Chandigarh: Punjab recorded a total of 2,347 incidents of stubble burning up to November 4, according to a report by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), IANS reported from Chandigarh. The highest number of cases came from Tarn Taran — 558 — as North India continues to grapple with rising pollution levels, the report said.

Source: IANS (via NewKerala)

The new total is a decrease of 492 cases from the 2,839 reported during the same timeframe in 2025 — a drop of about 17.3% — Mirror Now reported. But the district picture is mixed: 11 districts have recorded an increase in farm fires this season, the report said.

Source: Mirror Now

Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Amritsar lead the district count

District-wise, Tarn Taran recorded the highest number of stubble-burning incidents at 558, followed by Ferozepur with 316, Amritsar with 207, Bathinda with 167 and Sangrur with 163, according to the PPCB report carried by IANS. Patiala recorded 110 incidents. Mirror Now reported that Gurdaspur saw the most dramatic surge, with incidents more than doubling from 58 to 118, and that Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Barnala, Faridkot, Fazilka, Fatehgarh Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Rupnagar also recorded increases.

647 FIRs, 723 red entries as enforcement widens

The PPCB report said 1,942 fields were inspected, with fires confirmed at 868 locations, and environmental compensation imposed in 801 cases. Environmental fines totalling ₹40.37 lakh have been imposed, of which ₹23.05 lakh has been recovered so far. As part of the administrative action, 647 FIRs have been registered, 'red entries' have been made in revenue records for 723 cases, and 689 warning notices have been issued, officials said. In Patiala district alone, officials said 67 locations were inspected and fires confirmed at 24, compensation was imposed in 15 cases, a fine of ₹80,000 was levied (₹35,000 recovered), 21 FIRs were registered, red entries were made in 10 cases and 25 warning notices issued.

CAQM demands stricter enforcement, holds nodal officers accountable

In response to the localised spikes, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed the Punjab government to ramp up monitoring and enforcement, Mirror Now reported. During a recent video conference, CAQM Chairperson Rajesh Verma emphasised that nodal officers will be held directly accountable for any lapses in preventing fires. The commission warned of strict action against officials who fail to maintain oversight in the 12 districts currently under scrutiny, including Bathinda, Patiala and Ludhiana, and a high-level technical team from the CAQM has been deployed to Bathinda to conduct on-ground assessments, the report said.

According to the PPCB, harvesting has been completed on 85.10% of Punjab's total 32.87 lakh hectares of paddy area. Despite this, incidents of stubble burning continue to be reported, and officials said completely curbing the practice remains a significant challenge. Mirror Now noted that as the November 15 deadline for optimal wheat sowing nears, farmers face mounting pressure to clear their fields quickly, and air quality indices in several cities have crossed the 200 mark. What happens next: the PPCB's daily counts will show whether the remaining harvest pushes the season total higher, and the CAQM's scrutiny of the 12 districts will test whether enforcement — FIRs, fines and red entries — slows the fires in the season's final stretch.