9,266 farm fires in Punjab so far, Amritsar tops the list

There has been no let-up in farm fire cases across the state. Despite repeated advisories by the government, crop residue burning is rampant in the region.

Instead of opting for in-situ management of crop residue, farmers could be seen opting for a quick-fix method of preparing the fields before June 1, the date announced by the government for starting the sowing of paddy.

A farmer from Narainpura village along the Sirhind-Patiala road said he set the residue on fire as others were also doing the same. “This is happening across Punjab. Others are also doing the same. First stop them from setting the crop residue on fire, then come to me,” he said.

The farmers indulging in the malpractice term the claims of pollution and harm to soil health as myths.

The smoke emanating from the fields often causes inconvenience to commuters on nearby roads and sometimes even results in accidents.

Amritsar district tops the list of farm fire incidents with 1,043 cases, followed by Gurdaspur (811), Moga (789), Ferozepur (692), Tarn Taran (657) and Bathinda (618).

Data shows that 9,266 farm fires have been recorded by May 18 this year, while the number was 10,644 in 2023 and 10,327 in 2024.

Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), said, “The declining trend of cattle rearing in rural areas has lowered the demand for straw. Storage limitations further discourage farmers from retaining the crop residue. As a result, many of them opt for the quick-fix solution of burning the crop residue, thereby harming the soil health.”

Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Jaswinder Singh said the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department was conducting inquiries to identify farmers involved in stubble burning.

Punjab