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Punjab logs highest single-day farm-fire spike: 1,447 incidents; season total 6,154
Punjab recorded 1,447 farm fire incidents in 24 hours, the highest single-day spike this season, lifting the season total to 6,154. Bathinda led on Friday with 159 incidents, while Ferozepur remained the worst-affected district overall.
Why It Matters
Rising crop residue burning can worsen air pollution and poses concerns ahead of the paddy sowing season.
Timeline
5 Events
Paddy sowing season starts June 1; officials expect numbers to rise as fields are prepared
May 9, 2026
Officials and agriculture experts say the numbers are likely to rise further in the coming days as farmers begin clearing fields in preparation for paddy transplantation; the paddy sowing season officially starts from June 1.
Farm-fire counts this season higher than previous years
May 9, 2026
The article notes that the number of farm fires this year is significantly higher than the same period in 2025 (2,378) and 2024 (2,616).
Ferozepur remains the worst-affected district this season (625 incidents)
May 8, 2026
Ferozepur continued to be the most affected district this season with 625 incidents, followed by Bathinda (586) and Sangrur (550).
Bathinda leads Friday farm-fire figures with 159 incidents; Amritsar 158, Moga 152
May 8, 2026
Bathinda recorded 159 farm fire incidents, followed by Amritsar with 158 and Moga with 152. Other districts with high numbers included Sangrur, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Muktsar.
Punjab records 1,447 farm fire incidents in 24 hours
May 8, 2026
Data compiled by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) shows 1,447 farm fire incidents reported in 24 hours, lifting the season total to 6,154 cases.