32 new instances of crop residue burning were reported in Haryana in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 3,491. However, compared to the same period last year, when Haryana registered 6,464 cases, this year the state has seen a 46% decline in farm fires.
Fatehabad leads the list with 742 occurrences, followed by Kaithal with 664 cases of active fireplaces detected.
On Sunday, November 13, 2022, the number of stubble-burning cases in Haryana reaches the 3,000 mark.
It has been reported that in the month of October of this year, the Haryana government issued 1,041 challans and fined farmers in various paddy sowing areas about 26 lakh for burning crop residue.
Whereas in Punjab, the cases of stubble burning have risen to 49,000, and experts believe that the count is most likely to reach the 55,000 mark. The farm fire incidents toll is now at 49,283. Nearly 368 cases were reported yesterday i.e., on Sunday. 283 incidents were reported on Sunday.
At the same time, it is believed by experts that by the end of the season, the stubble-burning cases are expected to remain under the 55,000 mark. Although the exact numbers and the total area affected by stubble burning will only be known once the season ends and they get the official count by November 30. 75,986 cases were recorded from Sept 15 to Nov 20, 2020, and in comparison, to this, 70,711 cases were recorded in the same period in 2021.
“In comparison, we have done well this year as 49,283 cases this season show that there is an improvement. Hopefully, this menace will end in another couple of years,” a senior official told the media.
Data shows that the state experienced 71,304 farm fires in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019, and 50,590 in 2018, with a high number of stubble-burning incidents in many districts, including Sangrur, Ferozepur, Mansa, Bathinda, and Amritsar. Over 15 million tonnes of paddy straw are burned on open fields each season in preparation for winter sowing.
Farm Fire Cases (Year wise):
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71,304 in 2021
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76,590 in 2020
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55,210 in 2019
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50,590 in 2018
In the state, rice was grown on 31.13 lakh hectares in 2022, producing about 19.76 million tonnes of paddy straw. Farmers still burn paddy stubble to get rid of it, despite requests from the state government to stop doing so.
