AT 3,135, PUNJAB SEES SEASON’S HIGHEST NUMBER OF FARM FIRES IN A DAY

Majority of incidents are concentrated in Malwa region

LUDHIANA/PATIALA: Punjab on Wednesday recorded the highest number of stubble burning incidents in the ongoing harvesting season at 3,135, as per the data of Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) in Ludhiana. With this, the total number of farm fires in the state so far has reached 19,869.

“The figure crossed such incidents reported in 2017 when the state reported 2,975 cases the same day,” Dr Brijendra Pateriya, director of the PRSC .

Sangrur district topped the chart with 550 cases, followed by Bathinda at 348, Ferozepur by 328 and Mansa at 285. “Most fire incidents are occurring in the Malwa belt that comprises 60% of Punjab’s area. Teams have been told to counsel farmers,” said a Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) official.

The air quality index (AQI) in major cities of the state hovered over 250 mark, categorised as poor by pollution control agencies, even as it improved from the ‘very poor’ category. Also, increase in particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM 10 is alarming.

Patiala continued to be Punjab’s most polluted city on Wednesday with AQI reaching 281. “There was an increase in the number of patients with breathing problems by 30-40% in the last three days. Smog is causing chest infection and breathing problems. Most patients are from rural areas,” said JL Joshi, assistant professor at Government Medical College, Patiala. Munish Munjal, head of ENT department at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, said they are also receiving a large number of patients from rural and urban areas with chest infections.