Crop-fire detections in Pakistan’s Punjab were 4.2 times higher than in Indian Punjab during the first 29 days of October, according to satellite data, as the province grapples with worsening smog.
uncertain
province → accord → smog
According to an analysis published by environmental monitoring website HamariHawa, Nasa satellites detected 13,241 fire spots in Pakistan’s Punjab between October 1 and 29, compared with 3,158 in Indian Punjab — 4.2 times as many detections.
uncertain
satellites → accord → Punjab
The report, based on data from Nasa’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), collected through VIIRS instruments aboard the Suomi NPP, NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellites, found that 92 per cent of the detected fire spots in Pakistan’s Punjab were located on farmland and were likely associated with crop burning.
asserted
cent → base → burning
The analysis also found that 6,655 fire spots, around half of the monthly total, were detected during the last seven days of October, indicating an increase in burning activity.
asserted
spots → find → activity
October 29 was the busiest day, with 1,327 fire spots recorded in Pakistan’s Punjab.
asserted
spots → record → Punjab
A comparison based solely on data from the Suomi NPP satellite, which provides a consistent basis for examining trends over different years, showed that 4,562 fire spots were detected in Pakistan’s Punjab, compared with 918 in Indian Punjab, between October 1 and 29.
asserted
spots → base → October
The findings mark a reversal of the situation in 2019, when Indian Punjab recorded almost five times as many fire detections as Pakistan’s Punjab during the same period, with 14,002 compared with 2,908.
asserted
Punjab → mark → 2,908
HamariHawa’s historical analysis showed that Indian Punjab reduced its satellite-detected crop fires by 95 per cent between 2021 and 2025, while detections in Pakistan’s Punjab increased by 33 per cent between 2019 and 2025.
asserted
detections → show → 2019
In 2025, Pakistan’s Punjab recorded 12,364 fire spots, compared with 3,714 in Indian Punjab — 3.3 times as many.
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Punjab → record → Punjab
The latest data showed that agricultural burning in Pakistan’s Punjab was concentrated in the rice-growing belt around Lahore.
asserted
burning → show → Lahore
Okara recorded the highest number of fire spots, at 2,144, followed by Gujranwala with 1,011 and Nankana Sahib with 1,003 between October 1 and 29.
asserted
Okara → record → October
The three districts collectively recorded 4,158 fire spots, exceeding the total of 3,158 detections recorded across Indian Punjab during the same period.
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districts → record → period
Pakpattan recorded 922 fire spots, followed by Sheikhupura with 756, Hafizabad with 713, Dera Ghazi Khan with 710, Kasur with 699, Khanewal with 682 and Jhang with 676.
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Pakpattan → record → 676
The report noted that these districts lie around Lahore, meaning smoke from agricultural fires across different parts of the province could contribute to the city’s deteriorating air quality, depending on wind direction.
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smoke → note → direction
However, the website cautioned that satellite detections indicate locations where fires were burning when satellites passed overhead and do not measure the area burnt or the volume of smoke produced.
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satellites → caution → smoke
Fires occurring between satellite passes, or those obscured by clouds and thick smoke, may also go undetected.
uncertain
Fires → occur → clouds
HamariHawa said it had used the same methodology on both sides of the border and cross-checked its figures for Indian Punjab against official Indian fire counts, finding a strong correlation between the two datasets.
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it → say → datasets
It also pointed out that Pakistan had no comparable publicly available official daily fire-count series.
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Pakistan → point → series
The satellite findings come as the Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) intensifies its pre-smog enforcement campaign across the province, combining action against brick kilns, industrial pollution, plastic burning and construction dust with measures to prevent agricultural fires.
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Agency → come → fires
According to official figures for Sept 28 to Oct 27, the agency inspected 11,580 brick kilns, demolished 197 non-compliant kilns, sealed 163 units and registered 162 cases.
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agency → accord → cases
Fines amounting to Rs40.7 million were also imposed during the operation.
asserted
Fines → amount → operation
Industrial pollution was another target, with 6,650 industrial units inspected, 22 demolished and 191 sealed.
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191 → inspect → ?
Officials issued 333 smog notices, registered 15 cases and imposed fines totalling Rs28m.
The agency also conducted 6,064 inspections targeting plastic burning, sealed 152 sites and confiscated 45,100 kilogrammes of plastic.
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agency → issue → plastic
In a separate exercise to monitor the installation of suction hoods at industrial facilities, 4,204 units were inspected, of which 1,863 had installed the required equipment.
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1,863 → monitor → equipment
A total of 333 non-compliant sites were sealed.
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total → seal → sites
To control dust from construction activities, operations were conducted in 397 union councils, with mist sprinklers installed at 49 locations.
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sprinklers → control → locations
In agricultural areas, the Punjab government has deployed 67 Quick Response Units (QRUs) to identify and prevent crop-residue burning through satellite-based fire detection and field monitoring.
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government → deploy → detection
The teams are tasked with reaching fire hotspots, extinguishing fires and taking action against those responsible.
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teams → task → those
The department has also deployed drones, special night squads and field teams to identify pollution sources and enforce environmental regulations.
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department → deploy → regulations
Anti-smog guns are being operated at selected locations across Lahore to suppress suspended dust particles.
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guns → operate → particles
Meanwhile, according to the live air quality ranking published by Swiss air quality monitoring platform IQAir, Lahore recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 232 at 1pm on October 31, placing it at the top of the list of the world’s major cities.
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Lahore → accord → cities
The readings placed Lahore in the ‘very unhealthy’ category .
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readings → place → category
Director General Environment Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh said the department was implementing a zero-tolerance policy against pollution, with enforcement teams remaining active during the day and at night.
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teams → say → night
He said action through fines, registration of cases and sealing of premises would continue against those violating environmental laws.
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action → say → laws
The satellite findings, meanwhile, highlight the challenge of controlling agricultural fires, particularly in districts surrounding Lahore, as the province enters the period when crop-residue burning and other pollution sources can combine to aggravate winter smog.
asserted
burning → highlight → smog
The Aporia
