Punjab records 1,152 farm fires on Diwali, highest single-day spike this season
The surge in stubble-burning incidents on November 8 brought the state's seasonal total to 4,459 cases, according to official data.
Punjab recorded 1,152 fresh stubble-burning incidents on Diwali, marking the largest single-day increase in farm fires this season, according to reports by The Times of India and Hindustan Times. This spike on November 8 raised the state's cumulative tally to 4,459 from 3,307 on November 7.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) uses data based on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) satellite tracking to monitor these incidents. Tarn Taran has reported the most farm fires this season with 654 incidents, while Ferozepur follows with 592.
Sangrur recorded the most new fires on Sunday with 194 cases. Other districts reporting significant fresh incidents include Ferozepur with 157, Bathinda with 132, Patiala with 92, Barnala with 91, and Ludhiana with 71.
Enforcement agencies have registered 884 FIRs under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and made 1,017 red entries in land revenue records. Authorities have imposed environmental compensation exceeding Rs 62 lakh in 1,228 cases, though only Rs 32.60 lakh has been recovered.
The CAQM recently met with police and bureaucrats from 12 districts to review prevention measures. The Commission directed officials to increase monitoring and hold nodal officers accountable for any failures in preventing the fires.