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3h ago

Punjab’s Late-Season Stubble Fires Surge as Supreme Court Demands Action Reports

Officials say a compressed harvest window is driving a concentrated burst of burning that is worsening Delhi’s air quality and prompting a tougher crackdown.

Till October 31, nearly 82% of paddy harvesting had been completed (HT photo)
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Overview

  • Punjab logged 2,650 stubble-burning incidents between November 1 and 13, accounting for nearly 56% of this season’s 4,734 cases, according to the Punjab Pollution Control Board.
  • The Centre’s Decision Support System estimated that farm fires contributed 22.47% of Delhi’s PM2.5 on Wednesday, the highest share this season.
  • The Supreme Court asked Punjab and Haryana to detail steps taken to curb burning within a week, with a bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai listing the matter for November 17.
  • Punjab escalated enforcement in the November 1–13 period with more than 1,000 FIRs, 1,436 red entries in revenue records, and environmental compensation totaling ₹65.5 lakh in November (₹1.06 crore this season).
  • The state advanced sowing and procurement by 15 days to widen the field-preparation window, but officials report unfavorable weather prolonged harvesting; despite the current spike, cases are down 57% from last year and roughly 92–93% over five years.