Punjab: Farm fires cross 4,000 mark after 216 fresh cases today

Chandigarh, Nov 3 (PTI) Farm fire cases crossed the 4,000 mark in Punjab with the state witnessing 216 fresh such incidents on Sunday.

From September 15 to November 3, Punjab has seen a total of 4,132 active fire events, according to the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data. The state reported 1,779 farm fire cases in the last five days.

Punjab saw 219 such incidents on October 29, 110 on October 30, 484 on October 31, 587 on November 1, and 379 on November 2, the data showed.

Of 216 fresh cases reported on Sunday, Sangrur saw 59 stubble-burning incidents, which is the maximum in the state. Among other districts, Ferozepur reported 26 farm fires, Moga and Mansa 19 each, and Tarn Taran 18.

Paddy harvesting is still underway in Punjab. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after harvesting of the paddy crop in October and November.

As the window for rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue for sowing of the next crop.

Punjab recorded a total of 36,663 farm fires in 2023, registering a 26 per cent drop in such incidents.

The state recorded 49,922 fire events in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018. PTI