Overview
- NASA analysis using GEO-KOMPSAT-2A shows most crop-residue fires now ignite between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., a shift from early-afternoon peaks observed in prior years.
- The later burn window leads MODIS and VIIRS to miss many events, risking undercounted fire activity and skewed emissions estimates used in air-quality models.
- Independent work by ISRO researchers in Current Science and a December iForest multi-satellite study corroborates the timing change across recent seasons.
- NASA reports 2025 stubble-burning in Punjab and Haryana was moderate relative to recent years, higher than 2019, 2020 and 2024 but lower than 2021–2023.
- Smoke contributed to several days with Delhi’s AQI above 400 that triggered school closures and tighter construction controls, with scientists estimating stubble burning can account for roughly 40–70% on peak days.