Large-scale farm fires in Pakistan may worsen air quality, warn experts

Large-scale stubble burning in neighbouring Pakistan may play a significant role in worsening pollution levels in the northern part of India, warned experts.

Professor of environmental health at the PGIMER Ravindra Khaiwal said the satellite data showed a sharp contrast in farm fires on both sides of the border.

Khaiwal is also the nodal faculty officer at the Centre of Excellence on Climate Change and Air Pollution-Related Illness under the Union Health Ministry.

“Between October 8 and 15, the fire count disparity between Indian Punjab (47) and Pakistani Punjab (1,161) was stark, with Pakistan’s side witnessing far greater fire activity,” he added.

In Pakistan, Kasur, Okara and Pakpattan districts have emerged as major hotspots. Okara alone accounting for about 36.3 per cent of all detected fires in the neighbouring country.

Last year, Lahore had reported its worst air quality, with authorities there blaming stubble burning by farmers in Indian Punjab for high pollution levels.

‘Monitoring situation’

Khaiwal said the prevailing northwest-to-southeast wind patterns could be carrying smoke and fine particulate matter from Pakistan’s Punjab into southeastern parts of India, raising trans-boundary air-quality concerns.

A senior expert from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi also acknowledged the development.

“We are witnessing farm fires near border areas on the Pakistan side. Unfortunately, we have no control over events outside our geographical boundary,” the official said.

Pollution levels concerning

Meanwhile, 22 scientists currently monitoring air pollution have observed that although stubble-burning incidents in Indian Punjab have declined this year, the overall air quality has not shown a proportional improvement.

This has led to speculation that residue burning across the border might be occurring at times or under conditions that evade satellite detection.

Afternoon geostationary satellite images have captured thick smoke plumes drifting eastward, confirming the broader regional impact.

Khaiwal said current weather conditions — with wind speeds of 6–12 km/hour blowing from the northwest and smog or shallow fog forming during evening and night hours — were conducive to the spread of pollutants in the air. The flat terrain of the Punjab plains, he noted, allows pollutants to move freely across the border with little natural resistance.

208 incidents in state so far

Twenty cases of stubble burning were reported on Friday, taking the total count of farm fires to 208 in the state. As many as 1,289 and 1,389 incidents were reported during the corresponding period in 2024 and 2023, respectively