Punjab Records 308 Stubble Burning Cases Since September with Tarn Taran and Amritsar Leading the Count

Chandigarh:

Punjab has reported 308 incidents of stubble burning, with Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts accounting for the majority of cases, according to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board. Tarn Taran leads with 113 incidents, followed closely by Amritsar with 104 cases, as farmers continue this practice despite government appeals to cease.

The stubble burning activities in Punjab and Haryana are frequently cited as major contributors to heightened air pollution levels in the Delhi-NCR region.

Many farmers resort to burning their fields to quickly clear crop residue because of the limited timeframe between paddy harvesting in October-November and sowing wheat, the subsequent Rabi crop.

Between September 15 and October 19, Punjab documented 308 fire incidents, as per the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) statistics.

Other affected districts include Ferozepur with 16 cases, Patiala with 15, and Gurdaspur with 7 reported incidents of stubble burning.

The data indicates a significant increase in farm fires over the past week, with numbers rising from 116 on October 11 to the current 308.

Environmental compensation fines totaling over Rs 6.5 lakh have been imposed in 132 cases, with more than Rs 4.70 lakh already collected, according to PPCB records.

Additionally, authorities have registered 147 FIRs related to stubble burning, including 61 in Tarn Taran and 37 in Amritsar districts.

These cases have been filed under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which addresses disobedience of orders issued by public servants.

Despite the state government's ongoing campaign highlighting the harmful effects of stubble burning and promoting crop residue management equipment, many farmers continue this practice to clear their fields.

Punjab has witnessed a 70 percent decrease in farm fires, with 10,909 incidents recorded in 2024 compared to 36,663 in 2023.

Historical data shows the state recorded 49,922 fire events in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019, and 50,590 in 2018, with districts like Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda, and Amritsar experiencing high numbers of stubble burning incidents.