Punjab has recorded 5,517 stubble-burning incidents so far this paddy harvesting season, according to the latest data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), with Ferozepur district leading the state with 728 confirmed cases. The figures, current as of Wednesday, 11 November 2026, come as North India continues to battle dangerously elevated air pollution levels.

District-wise Breakdown

Among the districts reporting the highest number of incidents, Ferozepur tops the list with 728 cases. Tarn Taran follows closely with 687 incidents, while Sangrur has recorded 628 cases. Bathinda stands fourth with 499 incidents, and Patiala rounds out the top five with 374 cases. This clustering across central and southwestern Punjab reflects the region's dense concentration of paddy cultivation.

Harvesting Season Progress

According to the PPCB report, 96.65 per cent of Punjab's total paddy area of 32.87 lakh hectares has been harvested to date. In Patiala alone, approximately 98 per cent of its paddy area — measuring 2.314 lakh hectares — has already been harvested, yet the district has still reported 374 burning incidents, underscoring the persistence of the practice even as the season nears its end.

Enforcement Action Taken

Authorities have inspected 4,620 fields across Punjab, with physical verification of reported incidents completed at 2,003 locations. Fines totalling ₹85.90 lakh have been imposed as 'Environmental Compensation' (EC), of which ₹37.55 lakh has been recovered so far. First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in 1,259 cases, and 'red entries' have been recorded in revenue records in 1,637 cases. Authorities have additionally issued 1,435 warnings and show-cause notices to those allegedly involved.

Patiala's Enforcement Profile

In Patiala, officials have inspected 282 fields and completed physical verification at 184 locations. Environmental Compensation fines worth ₹6.70 lakh have been imposed, with ₹2.60 lakh recovered. The district has registered 153 FIRs and recorded 120 red entries. Notably, Patiala has issued 390 warnings and show-cause notices — the highest figure among all districts in the state. Three fields in Patiala have been confirmed as stubble-burning sites by non-Agriculture Field Level (non-AFL) officials; across Punjab, 147 such fields have been identified in total.

Wider Context and What Comes Next

Stubble burning in Punjab and neighbouring Haryana has long been identified as a primary seasonal contributor to hazardous air quality in the Delhi-NCR region and across the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Despite years of financial incentives for in-situ residue management and legal penalties, enforcement gaps have meant that the practice persists at scale annually. This is the third consecutive year in which Punjab has attempted a stricter, fine-and-FIR-led enforcement regime. With harvesting now nearly complete, the PPCB is expected to publish a final season-end tally within days. Continued monitoring and faster recovery of pending Environmental Compensation dues will be a key indicator of whether this year's enforcement push translates into lasting deterrence.