Patiala, Sept. 30 -- There is no let-up in farm fire incidents in Punjab as farmers continue to burn stubble to clear fields for wheat sowing. The state on Monday reported five new cases, taking the total count to 95. However, the figure remains lower compared to the same period last year, when 119 cases were recorded till September 29. In 2023, the number stood at 133. Of the 95 cases reported so far this season, Amritsar alone has accounted for 55, followed by Tarn Taran with 11. Last year, Punjab had reported 10,909 farm fire cases, with Sangrur topping the list at 1,725. On the enforcement front, Punjab Police on Monday registered two more FIRs, taking the total to 51 this season. The government had lodged over 5,797 cases under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) last year. Of the 51 FIRs this year, 22 are from Amritsar district, which has so far reported the maximum cases. Farmers have been booked under Section 223 of the BNS, which pertains to disobedience of an order promulgated by a public servant. Alongside FIRs, the Punjab government has also made 32 "red entries" in land records of violators. A red entry bars farmers from securing loans against their land or selling or mortgaging it. The government has further imposed environmental compensation of Rs.2.30 lakh in 48 cases, of which Rs.1.80 lakh has already been recovered. Reacting to the strict measures, farmer leader Jagmohan Singh said that while they do not encourage stubble burning, they will strongly oppose punitive action against farmers compelled to do so. He added that before penalising farmers, the government should first implement the National Green Tribunal's recommendations, ensure availability of stubble management machinery, or provide Rs 200 per quintal as compensation for management costs. Chandigarh The Punjab government on Monday inked a MoU with Deloitte to provide technical assistance for scaling up successful crop residue management initiatives. The MoU was signed between the executive director, Deloitte, Vivek Mittal, and commissioner, agriculture, Babita, in the presence of agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and health and family welfare minister Balbir Singh. This partnership comes in the backdrop of a highly successful pilot project implemented by Deloitte last year in 17 villages of the Patiala district, which witnessed a remarkable reduction of over 80% in farm fire incidents....