Centre for year-round stubble monitoring as Punjab farm fires cross 4,600

Amid the surge in stubble-burning incidents and worsening air quality in Delhi, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has directed the authorities to prepare district-wise crop residue management plans and ensure year-round monitoring of farm fires.

The directions, issued at a meeting with stakeholders and shared with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), mark a shift from the earlier monitoring window of September 15 to November 30. Central agencies also track wheat residue burning from April 1 to May 30.

The move follows the Supreme Court’s censure of Punjab and Haryana over rising stubble burning, seeking action reports from both states. A Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) official confirmed the receipt of the ministry’s instructions. However, written direction in this regard was awaited.

In a post on X, Minister Yadav stated, “Directed the authorities concerned to prepare district-wise plans for crop-residue management and year-round monitoring of stubble burning cases.”

On Tuesday, Punjab reported 155 fresh stubble-burning incidents, taking the seasonal total to 4,662, of which 58 per cent (2,720) occurred in the past 12 days. The state had recorded the season’s highest 442 cases on November 1. Despite this, the numbers show a 35 per cent decline compared to last year’s 7,112 cases during the same period.

According to the PPCB data, farm fire incidents had already fallen 70 per cent in 2024 — from 36,663 in 2023 to 10,909 last year. In 2023, Sangrur topped the list with 1,725 cases, followed by Ferozepur (1,342), Tarn Taran (876), Muktsar (816) and Amritsar (735).

Punjab produces around 20 million tonnes of paddy residue annually, with non-basmati varieties accounting for about 16 MT. To contain the crisis of burning, the state has deployed 10,000 personnel, including 5,000 nodal officers, 1,500 cluster coordinators and 1,200 field officials across 11,624 villages.

So far, the PPCB has imposed environmental compensation fines of Rs 97 lakh in 104 cases, recovering over Rs 45 lakh. The police have registered 1,483 FIRs —189 in Sangrur, 183 in Ferozepur, 156 in Patiala, 135 in Tarn Taran, 111 in Amritsar, and 102 in Mansa — under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for violating stubble-burning orders.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s home district, Sangrur, continues to lead with 683 farm fires, followed by Tarn Taran (662), Ferozepur (494), Moga (312), Amritsar (311) and Muktsar (306).

Fazilka (31), Ferozepur (29) and Muktsar (27) reported the highest daily incidents on Wednesday.

The Revenue Department has made 1,758 “red entries” in land records of the violators, barring them from availing loans, selling or mortgaging land or obtaining gun licences.

To boost in-situ residue management, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has sanctioned 21,958 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines, of which 14,587 have already been procured this year — taking the total to over 1.45 lakh machines since 2018.