Hazy sunshine, AQI worsens across Punjab
Hazy sunshine throughout the day and burnt particles of straw falling from the sky have become a post-harvesting phenomena.
Farm fires along the national highways have become the norm of the day. “I wasted 10 days in mandis. Now, I am left with just a few days to prepare fields. Thus, there’s no other option but to set stubble on fire,” said Jaskaran Singh (name changed) of Mehmadpur village.
This season, 6,611 farm fires were reported in the state till November 10 with 2,479 incidents (38 per cent) recorded in the past week alone.
On Sunday, the state witnessed 345 farm fires, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district topping with 116 cases, followed by Mansa (44 cases).
The state had recorded 83,002 farm fires in 2020, 71,304 in 2021, 49,922 in 2022 and 36,663 in 2023.
A senior official said, “The next 10 days are crucial. There will be more farm fires as the window between sowing wheat and preparing the fields narrows.”
“This year, we have been largely successful in keeping farm fires down. The numbers may swell over the next 10 days, given late harvesting. There is hazy sunshine, trees and plants look dusty. With no rain in sight, the situation is getting from bad to worse with none of the cities recording good or moderate air quality,” said a senior government official.
