Stubble Burning in Punjab: An Ongoing Battle Against Pollution

Punjab is grappling with a fresh round of stubble burning incidences, reporting 49 new cases on Friday. This increased the tally to 561 since September 15, according to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

Tarn Taran reported the highest number of incidents at 175, followed by districts such as Amritsar and Ferozepur. The ongoing issue is often linked to increased air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.

Efforts to mitigate this issue include fines totaling Rs 14.25 lakh, of which Rs 9.55 lakh has been collected. Moreover, 215 FIRs were filed under relevant legal sections, and 230 red entries were made in land records, restricting loans against farmland. Despite these measures, a 70% decrease in cases has been noted compared to last year, signaling a positive yet challenging shift.