Farm fires now 69,445; dipping trend seen in number of cases in Punjab

PPCB chairman Adarsh Pal vig said that the stubble burning cases in Punjab will gradually, stop completely as farmers realise the long-term damage that the practice was causing

Patiala Punjab has recorded 69,445 cases of paddy stubble burning cases this Kharif season to date, but in a huge relief the number of cases has fell steeply over the past two days. On Wednesday, only 523 cases were recorded. A week ago on November 11, the state had registered 4,156 cases.

The decline in trend in farm fires is due to the fact that wheat sowing has kicked off in the state, claim officials. (HT Photo)

Overall, though, the cases are at the second-highest over the past five years, but the government and experts hope, the number will not cross last year’s 76,590 cases. The stubble burning figure in 2019 and 2018 were 55,210 cases and 51,751, respectively.

An agriculture official said the number of cases had dipped as wheat sowing has kicked off across the state post-paddy harvesting. “We are hopeful that the number of cases won’t cross last year’s figures,” an official said.

Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) chairman Adarsh Pal Vig said, “It is big relief that the number of the cases have started coming down with end of Kharif season. With this, the pollution levels will also come down.”

Area over which stubble burning

occurred has dipped 32%: PPCB

PPCB chairman Vig added that Punjab had another reason to cheer, as area over which stubble was burnt has dipped by 32% this year. “Change is happening, as farmers will gradually stop burning stubble in coming years,” Vig claimed. PPCB member secretary Krunesh Garg said last year paddy stubble was burnt in 15.22 lakh hectare, over 10.34 hectare this year, till November 9.

“Till November 9 this year, burnt area has been reduced by 32%, as the far fires reported in 10.34 lakh hectare of area. We have submitted the same figures with the Supreme Court,” Garg said, adding updated figures were being collected.

Even as the number of farm fires has dipped, the Air quality Index (AQI) level of most cities continues to be poor. Bathinda remains most polluted city on Wednesday with AQI of 280, followed by Patiala at 270. According to the CPCB date, the AQI of Jalandhar is recorded at 245; Ludhiana 230; Amritsar 239; and Mandi Gobindgarh, 216. The AQI of Ropar and Khanna was at AQI at 170 and 177.