air Quality.
The most sophisticated and expansive Circular Biofuel Model in Mansa has been constructed by Vedanta Power’s 1,980 MW supercritical thermal power plant, Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), which has significantly improved air quality. Mansa district, which has been a fire hotspot in Punjab for the previous few years, has seen a sharp decline in stubble burning cases.
Paddy stubble burning cases decreased from 2,253 in 2023 to 618 in 2024 and then to just 306 in 2025 during the harvest season in Mansa, according to data from the District Administration. This is a reduction of 50.5% in a single year and 87% in just two years. In 2025, 104 of the district’s 244 villages had no instances of stubble burning. Heron Kalan and Dodra, two previously high-burn villages with 45 and 31 instances, respectively, in 2023, reported zero cases this year.
“Developing a long-term, sustainable model to prevent stubble burning in the district has been our priority,” stated Navjot Kaur, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Mansa District. This shift has been greatly aided by TSPL’s 360° strategy, which includes managing stubble, helping farmers sell it, and turning it into sustainable energy. This collaborative approach has resulted in a significant decrease in fire incidents within the district.
creation of the largest torrefied bio-pellet unit in Punjab
Because TSPL’s supercritical plant cannot burn traditional biomass, it needs a high-density, carbon-neutral biofuel, which is hard to come by. In order to overcome this obstacle, TSPL worked with dependable partners to establish the largest Torrefied Bio-Pellet manufacturing facility in Punjab, which has a daily capacity of 500 tons, close to the plant. This facility gives farmers a fixed market for purchases while turning locally collected stubble into high-value fuel.
Significant Change with Biomass Co-firing
By November 30, 2025, TSPL had achieved 5.07% of its yearly goal by co-firing over 250,330 metric tonnes of biomass. Particularly in the Punjab and NCR regions, which are constantly impacted by stubble burning, the growing use of biomass has prompted farmers to embrace sustainable and clean stubble management, which has improved air quality and decreased fire incidences.
The CEO of Power at Vedanta Limited, Rajinder Singh Ahuja, stated, “Improving Punjab’s air quality requires effective management of rice stubble. TSPL has developed a strong priority-based “stubble-to-biofuel” chain in collaboration with farmers and partners, which has reduced Mansa by 87% in just two years. This concept demonstrates how district-level change can be achieved by combining circularity and technology.
A massive Paddy Straw Management program to support sustainable agriculture in the area has been significantly advanced by TSPL’s flagship CSR project, “Nayi Disha” (New Direction). In the previous season, the program prevented stubble burning on 20,040 acres of land and made sure that over 8 lakh tonnes of stubble were procured from the Malwa Belt, with partners providing 73% of the stubble from Mansa district.
TSPL has expanded the program this year, preventing farm fires on almost 28,180 acres of land, further bolstering this momentum. Through knowledgeable and successful interventions, this program has involved about 3,800 farmers, promoting sustainable farming and directing the district toward less stubble burning.
A farmer from Kotli Khurd village named Kewal Singh revealed that he hasn’t burned his stubble in the previous four years. The health of his land has improved thanks to sustainable farming practices. He stated that he and many other farmers had avoided stubble burning thanks to TSPL’s ongoing awareness campaigns and advice.
35% of Punjab’s electricity comes from TSPL, a division of Vedanta Power, which has made biomass co-firing a key component of its carbon reduction strategy. Its concept, which combines cutting-edge technology with community empowerment to give a long-term solution to the worsening air pollution situation, provides other districts and states a repeatable integrated solution.
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