Ropar tops with 60 pc decline in stubble fires

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 26

A section of farmers has responded positively to the appeal of the state government to not burn paddy residue, reveals data from Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, Ludhiana.

Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Vishwajeet Khanna said Majha and Doaba, barring the districts of Amritsar and Tarn Taran, had seen a drastic fall in the incidents of paddy residue burning as compared to the last year. He said air quality in Punjab has remained much better this year.

Ropar has seen the largest decline of 60 per cent in stubble-burning cases as compared to last year, followed by 53 per cent in Nawanshahr. A drop in farm fires was also witnessed in Hoshiarpur (45 per cent), Kapurthala (41 per cent), Fatehgarh Sahib (33 per cent), Ludhiana (26 per cent), Pathankot (25 per cent), Jalandhar (22 per cent), Gurdaspur (14 per cent), SAS Nagar (14 per cent) and Sangrur, Patiala (2 per cent each).

The trend of higher incidents of farm fires was mainly witnessed in southern Punjab. The highest number of cases were reported from Bathinda district (5,341), followed by Ferozepur (4,895), Muktsar (4,721), Mansa (3,578), Moga (3,202) and Barnala (2,688).

Although a small decline was observed in stubble-burning in Sangrur and Patiala as compared to last year, the number was highest in Sangrur (6,828) and was substantial in Patiala (3,780).

Together these eight districts contributed about 75 per cent of farm fires in the state. On the positive side, at least 1,374 villages observed zero burning of paddy residue.

A special campaign would be taken up in these eight districts next year in collaboration with PAU and NGOs, in addition to providing requisite machines for incorporating straw into soil, said KS Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture.