<h3 data-start="189" data-end="263">Farm Fires Surge Again as Delhi&rsquo;s Air Quality Teeters on the Brink</h3>
Delhi&rsquo;s fragile air quality is on the edge once again. In the past few days, Punjab has witnessed a sharp rise in stubble burning, reporting 69 farm fires in a single day &mdash; the highest of this season &mdash; taking the total count to 484 incidentsso far. With northwesterly winds carrying smoke from these fires straight into the National Capital Region, Delhi&rsquo;s PM 2.5 levels are expected to surge, worsening the already &ldquo;poor to severe&rdquo; air category.
Ironically, this deterioration follows a brief respite earlier this month. Heavy flooding in Punjab and Haryana had caused a 77 per cent drop in stubble burning incidents during early October, offering temporary hope that Delhi might breathe easier this year. Between 1&ndash;12 October, satellite data showed just 175 fire incidents, compared to 779 last year. But the recent spike in numbers underscores how fragile and short-lived that improvement was.
Districts like Tarn Taran and Ferozepur have emerged as new hotspots, reporting 18 and 14 fresh cases respectively. Despite ongoing enforcement drives and awareness campaigns, the persistence of stubble burning highlights the limits of punitive action. The state police have registered 172 FIRs, imposed 189 penalties, and marked 165 red entries in land records against violators. Authorities claim a &ldquo;near four-fold reduction&rdquo; in cases compared to past years &mdash; yet the haze tells a different story.
ALSO READ: https://www.benefitnews24.com/environment/ozone-fades-pm2-5-rises-post-diwali-in-delhi/21245
Delhi&rsquo;s post-Diwali pollution spike only compounds the crisis. Even when farm fires were fewer, PM 2.5 concentrations breached the &ldquo;severe&rdquo; threshold, proving that local emissions &mdash; vehicular exhaust, construction dust, and industrial smoke &mdash; remain equally culpable. Experts warn that with farm fire numbers now rising rapidly, the combined effect could choke Delhi&rsquo;s air through early November.
Meanwhile, Punjab&rsquo;s newly formed &lsquo;Parali Protection Force&rsquo; has been tasked with ground-level monitoring and farmer sensitisation. But unless sustainable residue management, financial incentives, and technology-based solutions reach farmers swiftly, the cycle of fire and smog will continue &mdash; season after season.
Delhi may soon be forced to confront its toughest air season yet, as the capital gasps beneath a toxic haze that knows no borders.

After Punjab’s spike in farm fires, Delhi’s already toxic air may turn deadlier

Farm Fires Rise, Delhi Air Quality Worsens

After Punjab’s spike in farm fires, Delhi’s already toxic air may turn deadlier

October 28, 2025 | 06:11 IST