Punjab recorded a total of 36,663 farm fires in 2023. (File)

Chandigarh:

Punjab recorded a 70 per cent reduction in farm fires this season, said Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian here on Saturday.

Punjab reported 10,909 stubble-burning incidents from September 15 to November 30 this year, compared to 36,663 such incidents in the corresponding period last year.

The significant reduction in farm fires can be attributed to increased mechanisation in the agricultural sector, he said in a statement here.

Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said 22,582 sanction letters were issued to farmers for subsidised crop residue management machines, with 16,125 machines being procured.

Lauding farmers for the decline in the number of farm fires, he said, “It’s our collective responsibility to save the environment for our future generations. Stubble burning not only causes air pollution but also reduces the fertility of the soil.” Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana after harvesting paddy in October and November is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi.

As the window for the Rabi crop wheat is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear the crop residue for the next sowing season.

Punjab recorded a total of 36,663 farm fires in 2023, registering a 26 per cent drop in such incidents.

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