Punjab records over 3,100 stubble-burning cases; Tarn Taran tops list
State recorded 357 fresh farm fires in a day, taking the total to 3,144, according to Punjab Pollution Control Board data
Punjab has recorded 3,144 stubble-burning incidents between 15 September and 6 November, with Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Sangrur accounting for the highest number of cases, according to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).
The state recorded 357 fresh farm fires between 5 and 6 November, taking the cumulative figure from 2,787 to 3,144.
Tarn Taran reported the highest number of incidents at 611, followed by Ferozepur with 410, Sangrur with 281, Bathinda with 262 and Amritsar with 231.
Authorities have imposed environmental compensation fines totalling Rs 54.55 lakh in 1,077 cases, of which Rs 30.05 lakh has been recovered, the PPCB data showed.
As many as 795 FIRs have also been registered during the period under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant.
The authorities have further made 931 red entries in the land records of farmers found burning crop residue. These include 301 in Tarn Taran and 98 in Ferozepur. A red entry bars farmers from securing loans against their agricultural land or selling it.
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often linked to worsening air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
With a short window available to prepare fields for the rabi wheat crop after the paddy harvest in October and November, some farmers burn crop residue to clear their fields quickly.
Punjab recorded 5,114 farm-fire incidents during the 2025 paddy harvesting season, compared with 10,909 in 2024 and 36,663 in 2023.