New Delhi: With Punjab ’s stubble-burning count surpassing last year’s figures, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued notices to the deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police of Amritsar and Tarn Taran, seeking explanations for the increase in farm fires and alleged enforcement lapses.
The notices, issued on Oct 16, have sought an explanation from the officials as to why action should not be initiated against them under Section 14 of the CAQM Act for alleged non-compliance with the commission’s directions to prevent crop-residue burning. Replies have been sought by Oct 21. Tarn Taran recorded 68 stubble-burning incidents between Sept 15 and Oct 14, compared with 47 during the corresponding period last year, an increase of 45%, according to the notices. Amritsar reported 78 incidents against 68 last year, a rise of nearly 15%. The latest bulletin from the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space (CREAMS), ICAR-IARI, showed that Punjab recorded 191 stubble-burning incidents between Sept 15 and Oct 16, compared with 188 during the same period last year. The increase comes despite Punjab’s 2026 action plan targeting the elimination of paddy-stubble burning. Under the CAQM Act, violations can attract imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both. The notices follow CAQM’s recent review of farm-fire prevention measures, including its Oct 9-10 visit to the region, during which the commission stressed strict enforcement during the harvest season.
You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
CAQM said the continued occurrence of farm fires pointed to inadequate supervision and enforcement of Punjab’s action plan despite repeated reviews and directions. The commission also flagged the possibility of incidents going unrecorded under the existing monitoring system and called for stronger surveillance through drones and low-cost sensors. With harvesting underway, the near-flat year-on-year figures suggest that gains made in reducing stubble burning remain fragile, even as authorities face renewed pressure to prevent farm-fire emissions from affecting air quality in NCR. Download the TOI App.