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Punjab Farm Fires Hit Six-Year Low as UP, MP, Rajasthan See Dangerous Rise

New IARI data shows Punjab’s farm fires dropping 94% in six years, while Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan report a sharp rise in stubble-burning cases.

November 29, 2025
in National

Punjab Farm Fires Hit Six-Year Low as UP, MP, Rajasthan See Dangerous Rise

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As the stubble-burning season nears its end, new satellite data shows a major shift in where North India’s crop residue is being burned. Punjab, long seen as the epicentre of the problem, has recorded its lowest farm fire count in six years, while Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are reporting an unsettling surge.

According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s dataset for the period between September 15 and November 28, Punjab’s progress is dramatic. The state reported 82,842 stubble-burning incidents in 2020. This year, the number has plunged to just 5,106—a 94 per cent drop. Even compared to last year, cases have halved from 10,821 to 5,106.

Haryana follows a similar path, though on a smaller scale. Its farm fire count has fallen from 4,063 in 2020 to 652 in 2025. Once responsible for a bulk of winter pollution episodes in the region, Punjab and Haryana now account for a much smaller share of the crop-burning load.

A Rajya Sabha response noted that the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s Decision Support System estimated stubble burning contributed an average of 10.6 per cent to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels between October 8 and December 7, 2024, peaking at 35 per cent during the worst smog days.

But the drop in northwest states is being offset elsewhere. Uttar Pradesh has recorded its highest farm fire count in six years. The number has risen from 4,060 in 2020 to 6,575 this year, with eastern UP—where paddy cultivation is concentrated—driving the spike.

Madhya Pradesh’s rise is even sharper. It logged 13,986 fires in 2020, a figure that has climbed to 16,178 in 2025—now surpassing Punjab and Haryana combined. The latest IARI bulletin shows dense clusters across central and northeastern MP.

Rajasthan, too, continues its gradual but steady climb. Cases have increased from 1,682 in 2020 to 2,883 this year. Districts such as Hanumangarh, Ganganagar, Bundi and Kota account for a significant share, with Hanumangarh alone recording 1,110 fires—nearly 40 per cent of the state’s total.

The shifting pattern highlights a clear imbalance in support systems. While Punjab and Haryana have invested heavily in stubble-management machinery, monitoring and crop diversification, several other states lack adequate equipment, incentives and awareness. With alternatives still limited, farmers in these regions continue to rely on burning as the quickest option.