Ludhiana sees over 96% decline in farm fires this season

Only 21 cases reported till April 28 against over 600 last year. The encouraging trend comes at a time when wheat harvesting in the district is almost complete

The district has recorded a sharp decline in farm fire incidents this season, with just 21 cases reported till April 28, according to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board. The figure marks a steep decline of over 96% compared to last year, when the number of such incidents had crossed 600 during the same period.

Farmers burn stubble on the outskirts of Ludhiana on Wednesday. According to the data, 99.5% of wheat harvesting is already completed in the district. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Officials said the cumulative cases this year have been identified across 11 inspected fields so far. The encouraging trend comes at a time when wheat harvesting in the district is almost complete, with nearly 99.5% of the total cultivated area of about 2.44 lakh hectares already harvested.

Chief agriculture officer of the district Gurdeep Singh said farm fire incidents are generally reported until May 15, but the current numbers are significantly lower than previous year. He attributed the improvement to continuous awareness drives highlighting the environmental and agricultural damage caused by stubble burning, especially the destruction of beneficial soil bacteria essential for long-term soil fertility.

A comparative district-wise analysis reveals mixed trends across Punjab. Districts such as Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Moga, Pathankot, Malerkotla and Rupnagar have reported even fewer cases than Ludhiana, but harvesting in these areas has still not begun.

Among districts where harvesting is nearing completion, Fatehgarh Sahib has reported only one farm fire incident, while SBS Nagar has recorded 12 cases with around 97% of the area already harvested in both the districts. SAS Nagar has reported five incidents, with approximately 90% harvesting completed.

He also added that to strengthen enforcement, the state has deployed the Parali Protection Force (PPF), a coordinated team comprising officials from the agriculture department, police, and the sub-divisional magistrate’s office.

Singh added that most of the incidents reported this year appear to be accidental in nature, which is why no strict punitive measures, such as red entries or warning notices, have been issued so far.