Chandigarh, Oct 21: Punjab has witnessed a sharp decline in farm fire incidents this season, recording a 75% drop compared to last year, officials said. On Monday, the state reported 45 new stubble-burning cases, bringing the total to 353 as of October 20.
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) noted that Tarn Taran recorded the highest number of farm fires at 125, closely followed by Amritsar with 124. In comparison, the state reported 1,445 incidents during the same period in 2024 and 1,618 in 2023. Last year, Punjab recorded 10,909 farm fire cases, with Sangrur topping the list at 1,725 incidents.
Experts attribute the reduction to delayed paddy harvesting caused by unseasonal rainfall in the first week of October. According to PPCB data, only 31.58% of the 31.72 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation have been harvested so far. While Amritsar and Tarn Taran have crossed the 50% mark, districts in Malwa—including Patiala, Barnala, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Mansa, and Ferozepur—have harvested less than 35%, slowing the usual surge in stubble burning.
“Paddy is harvested earlier in the Majha region, but this year, flood damage delayed the process. As a result, the numbers are low. Moreover, farm fire incidents have been gradually declining each year,” said a senior PPCB official, requesting anonymity.
The state government’s strict monitoring has also played a role in containing fires. Officials reported 152 “red entries” in land records, barring violators from loans or selling and mortgaging farmland. Environmental compensation totaling ₹8.05 lakh has been imposed across 162 cases, of which ₹5.65 lakh has been recovered. The Punjab Police have registered 149 FIRs this season, including 61 in Tarn Taran, under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for disobedience to official orders.
Farmer representatives rejected claims that stubble burning in Punjab is the main contributor to Delhi’s worsening air quality. “Scientific studies already show that stubble burning contributes only 6%-8% to Delhi’s pollution. This year’s farm fires have declined by 75%. The BJP should stop demonising Punjab’s farmers,” said Jagmohan Singh, general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Dakaunda.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya had earlier blamed AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for failing to curb burning in Punjab, saying, “Unless Kejriwal-ruled Punjab stops burning stubble, Delhi and NCR will continue to choke. Stop blaming Diwali for the smoke; it is the farmers’ fires, not the festival, that darken Delhi skies.”
Responding, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher dismissed the allegations, saying, “Farmers’ contribution is less than 6%. Despite this, BJP continues to blame us. Delhi’s AQI remains poor even when stubble burning ends in December.”
