Patiala: Punjab recorded 415 farm fire incidents between September 15 and October 21 this year, down from 1,510 incidents during the same period last year, data showed.
The number of farm fires recorded in 2023 during this period stood at 1,764, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data showed.
The sharp drop comes amid delayed paddy harvest as rains lashed the state until the first week of October. Damage caused by the floods in Punjab also delayed crop harvest at some places.
Officials say stricter field monitoring and awareness campaigns telling farmers about the ill effects of stubble burning have also had an impact.
According to the PPCB data, the total area under paddy cultivation in Punjab this year is 31.72 lakh hectares. Till October 21, 32.84 per cent of this had been harvested.
In Tarn Taran district, 67.95 per cent of the area under paddy cultivation has been harvested. In Amritsar, the figure stands at 70 per cent. These two districts have reported the majority of the farm fires.
In Barnala, 8.10 per cent of the area under paddy cultivation has been harvested, followed by 8 per cent in Moga and 17 per cent in Sangrur.
Of the total farm fires, Tarn Taran reported 136, Amritsar 120, Ferozepur 41, Patiala 27, Gurdaspur 16 and Sangrur 14, according to the data.
The number of stubble burning incidents in the state stood at 116 on October 11 and went up to 415 over the last 12 days.
As crop harvest picks up pace in most districts and farmers get their fields ready for sowing wheat in the days to come, it remains to be seen if this number will increase further.
According to the PPCB, fines worth Rs 9.40 lakh in the form of environmental compensation have been imposed in 189 cases of stubble burning so far. Of the total amount, Rs 6.25 lakh has been recovered.
Additionally, 170 FIRs, including 61 in Tarn Taran and 50 in Amritsar, have been registered over stubble burning incidents.