The number of incidents recorded to date across states is 10,693. Punjab still is the highest contributor to such cases with 4,394 cases, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 2,875 of 10,693. This modification in the pattern has introduced a new dimension to the continuing agricultural activity, which is well-known for contributing to severe air pollution in North India during harvest.
As of Monday, 13th November, the state of Madhya Pradesh reported a record 506 stubble-burning incidences in a single day, exceeding its earlier seasonal high of 296 cases on November 2nd. This statistic represents more than half of all instances registered nationwide that day, indicating a significant increase in the state. In contrast, Punjab, which had 587 instances on November 1st, was able to lower this number to 262 by November 4th, demonstrating an uptick in crop residue control.
Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, like Madhya Pradesh, have experienced an alarming increase. On Monday, the 13th, Uttar Pradesh recorded 84 instances, up from only 16 the day before. Similarly, Rajasthan’s statistics increased from 36 to 98 instances, making it the second-highest total for the season after October 16th, which witnessed 100 incidences.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) meanwhile reports that satellite remote sensing identified 1,357 active stubble-burning events on November 10th alone, spanning Punjab, 345 cases, Haryana, 22 cases, Uttar Pradesh, 128 cases, Rajasthan, 79 cases, and Madhya Pradesh, 783 cases. These fires accounted for 8% of the season’s total fires.
Haryana has seen a progressive decrease in stubble burning, with incidences falling from 42 on October 31st to 13 by November 4th. However, Punjab on the other hand continues to contribute the most cases even today.
According to the ICAR, from September 15th to November 10th, 17,003 instances of residue burning were found in these states, also including Delhi. Notably, Madhya Pradesh to date has recorded 5,818 fires among this 17,003, down from 7,891 last year, Haryana recorded 981 fires, down from 1,676 last year and the lowest in the last five years, and Punjab has recorded 6,611 fires, down from 23,626 last year and the lowest in the last five years, but maximum as compared to other states this time. But, the state seeing a dramatic drop in farm fires, with just 6,611 occurrences reported this year is worth lauding. This is a considerable decrease from the previous five years, when the number of instances went as high as 72,499 in 2020.
Stubble (parali) burning is a method of removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat from the last week of September to November. Almost everyone has agreed that stubble burning by farmers in the nearby states, mainly in Punjab and Haryana, has been the primary reason behind deteriorating air quality in Delhi. From the record now, Haryana has also improved its condition by reporting the fewest incidents in the previous five years.
However, recently, it was reported that Punjab’s particular program to reduce agricultural waste is experiencing major obstacles as northern India struggles with a severe pollution crisis exacerbated by stubble burning. As a long-term solution to the stubble-burning issue, the government started a plan to establish Compressed Biogas (CBG) Plants which are considered as a sustainable solution to the stubble-burning issue. Nevertheless, the project has been halted by persistent farmer protests, resulting in only five of the thirty-eight facilities that were originally intended to be operational and none running at full capacity.
States that have recently seen a spike in fire incidences include Rajasthan, 1,655 fires, up from 1,191 last year, Uttar Pradesh, 1,926 fires, up from 1,533 last year, and Delhi, 12 fires this year compared to 4 last year. In the last five years, Rajasthan has also seen the strongest trend, with 434, 755, and 1,100 fire incidences reported in 2021, 2022, and 2020, respectively.
