Bathinda: Punjab witnessed 79 fresh cases of farm fires on Tuesday, pushing the total number of crop residue burning incidents in the ongoing season to 9,531. Among all districts, Ferozepur has emerged as the most affected region, recording the highest 905 cases so far this season.
Legal Actions Intensified Across Punjab
The state authorities have continued legal proceedings against violators, which include registration of First Information Reports (FIRs), red entries in land records, and imposition of environmental compensation. According to the Punjab Pollution Control Board's action taken report dashboard, as of the evening of May 18, a total of 738 FIRs had been registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Among the districts, Moga recorded the highest number of FIRs at 194, followed by Amritsar (154), Sangrur (71), Mansa (60), Patiala (59), Fazilka (51), and Barnala (45).
Compensation and Penalties
A total of 846 red entries have been made in land records, while environmental compensation amounting to Rs 1 crore has been imposed in 2,126 farm fire cases. Out of this, only Rs 7.15 lakh has been recovered so far. Additionally, the state has issued warning and show-cause notices to 130 nodal and supervisory officers for their alleged negligence in controlling the burning of crop residue.
National Scenario of Crop Residue Burning
Across the country, Madhya Pradesh reported 220 farm fire cases on Tuesday, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 55 and Haryana with six cases. According to the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space (CREAMS), a total of 65,994 crop residue burning incidents have been reported nationwide this season. The state-wise breakdown includes 37,652 cases in Madhya Pradesh, 15,392 in Uttar Pradesh, 9,531 in Punjab, 3,355 in Haryana, and 64 in Delhi.
CREAMS data further reveals that Madhya Pradesh has accounted for nearly half of all crop residue burning cases reported in India over the past five years. Between 2022 and May 20, 2026, a total of 2,64,533 cases were recorded, with Madhya Pradesh contributing 1,32,338 cases. Uttar Pradesh followed with 61,383 cases, Punjab with 57,508, and Haryana with 13,124 cases.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing the need for stricter enforcement and alternative methods to manage crop residue to curb air pollution.
