Chandigarh: In a major reprieve for Punjab, no farm fire was reported for the third consecutive day till Thursday, easing fears of a spike in stubble burning during the Dussehra festival season.
So far, the state has recorded 95 incidents of farm fires this season — far fewer than last year’s 171 cases and a dramatic drop from 456 reported in 2023. On October 2 alone, the contrast was stark: just 0 incidents this year, against 16 in 2024 and 119 in 2023.
Officials attribute the decline to a massive crackdown by authorities. The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has imposed environmental compensation of ₹2.45 lakh in 95 cases, recovering ₹1.90 lakh. Police have filed 53 FIRs, including 23 in Amritsar, under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for disobedience of lawful orders. The Revenue Department has also marked 35 “red entries” in land records, effectively barring violators from accessing loans, selling or mortgaging land, and obtaining gun licenses.
The impact is already visible in the air quality. The Air Quality Index (AQI) across Punjab’s major cities remained below 100, well within the “satisfactory” range.
Monitoring of stubble burning began on September 15, with a brief spike in incidents on September 16–18. However, since then, numbers have fallen sharply. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has deployed a flying squad of 22 scientists in Punjab to intensify monitoring.
Officials caution that the period between October 15 and November 15 will be the most critical, as the bulk of paddy harvesting takes place and farm fires tend to peak around Diwali.
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