Punjab reports 198 fresh farm fires in a single day
The cumulative number of stubble-burning incidents in the state has reached 4,657 this season, according to official data.
Punjab recorded 198 new farm fire incidents on Monday, bringing the seasonal total to 4,657 cases, according to Moneycontrol. Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Sangrur emerged as the most affected districts despite government appeals to farmers to avoid burning crop residue.
Tarn Taran reported the highest number of fires at 659, followed by Ferozepur with 621 and Sangrur with 508. Other districts with significant counts include Bathinda with 412, Patiala with 299, and Amritsar with 247.
Authorities have imposed environmental compensation of Rs 72.85 lakh across 1,442 cases, recovering Rs 33.60 lakh so far. Additionally, 938 FIRs have been registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for disobeying orders issued by public servants.
State officials have also made 1,150 red entries in land records for farmers found burning stubble. These entries, including 310 in Tarn Taran and 192 in Ferozepur, prevent farmers from selling land or securing loans until the matter is resolved.
The annual monitoring of farm fires starts on September 15, ahead of the October 1 paddy procurement season. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often linked to declining air quality in Delhi-NCR during winter.
During the 2025 harvesting season, Punjab recorded 5,114 farm fire incidents. This is a decrease from the 10,909 incidents in 2024 and 36,663 recorded in 2023.