The previous highest single-day count this season was 730 incidents, reported on November 8.
Among districts, Muktsar recorded the most stubble-burning cases on Monday with 247 incidents, followed by Moga (149), Ferozepur (130), Bathinda (129), Fazilka (94), and Faridkot (88).
Year-on-Year Comparison
On the same date in 2022 and 2023, Punjab reported 701 and 637 active farm fire cases, respectively. Despite the recent spike, the overall stubble-burning incidents this year show a significant decline.
From September 15 to November 18, Punjab has recorded 9,655 stubble-burning incidents, a 71% drop compared to the same period last year. During this period, the state reported 48,489 cases in 2022 and 33,719 cases in 2023.
For the entire 2023 season, Punjab saw 36,663 stubble-burning cases, marking a 26% decrease compared to the previous year.
Link to Air Pollution
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has long been identified as a major contributor to the rise in air pollution across Delhi-NCR during October and November. Farmers often resort to burning crop residue due to the narrow window between the paddy harvest and the sowing of the Rabi crop, primarily wheat.
While the state government has taken measures to curb stubble burning, including subsidies on farm machinery and awareness campaigns, incidents continue to pose a significant environmental challenge.
Previous Years Data
In the last five years, Punjab recorded its highest number of farm fires in 2020 at 76,590 cases, followed by 71,304 in 2021, 49,922 in 2022, and 36,663 in 2023.
