Ludhiana: Ludhiana’s stubble burning season has taken a sharp turn for the worse, with 205 farm fire incidents recorded in just seven days, pushing the district’s seasonal count to 257 and marking a 60.6% jump over the corresponding period last year.Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data, based on satellite observations, show that the district had recorded only 52 active fire incidents from Sept 15 till Nov 3. By Nov 10, the count had shot up to 257, meaning nearly 80% of all incidents reported this season occurred during the seven-day period.The latest numbers have also pushed Ludhiana to its highest stubble burning count for the Sept 15-Nov 10 period in three years. The district recorded 162 incidents during the corresponding period in 2024 and 160 in 2025, compared with 257 this year.Acknowledging the rise, chief agriculture officer Gurdeep Singh said farm fire incidents were higher compared with previous years, with Jagraon, Raikot and Payal reporting relatively more cases. He said the department had been creating awareness among farmers against burning crop residue and action was being taken against those resorting to the practice.The spike is visible in the daily numbers too. On Nov 10 alone, Ludhiana recorded 31 farm fires, against 12 on the same date last year.Despite the surge, Ludhiana ranks seventh among Punjab’s districts in farm fire incidents this season. Tarn Taran tops the chart with 676 incidents, followed by Firozpur with 654 and Sangrur with 566. Bathinda has recorded 439 incidents and Patiala 339, while Pathankot has reported only one.Across Punjab, 5,002 active fire incidents were recorded between Sept 15 and Nov 10, according to the data.The sudden rise in Ludhiana comes as paddy harvesting continues and farmers race to clear fields for the next crop. While satellite data point to a steep increase, farmers offered varying accounts of the situation on the ground.Sukhjit Singh, a progressive farmer from Diwala village near Khanna, said stubble burning incidents were generally witnessed around this period but he had not seen any in his area. He said such fires could be occurring in other pockets of the district.Another farmer, who did not wish to be named, cited the cost of managing paddy residue without burning it as a major concern. He claimed farmers could end up spending around Rs 5,000 per acre on fuel to incorporate stubble into the soil.The farmer also claimed that some farmers believed enforcement would be less stringent in an election year. He said there was also a belief among some farmers that extensive bursting of firecrackers around Diwali could make farm fires harder for satellites to detect.With the bulk of Ludhiana’s seasonal farm fires compressed into a single week, the numbers have again put the spotlight on crop-residue management at a crucial stage of the harvesting season.
