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54m ago

Evening Ignitions Mean India Is Missing Most Stubble Fires, Multi-Sensor Study Warns

Researchers call for burnt-area mapping plus geostationary coverage to repair undercounted emissions that feed Delhi's pollution forecasts.

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Smoke rises from the burning stubble in a Punjab crop field last month. (REUTERS)

Overview

  • iFOREST reports that over 90% of large farm fires in Punjab in 2024–2025 occurred after 3 pm, outside MODIS/VIIRS overpasses, leading to major undercounts in official fire data.
  • Burnt-area mapping shows real but modest declines in stubble burning — roughly 37% in Punjab since 2022 and about 25% in Haryana since 2019 — with Indian Express noting Haryana’s burnt area rose from 2024 to 2025 despite fewer recorded incidents.
  • Government figures cite sharp drops in recorded incidents and enforcement: Punjab logged 5,114 fires and Haryana 662 to November 30, FIRs fell to 2,193 from 6,469 last year, and fines also decreased.
  • CREA estimates stubble burning contributed an average 7% to Delhi’s PM2.5 in November 2025 with a 22% peak, far below 2024 levels, though analysts caution missed evening fires can bias model inputs.
  • The study urges CREAMS/IARI and IITM’s DSS to integrate burnt-area data and geostationary observations, while flagging rising fire activity in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (MP 17,067 counts; UP 7,290) as emerging priorities.