The mass burning of agricultural stubble in Punjab - a key driver of toxic air across the Indo-Gangetic plains and especially the NCR - returns to debate every year. While state governments claim that farm-fire incidents are falling, a new iFOREST study, echoed by an NDTV independent investigation last year, reveals a significant undercount of these fires.
Why? Because farmers are burning stubble after 3 pm, when no satellites are passing overhead. With nearly 90% of large fires taking place during this "blind window," the official data dramatically underreports the actual scale of burning. This "hidden fire zone" may be a major reason behind severe pollution spikes and worsening smog levels despite lower reported fire numbers.
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