Jalandhar, Nov. 3 -- A day after recording the highest single-day spike of 442 farm fire incidents, Punjab reported 178 new cases of stubble burning on Sunday, taking the state's total to 2,262 incidents this season.

On the same date last year, the state had recorded 379 cases, while in 2023, it was 1,668.

A thick layer of smog continued to cover parts of Punjab, resulting in a dip in air quality levels. Mandi Gobindgarh remained the most polluted with an AQI of 319, followed by Khanna 310 and Patiala 291. Ludhiana recorded 189 (moderate), while Jalandhar had 176, Rupnagar 130, Amritsar 127, and Bathinda 114.

Despite an overall drop of nearly 80% in stubble-burning cases this kharif season, the eight hotspot districts identified by the...