Jalandhar, Sept. 20 -- The Punjab government has flagged 663 villages across eight districts of Punjab as hotspots of stubble burning based on data over the past three years, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) said on Friday, marking fresh efforts to tamp down on a practice that contributes to the toxic haze that envelopes Delhi every winter. The eight districts -- Sangrur, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Moga, Barnala, Mansa, Tarn Taran and Faridkot -- recorded 6,815 farm fires in 2024, roughly two-thirds of the 10,909 cases reported last year from September 15 to November 30. The 663 villages were those where more than 75% of the area of the habitation saw stubble burning over the past three years, according to an action plan submitted by the state government to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). PPCB superintendent engineer Rajeev Kumar, who is the nodal officer (stubble), said the district administrations identified the hotspot villages based on the number of fire incidents in the village. "The detailed meeting was held with the Punjab chief secretary over hotspot districts and villages. The directions have been issued to deputy commissioner and SSP to monitor the situation at ground level and to carry out the micro management of stubble at village level," he said. Besides it, the officials are ensuring that the machinery required for in-situ and ex-situ management of paddy straw in these areas, he said. "The identified districts have already been instructed to prepare separate hotspot action plans," he said.The state has constituted a team of 8,000 people who have been deputed in 11,624 villages. The team - known as parali protection force - have to share daily action-taken reports through a mobile application....