Tarn Taran accounts for nearly half of Punjab's 542 farm fire cases

Punjab recorded 542 farm fire incidents between September 15 and October 23 this year, with Tarn Taran accounting for nearly half of them, official data showed.

According to the data, the total area under paddy cultivation in Punjab this year is 34.506 lakh hectares, 34.82 per cent of which has been harvested till October 23.

In Tarn Taran, where farm fire incidents stood at 257 until Friday, 73 per cent of paddy has been harvested.

Likewise, in Amritsar district, which accounted for 142 farm fire incidents, 83 per cent of paddy has been harvested.

Fines totalling more than Rs 10 lakh in the form of environmental compensation have been imposed in 206 cases of stubble burning so far, of which Rs 5.45 lakh has been recovered.

A total of 91 FIRs, including 45 in Tarn Taran and 13 in Amritsar, have been registered in stubble burning incidents under Section 223 (disobedience of orders promulgated by a public servant) of the BNS, the data showed.

The annual farm fire monitoring period in Punjab begins September 15, two weeks before paddy procurement starts on October 1.