The Punjab Government is looking to incentivise industry, including distilleries and breweries, in a bid to tackle the menace of paddy stubble and farm fires. With farm fires likely to start this week, the government is trying to promote stubble use with cumulative fiscal incentives of Rs 25 crore to certain industries, in addition to deputing over 8,000 officials in the field.

Confirmed industries such as sugar mills, pulp and paper mills, besides those having boilers with steam generation capacity of more than 25 tonnes per hour will be eligible for the incentives. According to the government data, in 2020 over 76,500 farm fires were reported in Punjab. In 2019, the number stood at 52,900, while in 2018, over 51,700 incidents were recorded. Every season, over 15 million tonnes of paddy straw is burnt in open fields ahead of winter sowing.