Stubble burning incidents decline 68% across North India, shows data

The number of stubble burning incidents this year has seen a 68 per cent drop across North India. Data shows that from September 15 to October 16, the number of incidents in Punjab have come down by 84 per cent compared to the same period last year. Experts say a combination of factors, including delayed harvest of paddy, availability of machines and strict penal provisions, has led to the drop.  However, the crackdown has sparked an outrage among farmers with a number of them complaining of police highhandedness. Reports show that 34 FIRs have been filed against farmers in