Punjab registers 16% decline in farm fire incidents so far, which is double from neighbouring State
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Maintaining the decreasing trend in stubble burning incidents, Punjab has made significant strides in reducing stubble burning incidents, with a 16 percent decline in farm fires recorded till October 23, 2024, compared to the same period last year. The state has witnessed 1638 farm fires till October 23 this year, down from 1946 in the corresponding period of last year.
The figures of decline in stubble burning incidents are also significant as the neighbouring state Haryana has been able to control the stubble burning menace by 8 per cent only during the same period.
Revealing the details, Punjab cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that Punjab has registered massive decline of 88 per cent in farm fire incidents in 2024 in comparison to 2020. As per the official data, the state had witnessed 13,894 stubble burning incidents in 2020, which has drastically come down to merely 1638 incidents this year.
On the other hand, the Haryana had registered only 56 per cent decline in the same years.This is despite the fact that Punjab has over 32 lakh hectares of land dedicated to paddy cultivation, more than double from Haryana’s 15 lakh hectares, he added.