Sharp spike in crop residue burning incidents in Punjab, over five hundred cases in three days

According to a Hindustan Times report, a sharp surge in crop residue burning incidents has been witnessed in Punjab, as over 500 cases have surfaced in the state over the last 72 hours. According to a recent report by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), 1,612 farm fire incidents were recorded in Punjab up to November 2, with a total of 77.38 percent of the paddy area harvested. Tarn Taran tops this list with 489 incidents, while Ferozepur and Amritsar stand second and third with 193 and 192 incidents respectively. On October 30, this figure stood at 1,047.

Officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed apprehension that with the ideal sowing deadline for wheat on November 15 approaching, farmers may resort to burning crop residues to clear their fields and prepare the land for the next crop, which could lead to a further spike in cases in the coming days. However, this cumulative figure is still lower compared to the 2,262 cases recorded during the same period last year. By this time last year, 85 percent of the paddy crop had been harvested, whereas 77 percent has been harvested this year.

Along with these new incidents of crop residue burning, a shift in its geographical distribution has also been observed. In the early harvesting season, the Majha region, particularly Amritsar and Tarn Taran, accounted for the majority of the cases, but now with harvesting gaining pace in central and southern Punjab, these cases are also increasing across several districts of the Malwa region. Sangrur has reported 76 cases, while Bathinda has recorded 68, Patiala 54, Faridkot 49, Fazilka 34, Barnala 34, Moga 23, and Muktsar 20 cases.

The CAQM report further revealed that out of the 1,380 inspected fields, ground verification of stubble burning has been completed in 663 fields. Environmental compensation of ₹ 29.15 lakh was imposed across 573 cases up to November 2, out of which ₹ 19 lakh has been recovered. Officials of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) stated that as harvesting operations gather momentum in the Malwa region, the district administrations have been asked to remain on alert.

PPCB officials have been directed to coordinate with police and pollution control teams to ensure strict enforcement of fire mitigation measures. A senior PPCB official, requesting anonymity, stated that this trend clearly indicates that the activity of crop residue burning is now shifting from the Majha to the Malwa region. With large-scale harvesting underway, these incidents are expected to escalate in the coming days unless immediate preventive measures are taken. The Punjab Pollution Control Board monitors farm fires from September 15 to November 30, while Punjab recorded 5,114 farm fire incidents during the 2025 paddy harvesting season.