Punjab's annual crop residue burning season officially drew to a close on Sunday, culminating in a remarkable environmental success story. The state recorded a final tally of just 5,114 farm fire cases, a figure that represents a staggering decline compared to previous years.
A Steady Decline to a Quiet Finish
The season's conclusion was marked by a whisper, not a bang. On the final day, a mere two cases were reported from the Fazilka district. This quiet end capped off a period of consistent improvement. Since November 22, the state witnessed a steep drop in incidents, recording only 38 cases over the last nine days. The daily breakdown showcases this positive trend: nine on Nov 22, three on Nov 23, four on Nov 24, three on Nov 25, six on Nov 26, five on Nov 27, two on Nov 28, four on Nov 29, and two on Nov 30.
Punjab's Dramatic Drop vs. Other States
The scale of Punjab's achievement becomes clear when viewed against historical data. The state reported nearly 90% fewer farm fire cases than the 49,922 incidents recorded in 2022. Compared to 2023's 36,663 cases, the reduction is over 86%, and it is over 53% less than the 10,909 cases reported in 2024. The official monitoring period for stubble burning spans two and a half months, from September 15 to November 30.
However, the picture is not uniformly positive across all of North India. While Punjab celebrates its success, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh continued to report a considerable number of stubble burning cases. Madhya Pradesh alone reported over 17,000 cases. Combined, six states recorded over 33,000 farm fire incidents, which is just 12% less than the over 37,000 cases reported in 2024. Data from the ‘Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space' (CREAMS) on the season's final Sunday highlighted this contrast, recording 292 farm fires across five states: 160 in MP, 125 in UP, 3 in Haryana, and 2 each in Punjab and Rajasthan.
District-Wise Breakdown and National Context
Within Punjab, the 5,114 stubble burning cases were distributed across its districts. Tarn Taran reported the highest number at 696, closely followed by Sangrur with 695 and Ferozepur with 548. Other significant contributors included Muktsar (376), Bathinda (369), and Moga (332). In a notable achievement, all but one of the state's 23 districts reported at least one farm fire, with Ropar being the sole district to report zero cases this season.
This dramatic reduction in Punjab is a significant development in the fight against North India's severe air pollution, for which stubble burning has been a major contributor. The falling graph tells a compelling story: from 49,922 cases in 2022 to 36,663 in 2023, then to 10,909 in 2024, and finally to just 5,114 in the 2025 season. This trend suggests that concerted efforts by the state government and farmers are yielding tangible results, offering a blueprint for other states still grappling with the issue.
