4 But rains in Punjab, not reasonable farmers, explain lower farm fires this year

The decline in farm fires suggested by satellite data needs to read with caution, as far as their long-term management is concerned. Data suggests that at least some of the decline in fires could be the result of the weather rather than farmers not resorting to stubble burning. For instance, although it hasn’t rained in Delhi, it rained on five days in Punjab in the first three weeks of November, the period up to when farm fires last significantly. Since 2016, it had rained on more days in November only in 2019 (seven days). It was also one of the rainier years in Haryana, where farm fires are significant even though much lower than in Punjab.