Farm fire monitoring ends, state sees 70% decrease
Punjab reported a significant 70 per cent reduction in farm fires during the kharif harvest season this year, marking a major milestone in the state’s fight against stubble burning.
According to the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), the number of incidents dropped to 10,909 compared to 36,663 in 2023 and 49,922 in 2022. As many as 22 farm fires were reported on the last day with six being in Fazilka and four in Kapurthala.
CM Bhagwant Mann’s home district, Sangrur, recorded the highest number of stubble-burning incidents at 1,725. Ferozepur followed with 1,342, while Tarn Taran (876), Muktsar (816) and Amritsar (735) were among the top contributors.
The 76-day exercise, from September 15 to November 30, highlighted a spike in farm fires in November, accounting for 73 per cent of the season’s total. Between October 31 and November 29, the number surged from 2,950 to 10,889 with November 18 witnessing the season’s highest single-day count of 1,251 incidents, followed by November 8 when 730 farm fires were reported.
The stubble burning incidents also added to the pollution level. With AQI of over 300, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Mandi Gobindgarh remained the most-polluted cities of the state. PPCB Chairman Adarshpal Vig credited the decline to intensified efforts in creating awareness and promoting sustainable practices. “We planned at the micro level aiming for 50 per cent reduction, but the results surpassed expectations,” he said.
