2,787 fields set ablaze in Punjab since 15 September, 710 FIRs registered

A total of 2,787 incidents of field fires have been recorded in Punjab between 15 September and 5 November. According to official data reported by the Press Trust of India, the police have registered 710 First Information Reports (FIRs) so far to prevent these stubble burning incidents.

Looking at district-wise statistics, Tarn Taran district recorded the highest number of incidents at 586, while Ferozepur follows in second place with 361 incidents. Additionally, according to data up to Thursday, 240 incidents were reported in Sangrur, 221 in Amritsar, 216 in Bathinda, and 156 in Patiala. Notably, the total number of stubble burning incidents stood at 2,347 as of 4 November.

Regarding legal action, out of the 710 cases registered by the police, 294 cases were registered in Tarn Taran district alone. According to the PTI report, all these cases have been registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to the violation of orders issued by a public servant.

In terms of financial penalties, authorities have imposed environmental compensation of over ₹46 lakh in 914 stubble burning cases, of which an amount exceeding ₹24 lakh has been recovered. The annual monitoring process for field fires begins on 15 September, a timeframe two weeks prior to the commencement of paddy procurement on 1 October.

Taking the "very high" number of field fires in Punjab seriously, the Commission for Air Quality Management on Wednesday reviewed measures to prevent stubble burning incidents with senior administrative and police officers from 12 districts. The meeting was led by the Commission's Chairperson, Rajesh Verma, via video conferencing.

The review meeting was attended by Punjab's Environment and Agriculture Secretaries, as well as Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police from 12 districts. The Commission has directed officials to strengthen the monitoring and implementation process. Furthermore, the Commission has made it clear that nodal officers will be held accountable if they fail in preventing and monitoring field fires.

Thus, 2,787 fire incidents have been recorded during the monitoring period in Punjab, in response to which authorities have collected fines and registered police cases.