• Punjab reports 5,835 stubble burning incidents across 23 districts.
• Patiala leads with 391 reported cases.
• State imposes ₹1.08 crore in environmental compensation.
• Paddy harvesting reaches nearly 98 per cent of cultivated area.

GG News Bureau
Chandigarh, 15th Nov: Punjab has recorded 5,835 stubble burning incidents across 23 districts following the paddy harvest, with Patiala reporting the highest number at 391 cases, according to the latest Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) report covering data up to Saturday.

Field-level inspections were conducted at 5,539 locations across the state, confirming crop residue burning at 2,442 sites. Authorities have imposed penalties, registered FIRs and initiated administrative action to curb the practice.

In Patiala, inspections at 356 of the 391 reported locations confirmed burning at 225 sites. Environmental Compensation (EC) was imposed in 166 cases, with penalties totalling ₹8.35 lakh. Of this amount, ₹3.10 lakh has been recovered.

The district also recorded 215 FIRs and 139 red entries in revenue records. Meanwhile, 390 warning and show-cause notices were issued to nodal and supervisory officers. No prosecution, charge sheets or suspensions of officials had been recorded in the district, the report stated.

Across Punjab, Environmental Compensation was imposed in 2,152 cases, with penalties amounting to ₹1.08 crore. Recoveries stood at ₹40.40 lakh. The state also registered 1,834 FIRs and recorded 2,015 red entries in revenue records.

Prosecution proceedings against officials have been initiated in 35 cases, while 1,607 warning and show-cause notices have been issued at different administrative levels.

Punjab has 32.87 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation, and harvesting had been completed across nearly 98 per cent of the area by Saturday. Authorities continue to monitor agricultural fields and enforce measures to prevent further crop residue burning.