21 farm fires across Punjab in one day, tally reaches 119

The state witnessed a sharp increase in farm fires with 21 cases reported on Sunday, the highest this season in a single day so far.

With this, the farm fire tally in the state has gone up to 119. Due to scattered rainfall and no farm fires being registered over the past two days, the total figure for this season so far, however, remains less than that reported during the corresponding period over the past two years.

Amritsar topped the table with 12 farm fires for Sunday, while Ferozepur, Kapurthala and Tarn Taran witnessed three such cases each. On September 21, the state had seen 21 cases, which reduced considerably thereafter due to cloudy conditions and rain.

Farm unions are up in arms against the state government over any strict action against farmers resorting to stubble burning. They have cleared their stance on the issue and asked the government to desist from taking any “authoritarian action” in such cases. “Till a financially viable solution is given, the farmers are left with no option but to set crop residue on fire,” they have said.

“Many farmers have already stopped resorting to farm fire and the number of such cases is decreasing. I understand that the smoke emanating from the fields adds to air pollution, but arm twisting farmers is totally wrong. This will take farm unions and the government on a confrontation path,” said Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan.

“No farmer in Punjab will lose his or her arms licence or face any government action due to farm fires. We will not let that happen,” warned an Army veteran who leads one of the biggest farmers’ organisations in Punjab.

“Sending machinery does not help anyone as technology changes every year. The government must provide alternative stubble arrangement facilities near villages,” he said.

This season, paddy was sown on 32.5 lakh hectares. It is expected to generate 22.5 million tonne straw. Out of this, although the state aims to utilise over 16 million tonne straw, the government faces challenges in controlling stubble burning, which remains a significant source of air and soil pollution.

In 2013, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) prohibited the burning of paddy straw, with penalties ranging from Rs 2,500 to Rs 15,000 per incident, but the enforcement has been weak. Farmer unions claim that due to a short window between paddy harvesting and sowing of wheat, they are left with no option, but to resort to farm fires.

“If we sow wheat without removing straw, the rabi crop gets infested with pests and weed,” they said. However, the Agriculture Department emphasises that “low yield cannot be linked to in-situ management of crop residue”.

Despite 27 per cent decrease in farm fire incidents in 2023, as compared to 2022, the problem persists. Over 10,000 officers have been deployed to monitor the situation, with deputy commissioners leading efforts to curb stubble burning in every district. The state’s previous proposal of giving incentives to discourage stubble burning was rejected by the Union Government. As fire activity intensifies in October and November, Punjab is often blamed for contributing to Delhi’s poor air quality.