With paddy harvesting gaining pace, Punjab has recorded 220 farm-fire incidents so far this kharif season, surpassing the 208 cases reported during the corresponding period last year, according to official data.

The Commission for Air Quality Management’s (CAQM) monitoring report, dated October 17, stated that the state recorded 220 farm-fire incidents under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) protocol. Of these, 191 fields had been inspected, while crop burning was physically verified at 68 sites.

The farm-fire tracking period begins on September 15 every year, two weeks before paddy procurement begins on October 1. Last year, the state recorded 5,114 cases of stubble burning, down from 10,909 in 2024.

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Tarn Taran and Amritsar accounted for 80% of the incidents, together contributing 176 of the 220 cases across 23 districts.

Tarn Taran recorded 95 farm fires, followed by Amritsar with 81. Ferozepur reported 10 incidents, while Gurdaspur and Muktsar recorded five each. Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Mohali and Sangrur reported three incidents each. Fazilka recorded two, while Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar reported one each. The remaining seven districts reported no incidents.

Stubble burning is considered a major contributor to the seasonal spike in air pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) during October and November.

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

Fireworks during the festive season, especially around Diwali, further compound the situation despite firecracker restrictions that are violated every year.

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The report also details the enforcement action initiated against violations. Environmental compensation amounting to ₹3.35 lakh was imposed in 65 cases, of which ₹1.45 lakh had been recovered by October 17.

Authorities also registered 19 FIRs under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), made 41 red entries in farm records and issued 94 warning or show-cause notices to nodal and supervisory officers.

Tarn Taran accounted for 12 of the 19 FIRs, followed by Amritsar with three. Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Patiala and Sangrur recorded one FIR each. The highest environmental compensation was imposed in Tarn Taran, at ₹1.35 lakh, followed by Amritsar, at ₹1.30 lakh. The report indicates that a significant portion of the compensation imposed has yet to be recovered.

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With the count crossing the 200 mark, authorities are intensifying field inspections and enforcement measures to curb stubble burning as harvesting picks up following the rains last week.

Officials are relying on satellite-based fire alerts, physical inspections and district-level monitoring to identify incidents and discourage farmers from burning paddy residue.

Rajiv Gupta, nodal officer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, said efforts were being made to keep the farm-fire count lower this year compared with last year.

Multiple studies have suggested that farmers tend to set their fields ablaze after 3 pm to evade satellite detection, prompting the government to call for intensified ground-level monitoring.

Based in Patiala, Karam Prakash is a Senior Correspondent with Hindustan Times, wherefrom, he covers the Malwa region of Punjab. With extensive reporting experience, he writes on a wide range of beats: health, agriculture, power, education, labour, governance and sports. His reporting focuses on public policy, grassroots issues and stories that impact people’s everyday lives. Before taking charge of the Malwa region, Karam had been part of The Tribune’s National Bureau, wherein he covered several Union ministries and parliament reporting on key policy developments at the national level. He also has significant experience in sports journalism, having covered major international sporting events, including the Olympic and the Commonwealth Games.Read More