Half dozen districts out of 22 in the state account for 50.7% per cent of the total fire incidents till date
Ahead of paddy transplanting in Punjab in June, farmers have started burning wheat stubble in large numbers to clear the fields for paddy.
Total 11,844 farm fire incidents were recorded in Punjab during this season between April 15 to May 22 against 10,114 and 10,993 fires during the same period in 2019 and 2018, respectively. This seasons’ fires are not only 14.6% higher than last years’ fire during the same corresponding dates but also these fires are higher of what was recorded in the entire seasons of the year 2018 and 2019. As there were total 11,698 and 11,510 fires recorded in 2019 and 2018, respectively, till the end of season by May 31. And his year 10 more days are to go to end this stubble burning season.
Half dozen districts out of 22 in the state account for 50.7% per cent of the total fire incidents till date. Moga tops the list with 1,108 fires, followed by Bathinda with 1,054 fires, Amritsar 1,045, Ferozepur, 1,022, Mukatsar 962 and with Gurdaspur 818 farm fires.
Apart from this, Tarn Taran has recorded 782, Ludhiana has seen 726 fire incidents. Only three districts of the state have recorded less than 100 fires each which include 25 fires (lowest in the state) in Mohali, 41 in Ropar, and 91 in Fategarh Sahib .
Anil Sood, Head ACM Division, PRSC, Ludhiana, said that this year due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, they were expecting less number of fires but that’s not been the case.
Doaba region of the state recorded the lowest number of field fires where only 11.8per cent of the total fires were recorded. Majha witnessed 23 per cent of the total field fires, with 65.2% incidents being recorded in Malwa districts.