16 districts, 663 villages hotspots
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has identified 16 districts and 663 villages in the state as stubble-burning hotspots. These districts include Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur and Tarn Taran.
These villages recorded 23,410 cases of stubble burning in 2023, which was around 64 per cent of the total 36,663 farm fire cases recorded from September 15 to November 30 during the year.
PPCB Chairman Adarshpal Vig said while the emphasis was on awareness, necessary penal action was being taken by the authorities. The board had already handed over the list of hotspot villages and districts to the respective deputy commissioners.
Ten districts of Haryana also figure on the list of farm fire hotspots. These include Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Sonepat and Yamunanagar.
