E-Paper
Punjab logs 404 fresh farm fires, south Malwa dists account for over 80% cases
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana after harvesting the paddy crop in October and November is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi.
Even as paddy harvesting is at its fag end, there is let-up in farm fires in Punjab, with 404 cases being reported on Sunday.
Of these, 332 (82%) cases were recorded in south Malwa districts, where harvesting is still on. According to the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, from September 15 to November 17, the state has seen 8,404 stubble-burning incidents, registering a 75% dip in such cases over the corresponding period last year. The state saw 47,788 and 33,082 farm fires during the same period in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana after harvesting the paddy crop in October and November is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi.
As the window for the rabi crop wheat is very short after the paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear the crop residue and sow the next crop.
On Sunday, Ferozepur recorded 74 cases followed by 70 in Bathinda, 56 in Muktsar and 45 in Moga. Faridkot and Fazilka districts reported 30 and 29 cases, respectively. Overall, Sangrur, the home district of chief minister, has seen maximum farm fires (1,574) this season. On Sunday, however, only 17 cases were reported in the district.
The state recorded 49,922 fire events in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018.
“We were expecting negligible cases at this point of time but 404 is a big number when only less than 5% of paddy harvesting is pending. The DCs and SSPs have already directed authorities in the Malwa region to be extra vigilant to tackle the problem of stubble burning,” said a senior official. However, the air quality index in the state has not shown much improvement despite light showers in some areas. ( with agency inputs)
