Punjab stubble burning issue: 27 cases in 5 days; govt intensifies awareness campaign

Chandigarh: Punjab has seen 27 stubble burning cases in the last five days, even as authorities have launched an intensive campaign in hotspots of paddy straw burning in various districts to create awareness among farmers against this practice, officials said on Saturday.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after the harvesting of the paddy crop in October and November. As the window for the Rabi crop -- wheat -- is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set afire the crop residue in the fields to quickly clear them for sowing the next crop.

According to Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data, a total of 27 crop residue burning incidents took place in four districts from September 15.

A maximum of 18 stubble burning incidents have been reported in Amritsar, followed by five in Tarn Taran, three in Patiala and one in Ferozepur, it said.

A fine of Rs one lakh in the shape of environmental compensation has been imposed on farmers who set their crop residue on fire, according to the PPCB.

Recording of farm fire incidents, which started from September 15, will continue till November 30.

The Supreme Court on September 17 had asked the Punjab government why some errant farmers should not be arrested for indulging in stubble burning to send across a stern message.

The bench was hearing a suo-motu (on its own) plea relating to filling up vacancies in the state pollution control boards of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.

Meanwhile, several villages in Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Moga, Bathinda and Barnala have been identified as hot spots of stubble burning incidents based on the number of farm fires.

Farmers in the hot spot villages will be asked not to burn crop residue, said a PPCB official on Saturday, adding that they will be sensitised about the ill effects of stubble burning.

Farmers will be encouraged about managing the paddy straw both in-situ (mixing crop residue in fields) and ex-situ (using stubble as fuel) methods, said the official.

In Sangrur district, the district administration started a special awareness campaign on stubble burning in which five mobile vans will be visiting 397 villages for 18 days to appeal to farmers not to burn stubble, said officials.

Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Rahul Chaba said after harvesting paddy, no farmer should set fire to the crop residue and should prove himself to be a nature lover by plowing it in his fields.

He said a number of agricultural machines have been made available to farmers in Sangrur district.

Chaba said if any farmer wants to hire agricultural machinery to manage stubble, he can download the i-Khet mobile app to get information about the availability of machines.

Sangrur Chief Agriculture Officer Dharminderjit Singh Sidhu said burning stubble not only pollutes the environment but also affects the fertility of the soil as micronutrients are lost due to burning.

If farmers plow the stubble in their fields, they conserve many valuable elements and organic matter, which increases crop yields and saves chemical fertiliser cost, said Sidhu.

Meanwhile, the state government has sanctioned 15,613 crop residue management machines so far out of 16,837 total applications received from farmers across the state, said the officials.

Crop residue management machinery includes super seeder, smart seeder, happy seeder, paddy straw chopper, shredder, mulcher, hydraulic reversible mould board plough and zero till drill.

The state government had prepared a Rs 500-crore action plan for the effective management of paddy straw to promote sustainable agricultural practices and mitigate environmental impacts associated with paddy straw burning, they said.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian had earlier called upon farmers to avoid burning paddy straw, citing its detrimental effects on the environment, air quality and soil health.

He encouraged the adoption of government-promoted sustainable practices, including in-situ management solutions, to safeguard Punjab's agricultural future and public health.

Basant Garg, Administrative Secretary (agriculture and farmers' welfare), said due to the concerted efforts of the state government, the state had witnessed a significant 70 per cent decline in stubble burning incidents last year.

The state saw a total of 10,909 farm fires in 2024, as compared to 36,663 in 2023, registering a 70 per cent decrease in farm fires.

The state had recorded 49,922 fire events in 2022; 71,304 in 2021; 76,590 in 2020; 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018, with many districts including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar witnessing a large number of stubble burning incidents.