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Cases of stubble burning in Punjab reduces by 42%, highest number of cases recorded in Amritsar

Chandigarh: Post the National Green Tribunal's ban on stubble burning, the farmers in Punjab have exercised restraint which has led to a reduction of 42 per cent in farm residue burning. The number of stubble burning cases registered were 9,787 between April 2015 and May 2016. 

The official data by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCP) stated that the state has registered a total of 5,581 cases of stubble burning, it also includes the accidental fires in the agricultural fields. 

According to a report in The Times of India (TOI), much like last year, the highest number was recorded from Amritsar where 536 farm fires were spotted in the satellite imagery. Followed by Sangrur at 527 recorded farm fires and Bhatinda 522 cases were registered till May 16. 

Reportedly, the least number of cases have been recorded in Ropar followed by Nawanshahr with 45 cases. Reportedly, the PPCP has not yet released the data of the number of fines slapped on the violators of the NGT's norms on stubble burning. 

The TOI report further mentioned that in 2019, the state authorities had spotted 9,787 cases of stubble burning till May 16. Most of the cases were reported from Amritsar, Ferozepur district and Moga. 

A recently conducted revealed, air pollution due to crop residue burning in northern India is a leading risk factor of acute respiratory infections and causes an estimated economic loss of USD 30 billion annually. 

Researchers from the US-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and partner institutes found that living in districts with air pollution from intense crop residue burning (CRB) is a leading risk factor for acute respiratory infection (ARI), especially among children less than five years. The study that estimates for the first time the health and economic costs of CRB in northern India also found that CRB leads to an estimated economic loss of over USD 30 billion annually.


 

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