Farm fires cross 4,000-mark in Punjab after 216 fresh cases

With 59 fresh cases, Sangrur has emerged as the new hotspot in Punjab, having the highest single-day count for the fourth consecutive day. In just four days, the district has contributed 300 cases to the tally.

Farm fire cases crossed the 4,000-mark in Punjab with the state witnessing 216 fresh incidents on Sunday. The season’s total has now touched 4,132, according to the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

Police personnel, accompanying the Bathinda DC and SSP, rush to put out the flames after a farmer set his field on fire near Kot Bakhtu village in Bathinda on Sunday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

With 59 fresh cases, Sangrur has emerged as the new hotspot, having the highest single-day count for the fourth consecutive day. In just four days, the district has contributed 300 cases to the tally.

Among other districts, Ferozepur reported 26 farm fires, Moga and Mansa 19 each, and Tarn Taran 18.

At 600, Pakistan-bordering Amritsar district has the most number of farm fire cases so far this year. It is followed by another border district, Tarn Taran, with 563 cases and Sangrur at the third spot with 552 cases.

When asked about the action taken to tackle rising stubble fires, Sangrur district administration officials said that they have registered 115 FIRs and marked 115 red entries in the land records of errant farmers.

Sangrur deputy commissioner Sandeep Rishi, said, “There is slight rise in cases but this year’s count is only 28% of what was recorded last year during this period (September 15 to November 3). Our teams are keeping round-the-clock vigil to prevent field fires.”

Paddy harvesting is still underway in Punjab. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after harvesting of the paddy crop in October and November. As the window for rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue for sowing of the next crop.