The Punjab Remote Sensing Centre reported 75 stubble burning incidents, most in Amritsar. Authorities have filed 27 FIRs under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and made 17 red entries in the revenue records of farmers.
Experts said paddy harvesting began early in Majha, covering Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Pathankot, and Gurdaspur. Officials are urging farmers to avoid farm fires, but the short window between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing makes it difficult.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has called a meeting with states after the rise in farm fires. Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and the Agriculture Department track cases every year from September 15 to November.
In 2024, Punjab recorded 10,909 farm fires, far less than 36,663 in 2023. Previous figures show 83,002 in 2020, 71,304 in 2021, and 49,922 in 2022.
The Supreme Court recently questioned the Punjab government on why erring farmers shouldn’t be arrested for worsening winter pollution in Delhi and nearby regions. Farm unions oppose legal action, demanding cash incentives instead.
Farmers argue the bio-decomposer spray is not practical, as it takes 30 days to work. With a single matchstick, fields can be cleared faster before wheat sowing.
