Chandigarh, April 26 -- The Punjab government on Thursday assured the Centre that it is making efforts to bring down stubble burning cases to zero this year.

Every year, during the paddy harvest season (October to November), which coincides with the onset of winters, smoke rising from the fields of Punjab and Haryana leads to formation of a smog jacket over the region, especially the National Capital Region, causing severe health and environmental hazards.

In a workshop organised by the state government on Thursday, wherein top officials from the Centre, including secretary agriculture Manoj Ahuja, were in attendance, Punjab's special chief secretary of agriculture and rural development department, KAP Sinha said, "The Supreme Court has...