In the last 36 days, Punjab has recorded a total of 415 stubble burning incidents, the official data shows. This number is down from 1,510 incidents during the same period last year, and in 2023, which stood at 1,764, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data showed.
Punjab recorded 10,909 farm fires in 2024 and 36,663 in 2023 — a 70 per cent drop.
This significant drop is due to the delayed paddy harvest as rainfall lashed Punjab until the first week of this month. The state’s stricter field monitoring and awareness campaigns about the ill effects of the stubble burning are also being considered as one of the major reasons behind the drop.
Data says the total area under paddy cultivation in Punjab this year is 31.72 lakh hectares. Till October 21, 32.84 per cent of this had been harvested. Amritsar and Tarn Taran have reported the majority of the farm fire incidents. In the Tarn Taran district, 67.95 per cent of the area under paddy cultivation has been harvested. In Amritsar, the figure stands at 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, in Barnala, 8.10 per cent of the area under paddy cultivation has been harvested, followed by 8 per cent in Moga and 17 per cent in Sangrur.
Which district recorded a drop in farm fires?
Of the total farm fires, Tarn Taran reported 136, Amritsar 120, Ferozepur 41, Patiala 27, Gurdaspur 16, and Sangrur 14, according to the data. The number of stubble burning incidents in the state stood at 116 on October 11 and went up to 415 over the last 12 days.
As crop harvest picks up pace in most districts and farmers get their fields ready for sowing wheat in the days to come, it remains to be seen if this number will increase further.
According to the PPCB, fines worth Rs 9.40 lakh in the form of environmental compensation have been imposed in 189 cases of stubble burning so far. Of the total amount, Rs 6.25 lakh has been recovered. Additionally, 170 FIRs, including 61 in Tarn Taran and 50 in Amritsar, have been registered over stubble burning incidents. The cases have been registered under Section 223 (disobedience of orders promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Follow us
