Despite stern warnings from the district administration and escalating concerns over air quality, fields across the district continue to blaze, with a week-high 144 cases of stubble burning reported on Wednesday alone.
Despite the district administration’s claims of a decline in stubble burning incidents, data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board reveals a total of 1,524 cases in the district as of November 15.
Jagraon reported the highest number with 607 cases, followed by Samrala with 177 and Raikot with 309.
The administration’s repeated threats of stringent action seem to have fallen on deaf ears, as farmers in Jagraon, Ludhiana East, Payal, and Raikot engaged in blatant stubble burning, exacerbating the region’s already precarious air quality.
Despite a brief respite on November 10 and 11, marked by two and four reported stubble burning incidents respectively, Ludhiana plunged back into crisis with a sharp spike — 143 cases on November 12, 36 on November 14, 89 on November 15, and 144 on November 16.
The air quality index remained at a troubling 289 to fall in the “poor” category, posing severe health risks for the residents.
Health experts have cautioned that continuous exposure to highly polluted air could lead to serious health problems, particularly for individuals with respiratory ailments.
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