Farmers change stubble burning timings to dodge satellites
Farmers in northern India have started burning crop stubble later in the day—mostly between 4 and 6pm—resulting in many fires going undetected by regular satellites like MODIS and VIIRS.
NASA noticed this shift during the 2025 season, and this change may make pollution harder to detect and could worsen overnight pollution buildup across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, hitting cities like Delhi especially hard from October to December.
Why evening fires are a bigger problem
Burning fields in the evening means smoke gets trapped closer to the ground because there's less wind and a lower boundary layer at that time.
Recent satellite data shows fire incidents in Punjab and Haryana are up from last year, even if not at record highs.
Experts say we need more frequent satellite checks and updated policies to keep up with these changing practices and better protect air quality.