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AQI worsens post-Diwali; Punjab sees 2,611 farm fires in two days
Punjab recorded 987 cases of stubble burning on Sunday, while 1,624 cases were reported on Monday, which has again put the state action plan to minimise stubble burning cases under lens.
After recording a lesser number of cases before Diwali, farm fire incidents have increased manifold in Punjab as 2,611 cases were reported in the past two days, taking the total number of cases to 26,341.
The state recorded 987 cases of stubble burning on Sunday, while 1,624 cases were reported on Monday, which has again put the state action plan to minimise stubble burning cases under lens. After the Supreme Court reprimanded the state government for raging fire incidents last week, the Punjab government had launched a crackdown on farmers three days before Diwali and somehow managed to minimise the cases.
However, the situation is back to square one as an increasing number of stubble burning cases deteriorated the air quality in the state.
Thick smog was reported in different parts of the state causing poor visibility on the national and state highways.
From November 9-11, Punjab reported 751 cases of stubble burning, while 639 cases were recorded on November 9, six cases on November 10 and 106 cases on November 11, a day before Diwali on Sunday.
The southern districts of the state continue to set ablaze paddy stubble as 272 cases were reported in Bathinda on Monday, followed by 216 in Sangrur.
Muktsar recorded 191 cases, Fazilka 171 cases, 164 cases in Moga, 132 in Barnala, 129 in Faridkot, 110 in Mansa and 98 in Ferozpur.
On Sunday, Sangrur reported the highest 308 cases of stubble burning followed by Ludhiana 143, Bathinda 75 and Patiala 65 cases.
Punjab Pollution Control Board chairman Adarshpal Vig said the farm fire incidents considerably receded before Diwali but the increase in the cases post festival is likely due to the farmers’ psychology of burning paddy stubble amid bursting of crackers in order to avoid any police action.
“Our teams were on the ground even on Sunday to minimise the cases. Farmers need to play a larger role in controlling stubble cases as they couldn’t give excuse of shortage of resources and machinery to manage stubble in a scientific manner,” Vig said.
He added that the teams working in the fields have been again directed to efficiently implement a state action plan, which includes registration of FIRs, red entries into land records, providing required machinery to farmers and slapping environmental compensation.
The state reported 3,742 and 2,175 farm fires on November 13 in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The total cases reported in the state during the corresponding period in 2022 and 2021 were 43,144 and 62,718 cases, respectively.
Punjab’s air quality has worsened due to an increase in the number of stubble burning cases and bursting of crackers on Sunday.
Due to rainfall before Diwali and decrease in number of farm fires, the air quality in Punjab improved with most of the cities reporting air quality index in ‘good’ and ‘satisfactory’ category.
However, the air quality is back into ‘very poor’ and ‘poor’ category.
Bathinda, which recorded an AQI of 60 on November 11, remained most polluted on Monday with an AQI of 383, which is in the very poor category.
Patiala is also on the edge of a very poor category with AQI of 296, followed by Jalandhar 291, Ludhiana 285, Khanna 263, Amritsar 255, Mandi Gobindgarh 243, all in poor category. Rupnagar reported an AQI in the moderate category with 144.
Over ₹5 cr fine imposed on violators
According to the figures collected from the Punjab Police, a fine of over ₹5 crore has been imposed on those burning stubble.
Not many FIRs were registered in the past few days as the cops were busy monitoring law and order situation because of Diwali, a senior police officer said.
“Our teams right from the level of SSPs are in the field to keep a check on stubble burning. Despite Diwali, where the concern was to maintain law and order situation, our teams were constantly monitoring the situation as per the Supreme Court directions,” said Punjab Police’s nodal officer to monitor stubble fire cases and special, DGP, law and order, Arpit Shukla.
AQI better than last year, 2021
Environment minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that as per the directions of chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to strive for improving air quality, the PPCB has installed Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in six cities of Punjab namely Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, Mandi Gobindgarh and Patiala, to monitor the ambient air quality on a real-time basis. The comparative level of AQI value during Diwali-2023 day vis-à-vis previous years’ Diwali-2022 & 2021 days has improved.
The values are based on A data from 7 am on the day of Diwali to 6 am the day after Diwali.
The minister said that the AQI of the five cities, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Khanna, Mandi Gobindgarh and Patiala, observed a reduction in the AQI during this year Diwali (2023) as compared to the last two year’s Diwali days 2022 and 2021. The average AQI of Punjab this Diwali was 207 (which is marginally higher than the maximum AQI value of 200 for the moderate category) as compared to 224 in 2022 and 268 in 2021.
Meet Hayer said that the maximum AQI was recorded in Amritsar this year with an AQI value of 235. Also last year maximum value of AQI 262 was observed in Amritsar. However, in 2021 maximum value of AQI 327 (very poor) was observed in Jalandhar. The minimum AQI for this year was recorded in Mandi Gobindgarh with an AQI value of 153 against the last year’s value of 188 and also in 2021 with an AQI value of 220. The maximum AQI reduction this year was observed in Mandi Gobindgarh (18.6%).
Vishal Rambani
