Patiala, Oct. 28 -- Amid a sharp rise in farm fire incidents in the state with the Malwa region emerging as the major contributor, Punjab saw 147 such cases on Monday, marking the highest single-day spike of the season so far and taking this year's total count to 890. On Sunday, the state had seen 122 incidents of paddy straw burning. According to the data compiled by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Sangrur district recorded the highest number of cases (32) on Monday, followed by several other districts of the Malwa belt. Nearly 90 of the 147 cases were reported from the Malwa region, pointing toward a clear regional shift in stubble burning activity. Until recently, it was the Majha region that had recorded the bulk of farm fires, primarily due to early harvesting of the paddy crop. However, as harvesting operations have now gained momentum in central and southern Punjab, the focus has already shifted towards Malwa districts: Sangrur, Ferozepur, Mansa and Bathinda. Officials said Ferozepur reported 87 incidents in the past 11 days, while Sangrur logged 79 cases within a week, underscoring how quickly the situation is deteriorating. In just 10 days, Punjab has added nearly 700 fresh cases, reflecting an alarming escalation in the pace of stubble burning. A senior PPCB official, wishing not to be named, said, "The trend clearly shows that stubble burning is now shifting from the Majha to the Malwa region. With large-scale harvesting currently underway, we expect the number of incidents to rise in the coming days unless immediate preventive steps are taken." The ongoing spike has coincided with the rapid progress of the paddy harvest, which had been delayed earlier this month due to untimely rainfall in the first week of October. The return of dry weather conditions over the past fortnight has allowed farmers to expedite harvesting operations. However, this has also led to a sudden rise in stubble burning, as farmers seek to quickly clear fields for the next wheat crop. Officials pointed out that while this year's cumulative figures are still lower than last year's 1,995 incidents during the same period, the situation could deteriorate further when harvesting reaches its peak in the coming days. The Punjab Pollution Control Board, which monitors stubble burning from September 15 to November 30, had recorded 10,909 farm fire cases in 2024, with Sangrur topping the list with 1,725 incidents. Agriculture scientists have cautioned that as the time window for wheat sowing shrinks, more farmers are likely to resort to burning crop residue to prepare their fields quickly for the next crop. According to experts from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), wheat sowing should ideally be completed by November 15 to ensure optimal yield. Any delay beyond this period could adversely affect the production. "Farmers have a very narrow window between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing. If the weather remains dry, the burning could intensify as farmers rush to clear their fields before mid-November," said a PAU scientist pleading anonymity. Despite strict government directions and monitoring, enforcement on the ground continues to remain a challenge. Many farmers continue to cite high operational costs of stubble management machinery, limited availability of balers and happy seeders and time constraints as reasons for continuing the practice. The Punjab Police have so far registered 302 FIRs against farmers for burning paddy straw. Of these, 73 FIRs have been lodged in Tarn Taran alone. The farmers have been booked under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant. To curb stubble burning, the pollution board has made 337 "red entries" in the land records of violators - a step that bars them from availing agricultural loans or selling land. The PPCB has also imposed environmental compensation worth Rs.19.80 lakh in 386 cases, of which Rs.13.40 lakh has been recovered. Meanwhile, district administrations have intensified field inspections and are taking penal action against violators. Nodal officers have been deployed in hotspot areas, especially in Malwa, to curb burning. Awareness drives and demonstrations of stubble management machinery are also being conducted in villages. However, environmental experts warn that if the trend continues unchecked, air quality across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi-NCR could deteriorate sharply in the coming days. The onset of winter and falling wind speeds are likely to trap pollutants closer to the ground, worsening smog conditions across northern India....