After Weeks Of Decline, Farm Fires Surge Sharply As Harvest Season Nears End

Last Updated:November 03, 2025, 10:12 IST

The daily contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration remained under 3.5% till October 25, but reached its highest this season at 5.8% on October 28

The sharp surge comes after weeks of decline, especially in Punjab where the harvesting was delayed in the aftermath of the devastating floods and unseasonal rains in October. (PTI)

After a steady decline all through October, stubble burning surged across the six neighbouring states in November, as farmers rushed to clear the fields within a tight sowing window. Over 230 farm fires were detected on Sunday, a day after the count reached this season’s highest of 535.

According to the satellite data monitored by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), as many as 178 incidents were reported in Punjab on Sunday, followed by 34 in Rajasthan, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, and four in Haryana. Officials highlighted that detection of residue burning events was also hampered by the presence of clouds over Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

The sharp surge comes after weeks of decline, especially in Punjab where the harvesting was delayed in the aftermath of the devastating floods and unseasonal rains in October. This also comes amid farmers’ complaints of disease-ridden crops due to the adverse weather, with many saying that they have no option but to burn the stubble to rid their fields of the fungus.

From a total of 621 incidents recorded in 40 days up to October 25 in Punjab, the daily count rose sharply to 283 on October 29, and 442 on November 1 with harvesting operations drawing to a close. As many as 1,463 fire counts were detected in just the last seven days, with majority from Tarn Taran and Sangrur. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh, which had reported the majority of the farm fires during October, has begun to show a decline as it approaches the end of the harvesting season.

The surge comes in the backdrop of deteriorating air quality in the national capital, as it remained blanketed in thick haze with the daily Air Quality Index (AQI) surging past 300 across several places on Sunday. In its latest forecast, the IITM team has warned that AQI is likely to remain in the very poor category (AQI 300-400) over the next two days, subsequently becoming severe (AQI over 400) on November 4 due to unfavourable weather conditions.

However, the daily analysis done by IITM, Pune, showed that the city’s local emissions led by vehicles contributed the maximum share to its PM2.5 load. The contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration remained under 3.5 per cent till October 25, but peaked at 5.8 per cent on October 28. Scientists highlight that the impact of stubble burning on Delhi’s air quality is highly dependent on the meteorological factors—temperature, wind direction and wind speed.

According to the satellite data, this year, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh together accounted for over 70 per cent of the total farm fires counts reported this season. Out of the total 4,610 fire counts detected since September 15, as many as 2,262 were recorded in Punjab, 1,018 in Uttar Pradesh, 719 in Rajasthan, 486 in Madhya Pradesh, 122 in Haryana, and three in Delhi so far. However, compared to last year, the number of farm fires has gone down significantly in Punjab. From 3,916 incidents recorded last year, the count has reduced to 2,262 this year, following a consistent declining trend since 2022, when over 11,262 counts were recorded till November 2.

Srishti Choudhary

Srishti Choudhary, Senior Assistant Editor at CNN-News18 specializes in science, environment, and climate change reporting. With over a decade of extensive field experience, she has brought incisive ground repo...Read More

Srishti Choudhary, Senior Assistant Editor at CNN-News18 specializes in science, environment, and climate change reporting. With over a decade of extensive field experience, she has brought incisive ground repo...

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