Haryana’s April crop fires jump 2x year-on-year, satellite data shows

Village-level camps and enforcement are being stepped up over the next two weeks. Vigilance squads comprising local police and administrative officials are on alert. Site investigations are underway to distinguish between accidental and intentional burning. Officials note that anticipated rains in May ahead of the paddy sowing season may completely stop burning.

Officials note that satellite detections may include kerbside fires, garbage fires and short-circuit-induced blazes, along with intentional burning which is a crime under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Section 223). No penalties or FIRs have been registered against farmers in Gurugram and Sonipat; red-entry actions are under process in Jhajjar, Panipat, Karnal and other districts.

During March and April 2026, wheat is harvested and fields are cleared for the next crop season. Jhajjar and Panipat have mostly seen no significant change, while Bhiwani shows a 60% drop to 24 AFLs in 2026 from 40 in 2025. In Gurugram, 14 of 19 farm fires were reported to be accidental.

Satellite-based active crop fire locations detected by HARSAC show around 900 AFLs between April 1 and 30, 2026, up from about 450 in April 2025. Jhajjar reported 154, Rohtak 150, Karnal 111, Panipat 85 and Jind 80—the highest counts. Other districts recorded fewer incidents, including Sirsa 60, Kaithal 50 and Palwal 35; in southern Haryana, Nuh had 10, Gurugram 19 and Faridabad 17. Mahendragarh reported zero; Panchkula 1; Yamuna Nagar 5; Charkhi Dadri and Kurukshetra 6 each; Ambala 10. The AFLs include intentional burning as well as accidental fires caused by climatic factors, heat, and short circuits.

The report notes that in April 2025, Bhiwani district recorded 40 crop-residue fire incidents as a baseline referenced for year-on-year comparisons.