2,131 farm fires push Punjab to hit season’s all-time high

Despite various initiatives by the Punjab government, cases of stubble burning continue to rise as the state on Monday witnessed this season’s highest figure with 2,131 farm fires

Despite various initiatives by the Punjab government, cases of stubble burning continue to rise as the state on Monday witnessed this season’s highest figure with 2,131 farm fires.

A farmer setting paddy stubble on fire in his filed near Nathana village in Bathinda on Monday. (Sanjeev Kumar/Hindustan Times)

The previous all-time high number for 2022 was 2,067, which was reported on Friday.

The total tally of farm fires in Punjab has reached 16,004 this year as compared to last year’s 13,124 cases till October 31.

The Sangrur district, home bastion of chief minister Bhagwant Mann and two cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora, has witnessed maximum 330 stubble burning incidents in the state, taking its total tally to 1,699. Sangrur had seen 323 incidents of farm fires on Sunday and 286 on Saturday.

The district had also witnessed highest number of cases (8,006) in 2021.

As per officials of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Ferozepur followed Sangrur with 250 cases and Patiala was at third spot where 202 farm fires were detected on Monday.

Facing flak over failure to control farm fire incidents, the Aam Aadmi Party government has even suspended four officials, including Sangrur chief agriculture officer, for dereliction of duty.

Member secretary of PPCB Kurnesh Garg, however, refused to comment on the latest statistics citing that he was busy in an event.