New Delhi, November 6, 2024: Stubble burning continues to pose a significant air pollution risk in North India, with new patterns emerging in the states. While Punjab and Haryana have shown improvement in reducing incidents, Madhya Pradesh has seen a dramatic increase, surpassing Punjab in the number of farm fires this season.
As of Monday, Madhya Pradesh reported 506 stubble burning cases in a single day, a sharp rise from the 296 recorded just days earlier on November 2. This surge accounted for more than half of the total farm fires reported across the country that day.
In contrast, Punjab, which had recorded 587 incidents on November 1, successfully reduced its figures to 262 by November 4, marking significant progress.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan also saw an uptick in stubble burning. Uttar Pradesh’s figures spiked to 84 cases on Monday, compared to just 16 the day before.
Rajasthan’s incidents jumped from 36 to 98, marking the second-highest total of the season, just behind the 100 cases reported on October 16.
In contrast, Haryana made notable strides in reducing stubble burning. The state saw a decrease in cases, dropping from 42 on October 31 to just 13 by November 4.
Despite these positive developments, experts express concern over the overall rise in incidents, as India’s total stubble burning cases have now exceeded 10,000 for the year.
As of now, Punjab has contributed 4,394 of the total 10,693 cases, while Madhya Pradesh follows with 2,875.
Experts warn that this trend poses a growing challenge for policymakers. There is an urgent need to promote sustainable farming practices and alternative solutions to reduce the environmental impact of stubble burning.
