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The fire count from stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and the NCR (National Capital Region) districts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan has reduced by 31.5 per cent this year compared to 2021, according to data from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
This year, the total stubble fire count in these places was 53,792, down from 78,550 last year. Punjab recorded 49,922 fires this year, which is 30 per cent lower than the 71,304 recorded in 2021. Haryana’s reduction is higher at around 47.60 per cent (3,661 fires between September 15 and November 30 this year against 6,987 last year). And with 198 this year, the NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh recorded a 21.43 per cent decline, compared to 252 fires last year.
The fire counts are based on information from NASA satellites. In Punjab, out of 23 districts, Sangrur, Bathinda, Moga, Muktsar and Firozpur accounted for around 43 per cent of the total stubble fires. And among these districts, Sangrur recorded the highest fire count of 5,916. The highest reduction in fire count was recorded in Ludhiana where the figure fell by more than half from 2021. Bathinda and Fazilka recorded a higher number of fires this year compared to last year. The increase in Bathinda is marginal — 4,592 this year compared to 4,481 in 2021.
The burning of paddy stubble to clear fields for the rabi crop in Punjab and Haryana contributes to air pollution in the NCR region in winter from around mid-September till the end of November. While machinery has been deployed for farmers to manage stubble, there is still some resistance to using machines on ground.
In Haryana, Fatehabad, Jind, Kaithal, Sirsa and Kurukshetra accounted for over 69 per cent of the total fire count. The maximum reduction in fire count was in Fatehabad where the figure fell from 1,479 last year to 767 this year. Delhi saw a fire count of 10 this year against four last year. A statement from CAQM attributed the reduction to “concerted efforts of the Centre, government of Punjab, NCR state governments and other stakeholders” towards management of crop residue.
Punjab recorded a fire count of 79,093 in 2020, 50,738 in 2019 and 59,695 in 2018.
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