50% of stubble yet to be cleared; fires still rising

Officials in Punjab on Thursday said that nearly half of the state's paddy stubble remains standing in fields, signaling that the peak of farm fires—and the resulting impact on air quality—is yet to come.

- Gurpreet Singh Nibber

With farmers facing pressure to clear fields for the upcoming winter crop, experts warn that an increase in stubble fires is imminent.

In the two weeks since Diwali, which was celebrated on October 31, stubble-burning incidents have doubled compared to the fortnight preceding the festival, indicating the mounting scale of emissions that are sweeping across north India. The data presents a stark figure for everyone downwind from the state in north India, and particularly Delhi which is currently relenting under its first spell of "severe" air.

According to official data, Punjab's remote sensing centre has recorded 2,466 cases of stubble burning from September 15 to October 30. In the past 15 days, that number has more than doubled, with an additional 5,160 stubble fires reported.