Punjab: Paddy harvesting shifted to Malwa, fields also on fire
Punjab: As paddy harvesting is moving from Majha region to west and south Malwa, the number of field fires in the state is also on the rise. The Malwa region generally accounts for more than 80 per cent of the field fire incidents every year. This year, due to delay in paddy harvesting due to initial disruptions in procurement, the number of field fire incidents in Malwa is less. So far, only 56 per cent of paddy has been harvested and reached the mandis. As per the latest data, out of the expected total of 125 LMT, 69.63 LMT paddy has reached the mandis.
Satellite images of the state show that though the number of hotspots in Majha today remained almost the same as on October 1, there has been a sharp reduction in the number of incidents. While there were no field fire incidents in the Malwa region on October 1, the highest number of hotspots to date are in Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Patiala. Of the 142 farm fire incidents in the state today, the highest were reported from Sangrur (19), Patiala (16), Ferozepur and Tarn Taran (14 each). In comparison, Amritsar and Gurdaspur reported nine and seven incidents respectively. This is mainly because Majha region is the Basmati belt and harvesting of early-maturing varieties of Basmati was completed early this month and this was the time when incidents of farm fires first peaked in Majha region.
Though the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state had initially made big plans for in-situ and ex-situ management of stubble, farmers say that delay in paddy harvesting due to slow procurement till last week will leave them with little time to sow the wheat crop. Wheat sowing must be completed before November 15, so that the seeds can germinate and give a good yield when the crop is ripe. With only four days left for wheat sowing to begin, the paddy crop and then the stubble will have to be cleared from the fields. Thus, it is expected that the number of these incidents will only increase in the coming weeks.
