Patiala, Oct. 12 -- As the paddy harvesting season gathers pace in Punjab amid dry weather, farm fire incidents have also begun surging.

On Saturday alone, the state reported 14 new incidents of farm fires, according to data compiled by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC), taking the total number of cases this season to 116.

Amritsar district continues to remain the worst-affected, reporting 62 cases, which accounts for more than half of the total incidents recorded across the state. It is followed by Tarn Taran, which has also started reporting a steady rise in stubble burning. Other districts, including Patiala, Sangrur and Barnala, have reported a few scattered cases.

Officials said the rise in cases was in line with the seasona...