A cluster officer overseeing paddy stubble-burning management was allegedly assaulted and left unconscious while videographing farm fires in Kang village on Thursday, officials said.
The victim, Maninder Singh, a soil and water conservation officer posted in Khadoor Sahib block, is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Tarn Taran, where his condition is being closely monitored. Punjab has recorded 813 farm-fire incidents this season, down from 933 cases reported during the corresponding period last year, according to the CAQM’s Wednesday report. Tarn Taran accounted for the highest number of incidents at 354, followed by Amritsar with 163. The two border districts together accounted for 517 cases, nearly 64% of the state’s total.
Singh was entrusted with overseeing anti-stubble-burning operations across multiple villages, including Kang, Hothian, Hansawala, Khakh, and Goindwal Sahib, with three nodal officers reporting to him, according to sub-divisional officer Sanjeev Sharma.
