Fatehgarh Sahib leads dists with 77% drop in stubble burning cases

As the stubble burning season enters its final phase, several Punjab districts have recorded significant improvement in curbing farm fires, with Fatehgarh Sahib leading the state with a staggering 77 per cent decline.According to official data, Fatehgarh Sahib — which had reported 201 stubble burning incidents last year — has recorded only 47 cases this year.

It is followed by Faridkot, which has seen a 63 per cent reduction. The district registered 129 incidents this season compared to 352 during the corresponding period in 2024.

Other districts notorious for residue burning — Faridkot, Amritsar, Patiala, Sangrur, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala — have collectively shown nearly 50 per cent decline in farm fires.

Meanwhile, Fazilka and Ludhiana districts recorded a rise in farm fires, showing worrying trends. Fazilka recorded a sharp 55 per cent rise in residue burning, reporting 241 cases till Monday against 110 last year.

Ludhiana, the state’s industrial hub, has witnessed a 9 per cent increase, with 212 incidents this year compared to 194 during the same period last year.

Muktsar showed no improvement with 357 incidents reported till November 17 compared to 421 during the same period last year.

State crosses 5,000-mark, but overall improvement seen

With 31 fresh cases reported on Monday, the state’s cumulative stubble-burning count has crossed 5,000, reaching 5,003 incidents.

This still reflects a substantial 40 per cent decline compared to last year, when 8,404 cases were recorded during the same period.

The Punjab government informed the Supreme Court that it WAS taking sustained measures to curb stubble burning, but stressed that the issue “could not be solved through knee-jerk reactions” and required long-term structural solutions. The government highlighted steps such as crop diversification, distribution of residue management machinery and financial support to farmers.

The Punjab Pollution Control Board data showed that farm fires had already dipped nearly 70 per cent in 2024 — from 36,663 in 2023 to 10,909 last year — indicating a multi-year downward trend.

    Strict action against violators 

To deter offenders, enforcement agencies continue to act across multiple fronts. This includes imposing environmental compensation fines of Rs 1.13 crore imposed in 2,172 cases. Out of this, over Rs 57 lakh has been recovered, with police registering 1,792 cases.

The Revenue Department has made 2,090 red entries in land records of violators, barring them from availing loans, selling or mortgaging land or obtaining gun licences.

Recently, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav had recently directed the authorities to prepare district-wise crop residue management plans and ensure year-round monitoring.

Despite pockets of concern, officials say Punjab’s overall trajectory shows significant progress towards reducing open burning and improving air quality.