Patiala, Sept. 28 -- Of the 82 farm fire alerts recorded in Punjab between September 15 and 27, 42% cases (35) have been found to be false alarms with no actual stubble burning.

The Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC), the agency that collects data regarding farm fires, had reported them as crop fire cases, but when they were verified within 24 hours by the nodal officers, appointed by the deputy commissioners concerned, it was found that no stubble was being burnt.

As per the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) action-taken report, only 47 fire incidents - out of the total 82 - could be physically verified by the field officers.

The farmer unions have flagged this anomaly, questioning the credibility of the data being...