New Delhi: On Thursday (October 26), Punjab witnessed 589 farm fires, the highest in a single day this season. This has brought the total incidents of stubble burning to 1,849 over the past week, the Tribune reported.
Of the 589, Amritsar accounted for 91 farm fires, followed by Patiala 81, Tarn Taran 67 and Sangrur 63. Amritsar is also leading the overall tally with 925 stubble burning events since September 15, while Patiala has witnessed 406 cases, Tarn Taran 386, Ferozepur 272 and Sangrur 240, the report said.
Since September 15, the state has witnessed a total of 3,293 incidents. However, compared to last year, the state pollution control board said that there is a 50% drop in stubble burning events in 2023.
Against the 3,293 incidents reported till October 26 this year, the state had recorded 7,036 fire events in the corresponding period last year, the Tribune reported. In 2021, the count stood at 6,463, while it crossed 18,000 in 2020.
However, farm experts have cautioned that the count is expected to rise in the coming days owing to a delay in harvesting because of unseasonal rainfall in July and August.
As stubble burning incidents mount, the air quality index (AQI) has taken a hit with the presence of particulate matter in the air crossing 100 points.
Jalandhar is the most polluted city in the state with an AQI of 193, followed by Amritsar (172), Ludhiana (146) and Patiala (118). As per health experts, such conditions may trigger breathing discomfort to people with lungs, asthma and heart diseases, the report said. As per the AQI standards, the air quality between 0-50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 ‘severe’.
According to the report, the Patiala administration has decided to use drones to closely monitor farm fires.
The Punjab Government had submitted a state action plan and district-wise action plans for tackling the problem of stubble burning to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for the current paddy harvesting season earlier this month.
“Punjab currently has 1,17,672 crop residue management machines and procurement of around 23,000 machines is underway. Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has reiterated to the State Government of Punjab for efficient and optimal utilisation of Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines through the 23,792 Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) established for the purpose in the State,” an official statement said.
This development had come after New Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena brought up the issue of air pollution in the nation’s capital as a result of stubble burning in neighbouring states while addressing a meeting in Amritsar on September 26.
Ahead of the stubble burning season this year, the Union had allocated Rs 600 crore to the states for handling paddy straws, including its new project on ex-situ supply chain management. Of this, around Rs 105 crore has already been released to Punjab, the Business Standard reported.