Overview
- Punjab logged 321 new stubble-burning cases on November 4, taking the season’s total to 2,839, with a peak of 442 fires on November 1, according to PRSC data.
- CAQM reported year-on-year declines for September 15 to November 3, with Punjab at 2,518 versus 4,132 in 2024 and Haryana at 145 versus 857.
- Officials attribute the spike to farmers accelerating field clearing as the optimal wheat sowing period tightens following delayed paddy harvesting.
- Enforcement has ramped up with 946 FIRs and Rs 52.75 lakh in environmental compensation in Punjab, plus 42 FIRs and Rs 3 lakh in Haryana, alongside a Chandigarh monitoring cell and 31 flying squads.
- Delhi’s air quality shows slight improvement with GRAP restrictions still in place, and light rain over parts of Punjab and Haryana offered brief relief, the IMD said.