CHANDIGARH: Punjab recorded its biggest single-day spike in paddy stubble-burning incidents this season on Thursday, with 194 farm fires reported across the state. The cumulative tally has crossed the 1,000-mark, reaching 1,007 incidents. Tarn Taran topped the district-wise list with 397 farm fires, followed by Amritsar with 171 and Ferozepur with 104.
In a separate incident, a cluster officer overseeing crop residue management was allegedly assaulted and left unconscious while recording video evidence of farm fires in Kang village of Tarn Taran district.
While Punjab had recorded 1,216 stubble-burning incidents during the corresponding period in 2025, the state has witnessed 1,007 such incidents so far this season, marking an 18 per cent decline. The previous major spike was recorded on October 18, when 123 incidents of stubble burning were reported.
With the wheat sowing season set to begin on November 1, experts anticipate a further rise in farm fires, with incidents likely to peak around Diwali. The first fortnight of November is considered ideal for wheat sowing, putting pressure on farmers to clear their fields after harvesting paddy.
Meanwhile, Maninder Singh, a soil and water conservation officer posted in Khadoor Sahib block, was attacked during a field inspection in Kang village on Thursday. He had identified five farm fires and started recording video evidence required for compliance reporting to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
Local villagers and the sarpanch rushed Singh to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Tarn Taran. According to officials, the attacker, described as tall and stout, assaulted him repeatedly, leaving him unconscious in the fields.
Doctors said Singh was unconscious on arrival and was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).
“Singh was confronted by an unidentified assailant while performing his duty,” said Sub-Divisional Officer Sanjeev Sharma. He added that Singh was undergoing treatment in the ICU at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Tarn Taran, where his condition was being closely monitored.
Tarn Taran Deputy Commissioner Rahul said strict legal action would be taken against the accused.
On October 14, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, during a meeting, stressed the need to intensify ground-level monitoring and enforcement to prevent stubble burning, particularly fires set after 3 pm. He called for special attention to Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Patiala and Gurdaspur in Punjab, and Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala and Fatehabad in Haryana.
A significant number of farmers are opting for stubble management techniques, including in-situ management, which involves incorporating crop residue into the soil, and ex-situ management, which involves collecting residue for industrial use and power generation.
Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the factors contributing to the sharp rise in air pollution across northern India during October and November. As the window for sowing wheat after the paddy harvest is relatively short, farmers often set their fields on fire to clear crop residue quickly.
The recent western disturbance and the resulting rainfall have also delayed harvesting operations, potentially adding to the pressure on farmers to dispose of paddy residue before sowing the next crop.
Meanwhile, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said farmers had procured 16,227 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines during the ongoing Kharif season.
He said the government had prepared an action plan worth Rs 576 crore for 2026-27 to strengthen crop residue management.
“To support the adoption of crop residue management practices, the Punjab Government has released a subsidy of Rs 183 crore to farmers for procuring more than 10,000 CRM machines across the state,” Khudian said.
He added that the state's sustained efforts had contributed to a 90 per cent reduction in stubble-burning incidents, from 49,922 in 2022 to 5,114 in 2025, earning Punjab national recognition for its crop residue management strategy.