Punjab records 4,657 farm fires; 1,442 FIRs registered

• Punjab has recorded 4,657 stubble-burning incidents and registered 1,442 FIRs, according to the pollution control board

• Environmental compensation of Rs 7.28 crore has been imposed, with Rs 3.36 crore recovered

• Tarn Taran has reported the most incidents at 659, followed by Ferozepur at 621

Punjab has recorded 4,657 stubble-burning incidents despite inspections and enforcement measures, with authorities registering 1,442 FIRs, according to the latest Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) report.

Environmental compensation totalling Rs 7.28 crore has been imposed, of which Rs 3.36 crore has been recovered.

The figures come as paddy harvesting approaches completion. According to the report, harvesting is over across 93.70 per cent of Punjab’s total paddy area of 32.87 lakh hectares.

As of 9 November, teams had inspected 3,845 fields where fires were reported. Physical verification established evidence of stubble burning at 1,675 locations.

Tarn Taran recorded the highest number of incidents, at 659, followed by Ferozepur with 621. Sangrur reported 508 cases and Bathinda 412.

The number of FIRs varied across these districts. Ferozepur registered 365, followed by Tarn Taran with 307, Sangrur with 80 and Bathinda with 19.

In Patiala, authorities recorded 299 incidents and inspected 195 locations. Evidence of burning was confirmed at 122 sites.

The district registered 86 FIRs and imposed environmental compensation of Rs 43.50 lakh, recovering Rs 15 lakh so far. Officials also made red entries in land records in 35 cases and issued 185 warning notices.

Across the state, administrative and monitoring teams continue to inspect fields and verify reported fires. The latest figures show that crop residue burning remains a challenge as authorities pursue inspections, criminal cases, financial penalties and warnings to curb the practice.

With IANS inputs