In Uzbekistan, tens of thousands of hectares of fields were burned to clear after the harvest

During the summer, farmers throughout Uzbekistan burned more than 27,000 hectares of fields to clear the stubble and straw after harvesting, the Uzcosmos press service reported.

The Agency conducted satellite monitoring of illegal burning of straw after grain harvesting in 2025. According to observations, in 13 regions of the republic, more than 27,000 hectares of affected areas were identified in 2,436 cases. For comparison, in 2024, the area was 31,542 hectares.

The highest number of cases was recorded in the Tashkent region — 11,829 hectares (870 cases). In terms of scale, this is almost all of Tashkent or 6.5 times larger than Bukhara. The lowest number of fires is in Navoi region: 8 hectares (one case). Repeated arson occurred in 73 areas of the Tashkent region, 47 in Surkhandarya, and 13 in Samarkand.

To control field fires, Uzcosmos has launched a portal and Telegram bot @UzCosmos_Yongin_bot. Fire witnesses can send photos and addresses in real time. It is reported that the perpetrators were fined 205 million soums. The damage to nature exceeded 5.3 billion soums. The scale of arson has decreased by almost 30% compared to last year.

When straw is burned on 1 hectare, 500 g of nitrogen oxide, 379 g of hydrocarbons, 20 kg of carbon monoxide, and 3 kg of ash are released. This is dangerous for health, the environment, and soil fertility, — environmentalists said.

As a reminder, a mysterious fire broke out in a field in the Tashkent region. 30 rescuers extinguished the fire.