BATHINDA: Punjab's Malwa region, known as the state's cotton belt, has registered a steep rise in paddy stubble burning incidents this year till Friday, November 9, compared to rest of the state.Punjab recorded 39,973 cases of stubble burning till November 9 this year compared to 40,510 cases recorded in the state till November 9, 2017, according to data released on Saturday by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre. The difference is mere 537 fewer cases of stubble burning this year.As over 20 per cent of paddy is yet to be harvested in the state Punjab's total number of stubble burning cases will surpass the 2017 figures. In 2017, 43,660 cases of stubble burning were recorded, only 3,687 more than the 39,973 cases recorded till November 9 this year.In Malwa region, seven districts of Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga and Faridkot have recorded 52.5 per cent of the total cases in the state - 20,969 cases this year. Last year, these seven districts had recorded 16,273 cases.The remaining 15 districts of Punjab have recorded 47.5 per cent cases of stubble burning at 19,004 cases this year. The seven Malwa districts have recorded 4,696 more cases of stubble burning till November 9 this year in comparison to the same period in 2017. Ferozepur has recorded the biggest spurt in stubble burning with 1,493 more cases recorded in the district till November 9.The increase in stubble burning cases in Malwa region was registered despite the efforts of the government to prevent farmers from burning paddy straw. This is the only region in Punjab that has registered an increase in incidents of stubble burning, according to the data of the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre. Bathinda deputy commissioner Praneet Bhardwaj said the state’s agriculture authorities are investigating the increase in stubble burning cases and added that adverse entries will be made in the land records of farmers who burned stubble despite the government’s orders.However, in Bathinda, which registered 4,174 cases of stubble burning till Friday, only 281 challans have been issued to farmers till date. However, Punjab Pollution Control Board member secretary Karunesh Garg is optimistic that acreage of fields where stubble was burned this year has reduced.“Though cases of stubble burning this year may increase compared to 2017, the acreage of the fields overall where stubble was burned will be smaller than the previous year,” Garg said. “Last year, the crop residue in over 50% of the total acreage was put on fire. This time, the number of stubble burning cases being almost equal, the acreage set on fire is expected to be 30-35% of the total area under paddy cultivation,” Garg added.

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