Punjab on Tuesday reported the season’s highest farm fire count at 6,668 as farmers continued to defy a ban imposed on stubble burning, triggering fears of upending the gradual improvement in air quality registered over the past two days.
According to satellite data collected by Punjab Remote-Sensing Centre, Sangrur and Bathinda were the worst-affected districts with the highest number of farm fire incidents of 1,007 and 945 on a single day, respectively.
Apex court summon
Miffed at the deterioration in air quality in Delhi over, largely blamed on rampant stubble burning in neighbouring States during winters, the Supreme Court has called the Chief Secretaries of three States — Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh — to appear in person on Wednesday to report to it on the matter.
