Muktsar: Punjab continues to struggle with stubble-burning incidents despite repeated advisories from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), with Muktsar district reporting the highest number of fires on Tuesday. Officials confirmed 45 farm fires in Muktsar, followed by Moga (37), Tarn Taran (33), and Mansa (32).
A high-level review meeting held in Chandigarh highlighted a worrying rise in farm fires, particularly in Muktsar and Fazilka, prompting CAQM to call for immediate action from state authorities. Punjab reported a total of 312 new stubble-burning cases, bringing the seasonal tally to 4,507 incidents, nearly half of which (2,565 cases) occurred in the last 11 days alone.
State officials acknowledged that, despite enforcement measures—including environmental compensation fines, FIRs, and red entries in land records—some farmers continued to burn crop residue under the cover of darkness to avoid detection by satellites.
The issue has caught the attention of the Supreme Court, where senior advocate Aprajita Singh, assisting as amicus curiae, urged the bench to direct Punjab and Haryana to respond to the worsening situation. Stubble burning has been identified as a major contributor to deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR, which recorded an AQI of 425 on Tuesday morning.
Satellite imagery shared by NASA aerosol scientist Hiren Jethva described November 11 as the smokiest day of the season, showing dense haze across the Indo-Gangetic plains. Jethva emphasized that while cross-border pollution contributes, the primary source remains Punjab’s stubble burning.
Air quality in Punjab’s major cities also suffered, with Ludhiana (169), Jalandhar (172), Amritsar (145), and Patiala (116) all registering AQI levels in the ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ category. With no rainfall in sight to disperse pollutants, authorities continue to warn residents of the health risks posed by the seasonal haze.
