Punjab stubble burning cases 2026: 84 farm fires, 49 of them in Amritsar
Published
CAQM's count to 5 October puts 67 of Punjab's 84 farm fires in Amritsar and Tarn Taran. Burning was confirmed at 30 sites, and 1 FIR has been filed. The fines so far, district by district.
Original report
Punjab stubble burning cases in 2026 stood at 84 farm fires this season, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) monitoring report updated on 5 October 2026, as reported by NewKerala (CAQM, 2026). Amritsar alone accounted for 49 of them (CAQM, 2026).
That is 58% of the state's count in one district, by our arithmetic on CAQM's figures. Tarn Taran had 18 more.
Enforcement has begun. CAQM's report lists 36 notices, 1 FIR and Rs 1.40 lakh in environmental compensation imposed in 28 cases (CAQM, 2026). Here is the full picture, district by district.
Amritsar and Tarn Taran hold 67 of 84 fires
Amritsar recorded 49 fires and Tarn Taran 18, as of 5 October 2026, CAQM's report said (CAQM, 2026). Ferozepur had 5 and Patiala 2.
Together those four districts account for 74 fires. The other 10 are spread across districts the report, as published, did not break out.
Two districts carry most of the load. Amritsar and Tarn Taran together make up 67 of 84 fires, or 80%, by our arithmetic.
CAQM has noticed the same concentration.
A CAQM team visited the two hotspots on 9 and 10 October
A CAQM team led by Dr S D Attri, the commission's Member (Technical), visited Amritsar and Tarn Taran on 9 and 10 October 2026, The NewsMill reported (The NewsMill, 2026). Both districts are named hotspots.
CAQM's message from the review was that coordinated work by all agencies and cooperation from farmers are crucial, as paraphrased from The NewsMill's report (The NewsMill, 2026).
What happens on the ground after a fire is reported shows how thin the enforcement net still is.
Burning was confirmed at 30 of 78 sites inspected
Officials carried out field inspections in 78 of the 84 incidents and physically confirmed burning at 30 locations, CAQM's report said (CAQM, 2026).
That means 6 reported fires had not been inspected by 5 October, and burning was confirmed at fewer than 4 in 10 inspected sites, by our arithmetic.
The report does not say what was found at the other 48 inspected sites.
The penalties that followed are smaller still.
One FIR and Rs 55,000 recovered so far
Rs 1.40 lakh in environmental compensation was imposed in 28 cases, and Rs 55,000 had been recovered, as of 5 October 2026, CAQM's report said (CAQM, 2026).
That is an average of Rs 5,000 per case, and about 39% of the amount imposed collected, by our arithmetic.
The report also lists 36 warning or show-cause notices, 1 FIR, and red remarks entered in 13 farm records (CAQM, 2026).
Flying squads cover 18 districts until 30 November
Flying squads have been deployed across 18 Punjab districts from 1 October to 30 November, The NewsMill reported, with control rooms and helplines set up (The NewsMill, 2026).
That is a 61-day watch. The count of 84 was taken five days into it.
What we don't know yet
- The farm-fire count after 5 October: we found no later 2026 figure in a source we could open.
- A same-date comparison with 2025: the 2025 figures we saw covered a different period, so we left them out.
- The district totals beyond Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Patiala.
- How much of Delhi-NCR's air these fires affect: none of the sources we read gives a figure.
Questions people are asking
How many stubble burning cases in Punjab so far in 2026?
84 farm fires, as of 5 October 2026, according to CAQM's monitoring report (CAQM, 2026).
Which district has the most farm fires in Punjab?
Amritsar, with 49 of the 84, followed by Tarn Taran with 18 (CAQM, 2026).
Are farmers being fined for stubble burning in Punjab?
Yes. Rs 1.40 lakh in environmental compensation was imposed in 28 cases and Rs 55,000 recovered, with 1 FIR registered (CAQM, 2026).
How long will the flying squads patrol Punjab?
From 1 October to 30 November 2026, across 18 districts, The NewsMill reported (The NewsMill, 2026).
References
- Commission for Air Quality Management (2026) Punjab records 84 stubble-burning fires; Amritsar accounts for 49 incidents. NewKerala. Available at: Punjab records 84 stubble-burning fires; Amritsar accounts for 49 incidents (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
- The NewsMill (2026) CAQM reviews stubble burning prevention in Amritsar, Tarn Taran. The NewsMill. Available at: CAQM reviews stubble burning prevention in Amritsar, Tarn Taran (Accessed: 14 October 2026).
How we did this
We read CAQM's monitoring and enforcement figures, updated on 5 October 2026, as published by NewKerala, and CAQM's field review as reported by The NewsMill. We ranked the districts, and worked out the shares, the inspection and confirmation rates, and the fine per case ourselves; each calculation is shown in the text. We did not use 2025 figures, because none we found covered the same dates.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 2 outlets across the spectrum: 50% left, 0% center, 50% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (1): NewKerala
- Right-leaning (1): The NewsMill
Sources
- CAQM reviews stubble burning prevention in Amritsar, Tarn Taran — The NewsMill (right-leaning) ·
- Punjab logs 84 stubble-burning fires, Amritsar tops with 49 cases — NewKerala (left-leaning) ·