Punjab farmers race to sow wheat as farm fires increase
With over half of the state's wheat area yet to be planted, farmers are using stubble burning to clear paddy residue.
Punjab farmers are working to clear paddy residue to complete wheat sowing as the ideal planting window narrows, according to reports from The Times of India and The Indian Express. While 94 per cent of paddy harvesting is complete, approximately 54 per cent of the state's wheat area remains unsown.
The urgency to prepare fields has led to a rise in farm fires. Between September 15 and November 9, 4,657 farm fires were recorded, with 88 per cent of these occurring in a 15-day period. The highest single-day count of 1,152 incidents was reported on Diwali, November 8.
Agriculture director Gurjit Singh Brar said paddy harvesting is almost complete and wheat sowing has crossed the 50 per cent mark. He noted that experts at Punjab Agricultural University expect the sowing process to be completed by November 20-22.
District progress varies, with Gurdaspur recording 84.2 per cent of its wheat area sown, while Sri Muktsar Sahib has recorded sowing on just 21.8 per cent. The state has more than 1.25 lakh crop-residue management machines, including around 70,000 Super Seeders.
Experts are also concerned about the expected strengthening of El Niño, which the World Meteorological Organization says is likely to peak around December. This could lead to warm and dry winter conditions that may affect wheat growth.