Punjab Stubble Burning At Highest In 4 Years Amid Anger Over Farm Laws

Punjab has recorded around 74,000 incidents of stubble burning this season, the maximum in four years, with experts saying anger over farm bills and the government not paying the Supreme Court-ordered financial incentive to farmers could be among the reasons for the spike in farm fires.

According to data released by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, the state recorded 73,883 incidents of stubble burning between September 21 and November 14, which is the highest since 2016.

Punjab had reported 51,048 cases of stubble burning in the corresponding period last year and 46,559 such incidents in 2018. The number of farm fires was 43,149 in the state during the same period in 2017.