Mansa registers sharp dip in stubble burning

Mansa is inching towards the status of a zero stubble-burning district, with official data showing a sharp decline in farm-fire incidents over the past two years.

According to the figures shared by the district administration on Sunday, the district recorded 2,253 cases of stubble burning between September 15 and November 22 in 2023. The number dropped to 592 in the corresponding period last year, and this year, only 304 cases have been reported so far, marking a decline of over 48 per cent compared to the previous season.

Of the 244 villages in the district, 104 have achieved complete stubble management, reporting no farm fire.

Among the most remarkable turnarounds is Heron Kalan village, once a major hotspot for farm fires. The village, which logged 45 cases in 2023 and 15 in 2024, has reported zero incidents this year, placing it in the category of “zero-burning villages”.

Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from the village, said he had not burnt stubble for the past three years. “This year, we made bales on nine acres and incorporated stubble in the remaining fields using a super seeder and mulching before sowing wheat,” he said.