Chandigarh, 1 November 2024: Punjab reported its highest single-day surge in stubble-burning incidents this season, recording 484 farm fires on Diwali, Thursday, according to state data. Sangrur led the count with 89 cases, followed by Ferozepur with 65 incidents. Mansa and Fatehgarh Sahib registered 40 and 36 cases, respectively. Tarn Taran and Kapurthala each reported 35 fires, Patiala logged 33, Amritsar 29, Bathinda 28, and Gurdaspur 20.
This surge raised Punjab’s total farm fire cases to 2,950, a trend that began in early October with a gradual rise in incidents. On October 12, the state saw 177 farm fires, followed by 163 and 173 incidents on October 13 and 15, respectively. As the wheat-sowing period from November 1 to 15 approaches, pollution control board experts anticipate a further increase in cases as farmers hasten to clear fields by burning crop residue.
Concerns about a spike on Diwali were also voiced, given that local enforcement resources would be stretched thin by the festival. “With Diwali celebrations in full swing, officials anticipated a jump in stubble burning,” said an expert from the pollution control board.
The impact on air quality was immediate. On Friday morning, post-Diwali, several cities in Punjab reported AQI levels in the “poor” and “very poor” categories. Amritsar registered an AQI of 314, placing it in the “very poor” category, while Mandi Gobindgarh recorded 331, and Khanna 308. In other regions, Jalandhar’s AQI stood at 253, Ludhiana at 214, and Patiala at 260, signaling hazardous air quality across the state.
The spike in farm fires and deteriorating air quality reflect Punjab’s ongoing struggle to address crop residue burning—a challenge heightened each season as wheat sowing nears.
