Punjab Records 510 Stubble Burning Incidents; ₹9.30 Lakh in Environmental Fines Imposed

The report said stubble burning was confirmed at 195 locations across the state. Environmental compensation amounting to ₹9.30 lakh has been imposed, of which ₹4.93 lakh has been recovered.

Tarn Taran and Amritsar accounted for the largest share of reported incidents. Tarn Taran recorded 247 cases, with inspections carried out in 229 and penalties imposed in 97. Amritsar reported 136 incidents; officials inspected 127 and levied environmental compensation in 51 cases.

Other districts also reported stubble-burning incidents. Gurdaspur recorded 32 cases, followed by Ferozepur with 26 and Kapurthala with 18. Fazilka and Jalandhar reported nine incidents each.

Patiala recorded five incidents, with four inspections conducted and environmental compensation imposed in three cases.

The report also noted that records on the role of nodal officers and other officials were documented in four cases. Authorities issued warning notices to 227 nodal and supervisory officers as part of efforts to strengthen enforcement.

Four First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered, while 166 red entries have been recorded against those concerned. The report stated that no departmental charge sheets had been issued and no suspension orders had been passed against the officials concerned.

Despite inspections and financial penalties, stubble burning remains a challenge for Punjab’s efforts to curb agricultural fires and their contribution to air pollution.

The PPCB data also contains a discrepancy between the district-level figures and the overall state tally, making further verification necessary before the figures can be reconciled.