Stubble burning has risen over the years in Punjab, dropped in Haryana

The stubble burning season has started, and data shows that over the years, while the percentage of paddy straw burnt of the total produced has gone up in Punjab, it has come down corresp­ondingly in neigh­bouring Haryana. 

According to the latest available data, of the paddy sown in around 3.02 million hectares of land in Pun­jab this year till October 14, arou­nd 0.46 million hectares (15.2% ) have been harvested. Of the 0.46 million hectares of land from where paddy has been harv­ested, 90,000 hectares (20%) has been burnt. 

Cumulatively, between September 15 and October 22, cases of paddy burning have dipped by 32% in Punjab, by almost 41 per cent in Haryana, and by 64% in UP. The dip, experts say, is because much of the paddy has not been harvested owing to high moisture content in the crop due to delayed withdrawal of the monsoon.