Delhi begins October with cleanest air in years as farm fires hit record low

The respite, however, may be short-lived. Historically, the number of farm fires rises sharply after October 15, when paddy harvesting accelerates in Punjab and Haryana

Delhi is witnessing one of its cleanest starts to October in over a decade, with the city’s average air quality index (AQI) hovering around 110 during the first nine days of the month, the lowest level for this period since 2015, a Moneycontrol analysis shows.

The cleaner air coincides with a near-halt in farm fires across Punjab and Haryana, traditionally two of the largest contributors to Delhi’s annual pollution surge. The two states together have reported just one farm fire in the past nine days, compared with 244 incidents last year and more than 1,000 in 2023 during the same period.

Sharpest Fall in Farm Fires in Five Years

Satellite data from remote sensing agencies show that Punjab recorded only 95 fire detections between September 15 and October 9, down from 267 in 2024 and 1,027 in 2023, a reduction of nearly 90 percent in two years.

The fall could be attributed to a combination of factors — late paddy harvesting, tighter government surveillance, and floods in Punjab during September.

Favourable Weather Conditions

The weather has also played a critical role in keeping pollutants from accumulating. Light winds, intermittent rainfall, and slightly delayed stubble burning have helped disperse particulate matter.
The Coming Weeks Will Be Critical

The respite, however, may be short-lived. Historically, the number of farm fires rises sharply after October 15, when paddy harvesting accelerates in Punjab and Haryana.

Delhi’s average AQI for September had already stayed above 100, indicating that while the city’s air has improved this month, sustained clean conditions will depend heavily on farm fire management and favourable weather through the rest of October.