The farm fires saw a major spike in Punjab on Dussehra day with 660 incidents detected in satellite images, which is almost 33% of the 1,946 cases recorded so far this year. The number for the corresponding day in 2020 was 479 and 258 in 2019, according to the data of the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) that keeps track on the crop residue burning in state.
Majha region reported maximum farm fires on Friday; 158 in Tarn Taran and 109 in Amritsar districts. However, the total number till date is still almost half of the previous year’s for the same period. Last year, till October 15, the state saw 4,006 stubble-burning incidents against this year’s 1,946.
This year, Amritsar district has reported 532 farm fires so far, followed by 472 in Tarn Taran and 192 in Patiala. Gurdaspur and Ludhiana districts have also reported more than 100 cases.
“As per our field survey, there is no respite from farm fires as harvest is delayed due to rain, and farmers have left with little time window between harvest of paddy and sowing of wheat. Also, since many farmers are protesting, it’s not easy to convince them to desist from paddy straw burning,” said a PPCB official. They said that the number will increase after the third week of October.
Punjab has already deputed 8,000 nodal officers, apart from asking deputy commissioners to monitor farm fires. The state government has been conducting awareness programmes in villages, telling farmers about the ill effects of the practice.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab has already deputed 8,000 nodal officers, apart from asking deputy commissioners to monitor farm fires. The state government has been conducting awareness programmes in villages, telling farmers about the ill effects of the practice.
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