162 fresh farm fire cases across state, Bathinda air quality ‘poor’

Despite spending crores on machines and awareness campaigns to manage crop residue, the air quality index (AQI) has started deteriorating across the state with a jump in farm fire cases. The state witnessed 162 cases of stubble burning on Sunday.

The air quality in Bathinda dipped to “poor” category, while other districts also touched the “moderate” level on Sunday.

Although the authorities have imposed a ban on the bursting of crackers, rising cases of farm fires continue to add to air pollution.

Within four days (October 10 to 13), the AQI in Bathinda has gone up from 108 to 209, followed by Ludhiana 115 to 121, Jalandhar 78 to 109, Amritsar 60 to 103, Patiala 87 to 106 and Khanna 81 to 83. The level of life-threatening PM2.5 particulate matter is also rising in almost all cities across the state. PM2.5 are lung-damaging fine particles that are 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter and can travel deep into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs and entering the bloodstream.

With 162 farm fires on Sunday, the tally in the state went up to 860. On October 13 in 2022, 120 such cases were reported, while the number stood at 154 in 2023. Amritsar topped the list with 48 farm fire cases on Sunday, followed by Tarn Tarn (38), Patiala (26), Sangrur (16), Ferozepur (seven) and Mansa (five).

Out of the total 860 farm fire cases recorded in the past almost a month, 676 took place during the past one week.