16 districts, 663 villages stubble-burning hotspots, board gives list to DCs for action

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has identified 16 districts and 663 villages in the state as stubble-burning hotspots. These districts are: Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur and Tarn Taran.

These villages recorded 23,410 cases of stubble burning last year — 64 per cent of the 36,663 cases from September 15 to November 30.

The state, however, has recorded a nearly 30 per cent decline in stubble-burning cases in 2023 as against 2022, when it reported 49,992 cases. As many as 71,159 cases were recorded in 2021. In 2020, Punjab had recorded 76,929 such cases.

PPCB Chairman Adarshpal Vig said while the emphasis was on awareness, necessary penal action was being taken by the authorities. The board had already handed over the list of hotspot villages and districts to their respective Deputy Commissioners.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is conducting a meeting with all officials concerned to discuss the stubble management plan.

The Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) team will set up a base in Chandigarh for two months to monitor the ground situation.

Confirming the development, a PPCB official said the team of the commission team would arrive on October 1 and remain stationed in Chandigarh until November 30.

As many as 119 cases of stubble burning have been reported in the state until Sunday evening, with Amritsar topping the list with 71 incidents.