Patiala, May 9 -- Despite repeated appeals and stricter enforcement measures, farmers in the state continue widespread crop residue burning, leading to a significant surge in farm fire incidents this season. The state on Friday recorded the highest single-day spike so far with 1,447 farm fire incidents reported in just 24 hours, taking the cumulative count of the ongoing season to 6,154 cases. The surge has raised fresh concerns over air pollution and the state's preparedness ahead of the paddy sowing season beginning from June 1. According to the data compiled by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Bathinda reported the highest number of farm fires on Friday at 159, followed by Amritsar with 158 and Moga with 152 incidents. Other districts witnessing a high number of cases included Sangrur, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Muktsar. Overall, Ferozepur continues to remain the worst-affected district this season with 625 incidents, followed by Bathinda with 586 and Sangrur with 550 cases. The number of farm fires reported this year is significantly higher than the corresponding period in previous years. During the same period in 2025, Punjab had reported only 2,378 incidents, while in 2024 the figure stood at 2,616. The sharp rise indicates that farmers are increasingly resorting to burning wheat residue despite government campaigns promoting crop residue management. Officials and agriculture experts believe the numbers are likely to rise further in the coming days as farmers begin clearing fields in preparation for paddy transplantation. The paddy sowing season officially starts from June 1 and farmers are under pressure to quickly prepare their land....