The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to submit a detailed report outlining measures being taken to control stubble burning, even as 155 fresh farm fire incidents were recorded across the state on the same day.
According to data from the Consortium for Research of Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space (CREAMS) under IARI, New Delhi, the fires were detected through satellite imagery.
Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian maintained that the state administration is making serious efforts to curb the practice. “Most farmers are using machines for residue management. The few fires visible are likely in areas inaccessible to equipment,” Khuddian said. He also pointed out that farmers have largely realized the negative impact of burning residue on soil health and are adopting sustainable methods.
Taking note of deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR, a bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai asked both Punjab and Haryana to provide reports detailing their efforts to prevent farm fires.
Punjab officials highlighted that the number of stubble-burning cases has dropped significantly over the past three years — from nearly 50,000 in 2022 to just over 10,900 in 2024, marking a 70% decline. Despite Wednesday’s 155 incidents, total fire cases this season stand at 4,662, which is still lower than last year’s figures.
Following directions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), Punjab has established a “Parali Protection Force” to monitor and prevent stubble burning. Around 10,000 personnel, including nodal officers and field coordinators, have been deployed across over 11,000 villages. These teams submit daily action reports through a dedicated mobile app developed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).
Khuddian added that the state has sanctioned nearly 22,000 Crop Residue Management (CRM) machines to assist farmers in reducing stubble burning.
