The latest satellite observations also reveal a significant change in the pattern of stubble burning between India and Pakistan.
According to a report by Pakistan’s Dawn, satellite-detected crop fires in Indian Punjab fell by 95% between 2021 and 2025. In contrast, Pakistan recorded a 33% increase in such fires between 2019 and 2025.
The annual crop stubble burning in Pakistan and northwest India is now in full swing. AQI is already in hazardous category from Lahore to Agra.
Diwali is about a week away.
Data source: November 01 2026, https://t.co/kY8xaaoAI2 https://t.co/8XiKLA3TRV
— Tapesh Yadav (@tapeshyadav_usa) November 1, 2026
The figures mark a reversal of the situation in 2019, when Indian Punjab recorded almost five times as many crop-fire detections as Pakistan’s Punjab.
Meanwhile, untimely rainfall in northern India during October disrupted harvesting schedules in several areas. The rainfall was linked to Cyclone Arnab. A senior Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official told The Print that many farmers were unable to harvest their fields on time and could now rush to clear the remaining crop residue.
This could lead to more stubble-burning incidents in the coming days, adding to the existing pollution burden.