Patiala, Oct. 26 -- Punjab recorded 60 fresh cases of stubble burning, taking the total count to 621 since September 15 - more than half of which (380) have been reported in the past seven days alone.

According to the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data, Tarn Taran remains the worst-affected district, with 21 new cases on Saturday and 196 overall.

It is followed by Amritsar with 144 cases, also in Majha, while farm fire activity has also begun rising across the Malwa belt, which had seen only sporadic cases until mid-October. Ferozepur has reported 67 cases, Patiala 35 and Sangrur 28.

Officials said of the total 621 incidents, 380 have been reported over the past seven days. With nearly half of the paddy crop already harvested a...