BATHINDA: With over 5,000 incidents of stubble burning recorded in the last 24 hours, farm fires during the ongoing paddy harvesting season in Punjab set another record on Thursday.
A total of 5,036 stubble burning incidents from 20 districts of the state were reported during the day, taking the total count of fires this season close to 50,000 (49,112) in the last 46 days. A total of 4,908 stubble burning events were recorded on Wednesday.
Sangrur continued to report the highest number of crop residue burning incidents. The district saw 829 fires, followed by 653 in Bathinda, 611 in Moga, 438 each in Ferozepur and Mansa, 436 in Muktsar, 356 in Barnala, 304 in Ludhiana, 285 in Patiala, 258 in Faridkot and 111 in Fazilka district.
While Hoshiarpur recorded only one burning incident, SBS Nagar five and Roopnagar nine, SAS Nagar and Pathankot were the districts with no stubble burning incidents on Thursday. The farm fire had started in Punjab on September 21.
With unabated stubble burning going on, the air quality continued to remain in the ‘poor’ category in parts of the state, with PM 2.5 recorded between 200 and 300. Jalandhar recorded the PM 2.5 level at 280, Patiala at 274, Khanna 258, Amritsar at 240, Mandi Gobindgarh 227, Ludhiana and Roopnagar at 247. Bathinda was the only city with relatively cleaner air with PM 2.5 level at 151.
BOX
Stubble burning till Nov 4
2020 — 44,076 (49,112 on Nov 5)
2019 — 40,203
2018 — 27,238
2017 — 37,263
2016 — 50,608
1,000+ fires till Nov 5
Sangrur — 6,284
Ferozepur — 5,294
Tarn Taran — 4,170
Patiala — 4,174
Bathinda — 3,938
Muktsar — 2,744
Amritsar — 2,301
Ludhiana — 2,524
Mansa — 2,647
Moga — 2,765
Faridkot — 2,373
Gurdaspur — 1,887
Barnala — 2,149
Kapurthala — 1,497
Jalandhar — 1,388
F Sahib — 1,175
100+ fires on Thursday
Sangrur — 829
Bathinda — 653
Moga — 611
Ferozepur — 438
Mansa — 438
Muktsar — 436
Barnala — 356
Ludhiana — 304
Patiala — 285
Faridkot — 258
Fazilka — 111