Punjab's farm fires surge to over 9,000 by May 15
India
Farm fires in Punjab have shot up this season, crossing 9,000 cases by May 15, a 24% jump from last year.
Farmers are burning leftover wheat stubble to prep their fields for paddy planting, which kicks off June 1.
Just on May 15, there were 57 new incidents.
Even with the spike, numbers are still below the record high set in 2022.
Ferozepur leads Punjab with 875 fires
Ferozepur leads Punjab with the most farm fires (875), followed by Bathinda (730) and Tarn Taran (704), according to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute data.
Meanwhile, neighboring Haryana is seeing fewer cases overall, 3,312 so far, with Jind topping its list at 487.
With more fields to clear before planting starts, officials expect fire numbers to keep rising in the coming weeks.