Punjab recovered Rs 3.005 million in environmental compensation by Nov. 6, as reported stubble-burning incidents totaled 3,144 for the season, according to figures attributed to the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), highlighting the enforcement effort.
The reporting window covered Sept. 15 through Nov. 6, according to the figures. Tarn Taran had the highest district total at 611, followed by Ferozepur with 410, Sangrur with 281, Bathinda with 262 and Amritsar with 231.
Authorities imposed Rs 5.455 million in compensation in 1,077 cases, the PPCB-attributed figures show. They also list 795 first information reports registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which covers disobedience of an order issued by a public servant.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) identified Tarn Taran and Amritsar as areas of particular concern for stubble burning. It assigned flying squads to monitor 18 Punjab districts in an operation that began Oct. 1 and is scheduled to run through Nov. 30, 2026.
In an Oct. 10 statement, CAQM said crop-residue burning contributes significantly to winter air pollution in the National Capital Region and surrounding areas. CAQM urged officials to ensure farmers had timely access to crop-residue management equipment and called for farmers, aggregators and industries to coordinate straw collection and use.
CAQM’s annual figures show Punjab recorded 5,114 fires in 2025, compared with 10,909 in 2024 and 36,663 in 2023. The commission linked the decline to state and district plans, use of residue-management machinery, enforcement and wider use of straw.
CAQM’s annual monitoring period runs through Nov. 30. The current flying-squad operation is scheduled to continue until then.
