Stubble burning: Madhya Pradesh overtakes Punjab in number of farm fires, exceeds 10,000 cases this season
Punjab, which registered 587 cases on November 1, has managed to lower its numbers to 262 by November 4
PTC Web Desk: Stubble burning, a major cause of air pollution in North India, is seeing changing patterns across several states. Traditional hotspots such as Punjab and Haryana have shown progress in reducing cases, but there's been a significant increase in incidents in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Notably, Madhya Pradesh has overtaken Punjab in the number of farm fires, exceeding 10,000 cases this season.
On Monday, Madhya Pradesh reported an alarming 506 stubble burning cases in just one day, far surpassing its earlier seasonal record of 296 cases on November 2. This number accounted for more than half of all such incidents across India that day. Meanwhile, Punjab, which registered 587 cases on November 1, has managed to lower its numbers to 262 by November 4, showing promising progress in curbing the practice.
In contrast, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have experienced sharp increases. Uttar Pradesh recorded 84 cases on Monday, a steep rise from 16 the previous day. Similarly, Rajasthan's stubble burning incidents jumped from 36 to 98, making it the second-highest total for this season, just below the 100 cases reported on October 16.
Haryana stands out with a steady decline, reducing its cases from 42 on October 31 to just 13 by November 4. Despite these positive developments in some states, the overall situation remains concerning. India has crossed 10,000 stubble burning incidents for the year, with Punjab contributing 4,394 cases and Madhya Pradesh following with 2,875 out of the total 10,693 cases reported so far.
Experts say the increase in farm fires presents a serious challenge for policymakers. There is an urgent need to promote alternative farming practices to minimise environmental damage and move toward sustainable agriculture.