The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has issued notices to the deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police of Amritsar and Tarn Taran after farm-fire incidents in both Punjab districts rose during the current paddy-harvesting season. The officials have been asked to explain why action should not be initiated against them for alleged lapses in enforcing measures to prevent stubble burning.
The notices were issued on October 16 and seek replies by October 21. CAQM has invoked Section 14 of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, under which violations can attract imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to Rs 1 crore, or both.
According to the notices, Tarn Taran recorded 68 stubble-burning incidents between September 15 and October 14, compared with 47 during the corresponding period last year. The district’s reported farm fires therefore rose by 45%. Amritsar recorded 78 incidents during the period, against 68 last year, an increase of nearly 15%.
CAQM said the continued occurrence of farm fires indicated inadequate supervision and enforcement of Punjab’s action plan, despite repeated reviews and directions issued to district authorities. The commission also raised the possibility that some incidents could be going unrecorded under the existing monitoring system.
The commission has called for stronger surveillance, including the use of drones and low-cost sensors. The move places responsibility not only on field enforcement teams but also on the district-level administrative and police machinery responsible for preventing residue burning and acting against violations.
The latest bulletin from the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space, operated by ICAR-IARI, recorded 191 stubble-burning incidents in Punjab between September 15 and October 16. The corresponding figure for the same period last year was 188, leaving the state’s total broadly unchanged but slightly higher year on year.
The figures have emerged despite Punjab’s 2026 action plan targeting the elimination of paddy-stubble burning. The state’s farm-fire count is closely watched because emissions from crop-residue burning can affect air quality across the National Capital Region during the post-monsoon period, although the notices themselves concern enforcement within the two Punjab districts.
CAQM’s intervention follows a review of farm-fire prevention measures and the commission’s October 9-10 visit to the region. During that review, the commission stressed the need for strict enforcement during the harvest season. The notices now require the district administrations and police leadership to account for the reported increase and explain the steps taken to implement the commission’s directions.
The immediate next milestone is the October 21 deadline for the replies from the Amritsar and Tarn Taran officials. CAQM will then decide whether action under Section 14 of the CAQM Act should be initiated.
