Despite an official indication of a decline in stubble burning this year, some experts have expressed concerns that farm fires by farmers in north-west India and Pakistan may be planned to avoid detection by satellites.

Thermal power plants emit sulfur dioxide (SO₂) year-round at levels 240 times greater than stubble burning, a seasonal contributor to air pollution responsible for 17.8 kilotonnes of SO₂ emissions annually, according to a paper published by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Punjab recorded the highest number of stubble-burning cases on Monday. This comes as Delhi has been witnessing alarming air pollution levels for the past two days. On Sunday, the AQI level breached 450 in the national capital.