Patiala, Oct. 20 -- With 67 new cases, Punjab on Sunday witnessed the highest single-day spike of the season in farm fire incidents, pushing the total count to 308. Of these, Tarn Taran reported 25 cases while Amritsar logged 24, making the two border districts the worst affected so far this season. According to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Tarn Taran has recorded the maximum number of farm fires at 113, closely followed by Amritsar with 104. Punjab has been witnessing a sharp rise in stubble-burning incidents over the past few days amid dry weather, which is conducive for paddy harvesting. In the last 72 hours alone, the state has reported 120 cases. While the harvesting season began in early October, untimely rainfall in the first week of the month delayed operations. However, the dry weather over the past two weeks has now expedited harvesting across several districts. Farm fire incidents typically surge during mid-October as farmers prepare their fields for wheat sowing after paddy harvesting. Despite repeated appeals by the government and strict monitoring by district administrations, farmers continue to resort to stubble burning, reportedly due to a lack of viable alternatives and time constraints. The PPCB begins monitoring stubble burning every year from September 15, coinciding with the start of early paddy harvesting, and continues till November 30. In 2024, Punjab had reported 10,909 farm fire incidents, with Sangrur topping the list at 1,725. Although this year's numbers are lower than last year's during the same period - 308 cases compared to 1,393 till October 19, 2024 - officials warn that the figures are likely to rise sharply in the coming days as harvesting gains momentum. So far, only 27% of the 31.72 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation has been harvested. While Amritsar and Tarn Taran have crossed the 50% mark, paddy harvesting is still below 30% in Patiala, Barnala, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Mansa, and Ferozepur, all part of the Malwa region, known for high-yield paddy cultivation, which contributes the most to stubble burning. Officials said 87 "red entries" had been made in the land records of violators, barring them from securing loans or selling and mortgaging their farmland. The state has also imposed environmental compensation worth Rs.5.60 lakh across 113 cases, of which Rs.4.15 lakh has been recovered. Meanwhile, Punjab Police have registered 132 FIRs against farmers for burning stubble this season. Of these, 50 FIRs have been filed in Tarn Taran alone, the district reporting the highest number of cases so far. 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....