Patiala, Nov. 21 -- Punjab has logged 5,046 farm fires so far this season - nearly a 50% drop from the 10,909 cases reported last year, according to Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) data released on Thursday. In the last 72 hours, only 43 farm fire incidents have been reported across the state. The PPCB conventionally monitors stubble burning from September 15, coinciding with the beginning of early paddy harvesting, and continues until November 30. Of the total 5,046 farm fires recorded this year, Sangrur district has once again reported the highest 695 cases. However, incidents in this hotspot district have drastically declined compared to last year's count of 1,725 cases. Tarn Taran has reported 693 cases, followed by Ferozepur and Muktsar with 544 and 367 cases, respectively. Rupnagar is the only district in the state to have not reported a single farm fire incident this year, while Pathankot has reported just one incident. Notably, the Punjab government had identified 663 villages across eight districts as stubble-burning hotspots based on data from the past three years. These eight districts - Sangrur, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Moga, Barnala, Mansa, Tarn Taran and Faridkot - had collectively recorded 6,815 farm fires in 2024, roughly two-thirds of the 10,909 cases reported last year between September 15 and November 30. PPCB chairperson Reena Gupta said that a complete value chain has been established for stubble management, which has worked very well in reducing the incidents. "Paddy stubble is no longer a waste and is now a resource for many industries. With the amount of investment the state has made in stubble management, I believe there will be no farm fire incidents within the next two years," she said....