The burning of paddy straw is at its peak after harvest, when farmers have very little time left before planting wheat. Stubble burning Punjab, In Punjab, farm fires decreased by 54 percent in 2025 with 5,114 incidents.
Why Do Fires Keep Coming Back?
The paddy straw becomes unusable in 76 days’ time between September 15 and November 30, and it is on its peak from October 15 to November 15. Every year, the region produces almost 19 million tonnes of straw, and lots of farmers burn it to clean the land easily.
What Happened in 2025?
The amount of straw used in Punjab increased from 5.96 million tonnes in 2024 up to 7.06 million, while the number of police reports for farmers in Punjab and Haryana went down by 66 percent. The floods have led to a significant reduction in fires.
Is the Smog Responsible? – stubble burning Punjab
Partially. In October, as the fires continued to decline, the level of PM2.5 decreased by 15.5 percent in Delhi. Nevertheless, in November 2025, the amount of pollution was still one of the highest in recent years, so agricultural fires are not the only cause.
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