Stubble burning incidents in Punjab surged by 34.8 per cent on November 8, bringing the seasonal total to 4,459.
Punjab recorded 1,152 fresh paddy stubble-burning incidents on November 8, the state's highest single-day spike this season, according to reports from The Tribune, Hindustan Times and The Times of India.
The surge on Diwali brought the cumulative seasonal count to 4,459 incidents, surpassing the 3,316 fires recorded during the same period last year. Tarn Taran has reported the highest seasonal total of 654 fires, while Sangrur recorded the most new cases on Sunday with 194 incidents.
The spike occurred as nearly 92 per cent of paddy had been harvested, creating pressure to clear fields before the November 15 wheat sowing deadline. Sukhbir Singh Dhaliwal, who has managed paddy residue for over 15 years, stated that erratic weather in October delayed harvesting by nearly 15 days.
Enforcement agencies have registered 884 FIRs under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and made 1,017 red entries in land revenue records. Environmental compensation exceeding Rs 62 lakh was imposed in 1,228 cases, though only Rs 32.60 lakh has been recovered.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed authorities to intensify monitoring and hold nodal officers accountable. Official monitoring for the season continues until November 30.
