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Punjab logs 3,230 farm fires, highest this season
Officials attributed the sudden spike to a shorter window farmers had to prepare the fields for the next crop — wheat — and said that the next seven days would be crucial to see the “positive results” of fewer cases this year.
Jalandhar
Punjab on Sunday recorded 3,230 farm fires, the highest in a single day this season, taking the total number of stubble burning cases to 17,403. Of this, 11,119 cases were reported in the last seven days alone, according to data from Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC).
Officials attributed the sudden spike to a shorter window farmers had to prepare the fields for the next crop — wheat — and said that the next seven days would be crucial to see the “positive results” of fewer cases this year.
“Though the cases reported to date are fewer compared to the corresponding period in the previous years, the sudden spike is due to delayed harvesting. Nearly 25% of harvesting is still pending in the areas where paddy sowing was delayed due to floods. Moreover, harvesting of basmati 1121 is also on in the state,” said Punjab agriculture director Jaswant Singh.
He added that the district administrations across the state were working to implement the state action plan to minimise the number of cases.
The state agriculture department is expecting a production of nearly 186 lakh tonnes of paddy straw from the paddy cultivated on 31.93 lakh hectares.
Last year, 50% of stubble was managed through in-situ management (mixing crop residue in fields), while only 5% (9.5 lakh tonne) was managed through ex-situ measures (using stubble as fuel).
The state has set a target of managing straw on 21-22 lakh hectares through in-situ crop residue management by using different machines, while nearly 12 lakh hectares of straw will be managed through ex-situ techniques.
According to PRSC, Sangrur topped the chart with 551 active stubble-burning cases followed by 299 in Ferozepur, 293 in Mansa, 247 in Bathinda, 189 in Barnala, 184 in Ludhiana, 179 in Moga and 177 in Tarn Taran. Patiala recorded 169 active cases, while Faridkot registered 163 cases and Jalandhar 155 cases. Meanwhile, Mohali recorded the lowest with only one active case recorded on Sunday.
Farm fires reported in November constitute 56% of the total stubble burning incidents this season, according to the data. The number of stubble burning incidents registered from September 15 to November 5 this year is 41% less than 29,400 recorded during the corresponding period last year. Punjab reported 28,792 farm fires during the same period in 2021.
A Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) official said that paddy harvesting is in its last leg and the spike in the number of cases was evident as farmers were rushing to prepare their fields for the next crop, wheat.
“More than 12,000 cases registered in the past week shows that harvesting was at its peak. It is a case of worry as fewer farm fires were reported in the corresponding period last year,” said the official.
After reporting fewer cases initially this season, Punjab recorded a surge in stubble burning from the last week. On October 30 (Monday), only 6,284 cases were reported.
“The increase in stubble burning cases was expected as the paddy harvesting is at its peak in south Punjab. This is the reason that most of the cases have been reported from Ferozepur, Bathinda, Mansa and Sangrur districts,” said an agriculture official, seeking anonymity.
The air quality continued to worsen in the state with thick smog engulfing almost all the districts, also leading to poor visibility.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Bathinda recorded the worst air quality index (AQI) at 386, which falls under the “very poor” category followed by 288 in Mandi Gobindgarh (poor), 256 in Jalandhar, 254 in Khanna, 245 in Patiala and 235 in Ludhiana. Amritsar with 176 and Rupnagar 156 AQI falls in the “moderate” category.
Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind alarming spike in air pollution in the national capital 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.
