Ludhiana, Oct. 27 -- The district's stubble burning count has remained exceptionally low this paddy season with just one incident reported so far against eight during the corresponding period last year. The district's figures mirror a broader decline across Punjab, where 581 farm fires had been recorded till October 24, down from more than 700 a year earlier.

According to the latest data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), the state recorded 581 farm-fire incidents till October 24. The annual monitoring period for stubble burning begins on September 15, ahead of the paddy procurement season that starts on October 1.

In Ludhiana, a PPCB team inspected one location flagged this season, while four locations were inspected durin...