Punjab Records 4,657 Stubble-Burning Incidents; 1,442 FIRs Registered, ₹7.28 Crore Penalty Imposed
Punjab has recorded 4,657 stubble-burning incidents, with 1,442 FIRs registered and environmental compensation of ₹7.28 crore imposed, according to the latest data released by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). Of the total compensation imposed, ₹3.36 crore has been recovered so far, the data stated. According to the PPCB, harvesting has been completed across 93.70 per cent of Punjab's total paddy area of 32.87 lakh hectares. Administrative teams and monitoring officials continue to inspect fields and verify reported fire incidents.
3,845 Fields Inspected Across Punjab
As of November 9, officials had inspected 3,845 fields where fires were reported. Physical verification confirmed evidence of stubble burning at 1,675 locations. Patiala has recorded 299 incidents. Officials inspected 195 locations and confirmed burning at 122 sites. The district registered 86 FIRs and imposed compensation of ₹43.50 lakh, of which ₹15 lakh has been recovered. Authorities also made red entries in land records in 35 cases and issued 185 warning notices in Patiala.
Tarn Taran Records Highest Number of Incidents
A district-wise analysis shows that Tarn Taran leads Punjab with 659 stubble-burning incidents, followed by Ferozepur with 621 cases. Sangrur has reported 508 incidents, while Bathinda has recorded 412. In terms of FIRs, Ferozepur tops the list with 365 cases, followed by Tarn Taran with 307. Sangrur has registered 80 FIRs and Bathinda 19. Despite field inspections, criminal cases, financial penalties and other enforcement measures, thousands of stubble-burning incidents continue to pose a challenge for the Punjab administration as it seeks to promote better crop-residue management.
(With IANS inputs)
