As wheat sowing window narrows, PPCB issues alert to tackle farm fires

Mohit Khanna

Patiala, October 18

As the window between paddy harvesting and sowing of wheat crop narrows due to untimely showers, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) is taking proactive measures to keep tabs on farm fires.

After claiming to have successfully reduced the number of stubble burning incidents from 70,000 to 50,000 last year, the PPCB has set a target to bring it down by another 50 per cent this year.

So far, the state has witnessed a little over 1,400 farm fires and the air quality index (AQI) has remained under 100.

Dr Adarshpal Vig, Chairman, PPCB, “We have sounded an alert in all the districts. Special directions have been issued to officials in 10 districts which experienced the highest farm fires last year.”

Dr Vig said the PPCB had succeeded in reducing stubble burning incidents from 70,000 in 2021 to 50,000 in 2022.

Sangrur worst hit

• Sangrur has remained the worst performing district on this front with 9,705 farm fires reported in 2020, 8,006 in 2021 and 5,239 in 2022
• While Moga witnessed 5,843 farm fires in 2020, 6,515 in 2021 and 3,609 in 2022, Ferozepur reported 6,947 in 2020, 6,288 in 2021 and 4,295 in 2022

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#Agriculture #Environment #Farm Fires #Pollution #Punjab Pollution Control Board PPCB