Punjab Reports Season's Highest Stubble Farming, Adds To Delhi's Pollution

Chandigarh: Punjab on Monday reported 1,251 fresh farm fire cases, single-day highest this season, taking state's total count of such cases to 9,655, Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data showed.

On November 8, Punjab reported 730 farm fire incidents, which was highest in a day this season till Monday.

Muktsar district on Monday reported 247 stubble burning incidents, most in state, followed by Moga (149), Ferozepur (130), Bathinda (129), Fazilka (94) and Faridkot (88), data showed.

On same day in 2022 and 2023, state reported 701 and 637 active firm fire cases, respectively, as per data.

From September 15 till November 18, Punjab witnessed 9,655 stubble burning incidents, registering around 71 per cent dip in crop residue burnings in comparison to figures reported in corresponding period of previous year.

Punjab saw 48,489 and 33,719 farm fire cases during same period in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for rise in air pollution in Delhi-NCR after harvesting of pdy in October-November.

As window for Rabi crop -- wheat -- is very short after pdy harvest, some farmers set ir fields on fire to quickly clear crop residue for sowing new crop.

Punjab recorded a total of 36,663 farm fire cases in 2023, registering a 26 per cent drop as compared to previous year, data showed.