Punjab Records Double-Digit Stubble Burning Cases for Second Consecutive Day
Bathinda: Punjab has reported 14 cases of crop residue burning on Tuesday, marking the second consecutive day of double-digit incidents during the ongoing wheat harvesting season. This development has elevated the state's cumulative tally to 44 cases for the current agricultural period.
Madhya Pradesh Continues to Lead National Stubble Burning Figures
While Punjab's numbers are concerning, Madhya Pradesh remains the epicenter of stubble burning activity across India. On Tuesday alone, the central Indian state reported 1,252 incidents out of a total of 2,258 cases recorded across five states. This represents more than half of the day's national total.
The seasonal statistics reveal an even more dramatic picture. Madhya Pradesh's cumulative count has now surpassed 20,000 cases, reaching 20,164 out of a national total of 29,167 incidents this season. This means the state accounts for over 69% of all reported stubble burning cases across the country.
Long-Term Data Shows Consistent Pattern
Data from the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space (CREAMS), which systematically tracks stubble burning during both paddy and wheat seasons, confirms Madhya Pradesh's persistent dominance in these statistics.
Between 2022 and April 21, 2026, India reported approximately 2.27 lakh stubble burning cases. Of these, over 1.14 lakh incidents—more than half—occurred in Madhya Pradesh. The state is followed by Uttar Pradesh with 54,880 cases, Punjab with 48,021 cases, Haryana with 9,834 cases, and Delhi with 121 cases during this extended monitoring period.
District-Level Analysis Reveals Hotspots
At the district level, Siddharthnagar in Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the single district with the highest number of incidents, reporting 2,946 cases. Overall, 40 districts across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have each recorded more than 100 stubble burning cases during the current season, indicating widespread agricultural practices contributing to air pollution.
Historical Context and Seasonal Comparisons
This pattern is not new. During the 2025 kharif season, Madhya Pradesh similarly led the nation in stubble burning cases with 17,067 incidents. Uttar Pradesh followed with 7,290 cases, while Punjab reported 5,114 cases during that agricultural period.
The current wheat harvesting season continues to demonstrate similar geographical patterns, with central Indian states bearing the brunt of crop residue burning incidents while northern states like Punjab show concerning spikes in activity during peak harvesting periods.
