Punjab records 1,612 farm fires as Tarn Taran leads
Authorities have imposed fines of Rs 29.15 lakh and registered 423 FIRs following a threefold jump in stubble burning incidents.
Punjab has recorded 1,612 stubble burning incidents between September 15 and November 2, according to India Today. The state saw a threefold increase in these fires in the 10 days leading up to November 2, compared to the 542 incidents reported between September 15 and October 23.
Tarn Taran has emerged as the most affected district with 489 incidents. Other districts reporting high numbers include Ferozepur with 193, Amritsar with 192, Gurdaspur with 100, Sangrur with 76, Jalandhar with 44, Fazilka with 34, and Barnala with 34.
The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data shows that officials checked 1,380 fields and verified burning at 663 sites. Environmental compensation proceedings were started in 573 cases, resulting in fines of Rs 29.15 lakh, of which Rs 19 lakh has been collected.
A total of 423 FIRs have been filed under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These include 258 cases in Tarn Taran, 49 in Ferozepur, and 26 in Amritsar. In Tarn Taran, authorities also recovered the full Rs 13.10 lakh fine imposed across 258 confirmed burning locations.
In Patiala, 54 incidents were recorded, with burning confirmed at eight of the 24 fields checked. Authorities in the district imposed fines of Rs 40,000 and recovered Rs 20,000.
The PPCB report also noted that prosecution proceedings have been started in 13 cases against officials. Additionally, 472 cases involved red entries in revenue records, while 572 warnings or show-cause notices were issued.