This year, farm fires dip in Punjab, Haryana & Delhi, but cases on rise in UP, MP, Rajasthan
On Sunday, Punjab saw 1068 fires, Haryana saw 75, Uttar Pradesh 48, Madhya Pradesh 372, Rajasthan 73 and 0 in Delhi.
Out of 1,068 stubble burning incidents witnessed on Sunday in Punjab, Sangrur reported a maximum 181, followed by 155 in Ferozepur, 133 in Tarn Taran, 83 in Patiala and 66 in Mansa, according to the data of the Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre. (Express File Image) Data released by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have revealed a surprising trend in which three states — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh — that previously recorded low farm fires have this paddy harvesting season registered more number of cases.
On the contrary, states that traditionally record more cases of stubble burning – Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi — have this year registered around 50% less cases.
This season, a total number of 10,422 paddy stubble burning cases were detected in these six states between September 15 and October 29 through satellite remote sensing.
While Punjab saw 5,254 cases till October 29 this year, Haryana had 1,094 cases. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi registered 887, 774, 2411 and 2 cases, respectively.
Punjab recorded 5,254 fires in 2023, the lowest in four years, compared to 12,112 cases last year, 9,001 cases in 2021, and 25,766 fires in 2020 during the same period. Haryana recorded 1,094 cases, also the lowest in four years, compared to 1,813 cases last year, 2,413 cases in 2021, and 2,136 fires in 2020 during the same period. In Delhi, only two cumulative residue burning events were detected this season till date against five cases last year and zero fires in 2021, and eight fires in 2020 during the same period.
However, Madhya Pradesh recorded 2,411 fires from September 15 to October 29, the highest in three years during this period, compared to 599 fires last year. In 2021 and 2020, there were 615 and 2,681 cases, respectively, in Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan reported 774 fire events this year, the highest in four years, compared to 227 fires last year, 89 in 2021, and 602 fires in 2020. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh recorded 887 fires, the highest in the last three years, compared to 705 fire events last year, 837 in 2021. In 2020, UP had registered 1,082 cases of farm fires.
On Sunday, Punjab saw 1068 fires, Haryana saw 75, Uttar Pradesh 48, Madhya Pradesh 372, Rajasthan 73 and 0 in Delhi. Sunday’s stubble burning cases are also the highest recorded fires on a single day this season.
This year in Rajasthan, maximum 275 fires were reported from Baran district followed by 175 and 147 fires in Kota and Bundi, respectively. Also 94 fires were reported from Hanumangarh, 49 from Sawai Madhopur, 16 from Ganganagar, eight each from Jhalawar and Chittaurgarh and two in Bharatpur. Zero cases were reported from two dozen districts.
In Madhya Pradesh this season, maximum 506 and 312 cases were reported from Sheopur and Guna, respectively, followed by 258, 214, 168, 133 from Hoshangabad, Datia, Seoni, and Ashoknagar, respectively. As many as 67 fires were reported from Videsha, 66 from Raisen, 61 from Jabalpur, 59 from Sagar, 58 from Gwalior, 56 from Shivpuri, 55 from Sehore. Nearly nine districts in MP reported zero stubble burning.
Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh this year, maximum 84 cases were reported from Mathura, followed by 80 from Pilibhit, 78 from Aligarh, 59 from Rampur, 48 from Barabanki, 46 from Shahjahanpur, 44 from Etawah, 43 from Jhansi, 35 from Fatehpur, 33 from Hardoi, 28 from Kanpur Dehat, 26 from Bareilly, 24 each from Mainpuri and Kaushambi, 23 each from Kanpur and Kushambhi. Two cases were reported from North Delhi this season.
In Punjab, the maximum of 1,060 cases were reported from Amritsar this year, followed by 646 in Tarn Taran, 614 in Patiala, 564 cases in Sangrur, 517 cases in Ferozpur, 271 cases in Mansa, 263 cases in Fatehgarh Sahib, 224, each in Kapurthala and Ludhiana district, 170 cases in Moga, 141 cases in Jalandhar, 109 cases in Gurdaspur, 104 cases in Faridkot, and the remaining nine districts have reported one to 83 cases.
Out of 1,068 stubble burning incidents witnessed on Sunday in Punjab, Sangrur reported a maximum 181, followed by 155 in Ferozepur, 133 in Tarn Taran, 83 in Patiala and 66 in Mansa, according to the data of the Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre.
In Haryana, the maximum of 180 cases were reported from Fatehabad this year, followed by 151 cases in Kaithal, 147 cases in Ambala, 132 in Jind, 120 in Kurukshetra, 68 in Yamunanagar, 61 each in Hisar and Karnal, 54 cases in Sonipat, 50 cases in Palwal, 29 cases in Sirsa, 20 cases in Panipat. While around half dozen districts reported 1 to 10 cases, five districts reported zero stubble burning in Haryana.
Punjab grew paddy on 32 lakh hectares this year, and the area under the crop in Haryana was around 15 lakh hecatres.
While ICAR officials said that they are yet to understand why farm fires are high in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh this year, Punjab Pollution Control Board chairman Adrash Kumar Vig said that this year, the fires are down by 56.6% compared to last year in Punjab. “We are now more alert as paddy harvesting is on its peak and wheat sowing date is fast approaching,” he said.
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