Experts say more effective ways to monitor stubble burning are required.

• Delhi’s air quality is deteriorating due to a decrease in stubble burning in Punjab, despite a five-year decline.
• Experts suggest that satellite-based tracking of farm fires by government agencies may be underreporting the number of fires.
• Hiren Jethva, a researcher at Morgan State University, suggests that the drop in fires from Punjab may be an illusion.
• Fire counts are based on heat-sensing instruments on two American satellites, Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20.
• The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on these satellites can detect aerosols, smoke, and heat, making them the most accurate to track wildfires globally.
• Another satellite, the GEO-KOMSAT 2A, suggests a spike in smoke and fires in Punjab province in Pakistan and Punjab in India.
• As of November 17, there have been 42,314 fires reported since September 15, the lowest since 2012.
• Other researchers suggest that relying solely on fire counts from polar satellites may be inadequate.
• Eastern Pakistan has reported a massive spike in air pollution in the past 10 days, potentially causing significant pollutants across the border.