Chandigarh, 21 October, 2024: On Sunday, smog-like conditions blanketed numerous villages across Punjab, with the state reporting 1,445 farm fires this season. The worsening air quality has prompted authorities to register 49 FIRs against farmers for violations in the last 24 hours alone.
Since the start of the season, a total of 136 FIRs have been filed, and significant “environmental compensation” has been imposed on errant farmers, amounting to several lakhs.
On Sunday, the state recorded 52 new fires, with Patiala leading at 11 incidents, followed by Tarn Taran with 10 and Ferozepur with nine. In comparison, the same day last year saw 96 active fire events, while the number rose to 174 in 2023.
Despite investing crores in machines and awareness campaigns aimed at managing crop residue, air quality has significantly declined as farm fires continue to escalate.
The air quality index (AQI) in the industrial town of Mandi Gobindgarh fell into the “poor” category, while other districts remained in the “moderate” zone.
On Sunday, Amritsar recorded an AQI of 159, followed by Jalandhar at 141, Khanna at 140, Ludhiana at 121, and Patiala at 116. Notably, Bathinda, which had an AQI of 209 last Sunday, improved to a much cleaner level of 51.
Environmental compensation totaling Rs 10.20 lakh has been imposed in 384 cases, with Rs 8.85 lakh already collected. Of the 136 FIRs against farmers for burning paddy stubble, 49 were registered in the past 24 hours.
Moreover, the government has made 383 red entries in land records for farmers involved in these fires, including 19 recorded within the last day.
