Punjab’s Stubble War: Special ‘Parali’ Force Deployed to Douse Farm Fires

The state of Punjab has stepped up efforts to combat persistent paddy‑stubble and crop‑residue burning by deploying a dedicated “Parali Protection Force” that will patrol hot‑spot villages during the crucial harvest season. The force, reference to which appears in orders from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), comprises nodal officers, cluster coordinators and field personnel assigned to thousands of villages to physically monitor burning incidents and submit daily digital reports via a mobile‑app platform managed by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre.

Officials confirm that over 8,000 personnel have already been mobilised and that the initiative covers approximately 11,624 villages where previous seasons recorded repeated burn‑events. In addition to field monitoring, teams are tasked with awareness campaigns, installation of crop‑residue‑management equipment and implementation of legal action—including FIRs, “red entries” in land‑records and environmental compensation against repeat offenders.

The timing of the deployment coincides with satellite‑tracked data showing that although burning incidents remain, the number of reported farm fires in the state has dropped significantly this year compared with previous years. From mid‑September to mid‑October, Punjab recorded 415 fire‑cases in 2025, a sharp decline from 1,510 in 2024 and 1,764 in 2023. Despite the progress, district‑level officials are not letting up: 175 FIRs were reportedly filed in a single day this week alone across multiple districts for stubble burning, with fines exceeding ₹52 lakh already imposed this season.

Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian has said that the state is targeting an 80‑85% reduction in stubble‑burn incidents, citing the deployment of over 1.48 lakh crop‑residue‑management machines such as super‑seeders and mulchers, backed by a dedicated budget of ₹500 crore.