Hans News Service Chandigarh

Punjabsaw 198 fresh farm fire incidents on Monday, taking the cumulative count to 4,657, with Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Sangrur districts accounting for the maximum number of such cases.

Many farmers continue to ignore government advisories to stop crop burning residue.

According to the official data, the highest number of farm fires were reported in Tarn Taran at 659, followed by Ferozepur at 621, Sangrur 508, Bathinda 412, Patiala 299 and Amritsar 247.

Fines amounting to Rs 72.85 lakh have been imposed as environmental compensation in 1,442 cases so far. Of the total fine, Rs 33.60 lakh has been recovered so far.

The data also showed that 938 FIRs were registered against farm fire incidents during this period under Section 223 (disobedience of order promulgated by public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

State authorities have also marked 1,150 red entries, 310 in Tarn Taran and 192 in Ferozepur, in land records of farmers who burnt crop residues.

A red entry bars farmers from getting loans against their farmland or selling it.

The annual farm fire monitoring period begins on September 15, two weeks before paddy procurement starts on October 1.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi-NCR.

As the window for the Rabi crop, wheat, is very short after paddy harvest in October and November, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue.

Punjab recorded 5,114 farm fire incidents during the 2025 paddy harvesting season. The state saw 10,909 farm fires in 2024 as compared to 36,663 in 2023.