IARI data shows that Punjab has recorded 21,480 paddy residue burning events from September 15 onwards. This is around 19% more than the figure of 18,066 recorded till November 2 last year. (File)The number of farm fires in Punjab saw a sharp spike on Wednesday, recording the season’s highest single day figure so far – 3,634.
This is up from 1,842 recorded on Tuesday, according to data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
IARI data shows that Punjab has recorded 21,480 paddy residue burning events from September 15 onwards. This is around 19% more than the figure of 18,066 recorded till November 2 last year, but lower than the figure of 37,756 recorded till November 2, 2020, and 22,720 recorded till November 2, 2019.
Till November 2, Haryana has recorded 2,249 incidents of stubble burning this year, lower than 3,241 recorded till November 2 last year.
The contribution of stubble burning to PM2.5 levels in Delhi on Wednesday was around 12%, going by data from the SAFAR forecasting system. Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 376, in the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s 4 pm bulletin. This is marginally better than the AQI of 424 recorded on Tuesday, the city’s first ‘severe’ air day of the season.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav took to Twitter to slam the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over the rise in farm fires. “Sample this: As of today, Punjab, a state run by the AAP government, has seen an over 19% rise in farm fires over 2021. Haryana has seen a 30.6% drop. Just today, Punjab saw 3,634 fires. There is no doubt over who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber. Wondering how?”
“Scam is where AAP is. In the last 5 years, the Central Government gave Rs 1,347 crore for crop residue management machines to Punjab. The state bought 1,20,000 machines. 11,275 of those machines have gone missing. Money utilisation shows clear incompetence… Last year, Rs 212 crore were left unspent. This year, the Central Govt gave Punjab Rs 280 crore for crop residue management machines. So, about Rs 492 crore was available but the state govt chose to sit with the funds forcing helpless farmers to burn the crop residue,” he wrote in a tweet.
Citing data from Sangrur, Yadav added: “The Chief Minister of Punjab has failed to even provide relief to farmers in his own turf of Sangrur. Last year (September 15-November 2), farm fires in Sangrur stood at 1,266. This year they have shot up by 139% rising to 3,025.”