CHANDIGARH – Amid a significant spike in stubble-burning incidents following Diwali, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is holding a crucial stakeholder meeting today in Chandigarh with officials from both the Punjab and Haryana pollution control boards.
The meeting addresses the virtual “cat-and-mouse game” between farmers and monitoring agencies. Farmers, aware that satellites (like VIIRS and MODIS Aqua) track farm fires primarily in the afternoon, began lighting fields in the late evening—specifically between 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm—to evade detection.
New Monitoring Tactic
This year, agencies have successfully countered this tactic. According to Dr. Vinay Sehgal, Principal Scientist at the Division of Agricultural Physics at CREAMS Laboratory, Delhi, agencies are no longer just counting active fires but are mapping and recording the total burnt area. This ensures that even if a fire is quickly doused, the burnt area can be identified and the data shared with local authorities for enforcement action.
Spike in Farm Fires and Enforcement
Despite repeated government appeals, farm fires continue to rise sharply, with a total of 1,418 cases recorded in Punjab since September 15. The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) reported a major spike after Diwali, with 1,210 cases (85 per cent) reported in the 12 days leading up to October 30.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district, Sangrur (218 cases), along with Tarn Taran (330), Amritsar (186), and Ferozepur (155), account for the bulk of the state’s cumulative cases.
In response, the PPCB has intensified its crackdown, registering 376 FIRs and filing 432 red entries this season. Authorities have also imposed environmental compensation totaling over ₹24 lakh.
Adding to the air quality crisis, incidents of open garbage and dry leaves being set ablaze in urban areas are also on the rise, often going unchecked, even near key government sites like the Punjabi Bhasha Vibhag in Patiala.