47 farm fires recorded as Delhi nears winter pollution season

Forty-seven farm fires were detected across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh between September 15 and 23, as the crop-residue burning season begins ahead of Delhi’s winter pollution period.

Satellite data compiled by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute recorded 25 fires in Punjab and 19 in Uttar Pradesh. Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh recorded one fire each. The burning season generally runs from September 15 to November 30, with daily counts typically rising in October and peaking in the first 10 days of November.

Gufran Beig, founder of SAFAR and chair professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, said a projected Super El Niño could bring fewer western disturbances. These weather systems bring rain to Delhi and can temporarily clear pollutants. Slower winds and fewer rain spells could allow pollution to build up, he said.

Punjab’s monsoon rainfall deficit of more than 35% has delayed crop sowing, Beig said. That could push harvesting into late October and extend residue burning beyond November. Diwali falls on November 8 this year, when temperatures and wind speeds are expected to begin falling.

In 2025, stubble burning contributed more than 10% of Delhi’s PM2.5 on eight days. In 2024, it exceeded 20% on 14 days.