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4w ago

Punjab Steps Up Crackdown as Early Stubble Fires Emerge

The state is pairing prosecutions with a new 8,000-strong field force to deter autumn farm fires.

Smoke billows as a farmer burns stubble in a paddy field on the outskirts of Amritsar in Punjab on Saturday. (PTI)
Stubble burning: Punjab records 27 incidents in 5 days; Govt intensifies awareness campaign
The season of farm fires has already begun in Punjab with the first blaze reported from Amritsar on September 16. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)
A farmer burns straw stubble after a harvest in a paddy field on the outskirts of Amritsar on Saturday. Stubble burning, especially after the paddy harvest in October and November, has been a significant contributor to air pollution in Delhi and the NCR.

Overview

  • Punjab has recorded 48 crop-residue fires since September 15, with Amritsar reporting the most incidents after the first blaze on September 16.
  • Police have filed 12 FIRs under BNS Section 223, including 11 in Amritsar, with no arrests reported, alongside 13 red entries and environmental compensation totaling ₹1.10 lakh.
  • The government has identified 663 hotspot villages across eight districts based on three years of data, with monitoring running through November 30.
  • An approximately 8,000-member Parali Protection Force is verifying fires and filing daily ATR app reports, as awareness drives expand and 15,613 crop-residue machines are sanctioned statewide.
  • The Supreme Court’s push for sterner deterrence frames the response, Delhi-NCR faces likely October–November pollution spikes, and farm unions criticize punitive steps without assured support.