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Punjab records zero farm fires on Monday; total cases 27% less than last year
This year, 36,614 farm fires were recorded, which is 27% less than last year, when 49,992 cases were recorded.
Zero active farm fires were recorded in Punjab on Monday in this paddy harvesting season, which has almost culminated.
The first case of stubble burning in this season was reported on September 23, when only a single case was reported.
This year, 36,614 farm fires were recorded, which is 27% less than last year, when 49,992 cases were recorded. In 2021, 71,304 cases of farm fires were reported in the kharif season.
Read more: Ludhiana chokes despite drop in farm fires
The state agriculture department and Punjab Pollution Control Board had proactively initiated action plan to keep a check on count of stubble cases this year, but the season remained marred with the controversies as the Supreme Court took serious stance against the government for its failure to control farm fires, which reportedly led to severe air quality in the national capital.
The state reported only 9,954 cases of stubble burning between September 23 and October 31, while 27,020 cases, 65% of the total 36,614 cases of paddy straw burning, were recorded in November only.
PPCB chairman Adarshpal Vig said, “We had set a target of 50% drop in stubble burning cases as compared to last year but could see only 27% decline. We are hopeful that the number of cases will considerably drop from the next year onwards,” he said.
He added that farmers had positively responded to the state’s plan for in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy straw this year.
“We will also get a clear picture of red hotspot districts, where we could focus on meticulous implementation of an action plan in controlling the farm fires in these districts,” he said.
Meanwhile, state agriculture director Jaswant Singh said paddy harvesting is almost over, with the crop being harvested in over 99% of the area.
“Our teams remained on the ground throughout the season to minimise the cases of stubble burning,” he said.
Sangrur sees most fires; Pathankot records only 4 cases
Sangrur remained the worst affected district as it recorded 5,618 cases of stubble burning, while Pathankot recorded the lowest of only four farm fires this year.
Last year, Sangrur reported 5,239 cases, while Pathankot recorded only one case.
Other worst affected districts include Ferozepur with 3,398 cases of stubble burning followed by Bathinda (2,965), Moga (2,794), Barnala (2,313), Mansa (2,267), Tarn Taran (2,024) and Faridkot (2,021).
Majority of the cases were reported in the districts which are stronghold of Punjab farmer unions that want the government to provide concrete alternatives for the problem of stubble burning instead of resorting to arm twisting tactics, including registration of FIRs against the farmers.
Action plan to see no stubble burning cases in 6 dists fails
In an action plan submitted to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the state aimed to record zero stubble burning incidents in six districts — Hoshiarpur, Malerkotla, Pathankot, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar and SBS Nagar, but failed to keep a check on farm fires.
While Pathankot recorded only four cases of stubble burning, Rupnagar saw 46 farm fires, 133 cases were recorded in SAS Nagar, 118 in Hoshiarpur, 235 in SBS Nagar and 413 cases in Malerkotla.
Last year, one case was reported in Pathankot, 259 in Hoshiarpur, 162 in SAS Nagar, 270 in SBS Nagar, 246 in Rupnagar and 677 in Malerkotla.
