Punjab farm fires spiked to 1,152 on Diwali day?

checkthis · automated fact-check · How we check · Reel by @anirudhhbriefs

The statistics cited in the Reel regarding Punjab's farm fire spike on Diwali 2026 are accurate and supported by official satellite data. Official data from ISRO and the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre confirms that Punjab recorded a season-high 1,152 farm fires on Diwali day (November 8, 2026), up from 163 the previous day. Indian Express and The Hindu reported that 20 of Punjab's 23 districts saw an increase in stubble burning, driving regional pollution alongside local emissions and firecrackers.

6 claims checked
2 sources
Checked 10 Nov 2026
Main source: 1,152 farm fires on Diwali day reverse Punjab's stubble-burning progress | Chandigarh News - The Indian Express

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The Reel we checked

@anirudhhbriefs

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What we checked

Punjab recorded 1,152 satellite-detected farm-fire events on November 8, 2026, compared to 163 on November 7, 2026.“The 1,152 fires detected on November 8 were nearly seven times the 163 recorded on November 7, marking a staggering 606.7 per cent day-on-day increase.”1,152 farm fires on Diwali day reverse Punjab's stubble-burning progress | Chandigarh News - The Indian Express

Punjab's cumulative farm-fire count was 2.3% lower than the corresponding period in the previous year up to November 7, and became 23.1% higher by November 8.“The 1,152 fires detected on November 8 were nearly seven times the 163 recorded on November 7, marking a staggering 606.7 per cent day-on-day increase.”1,152 farm fires on Diwali day reverse Punjab's stubble-burning progress | Chandigarh News - The Indian Express

Punjab's previous seasonal single-day record of farm fires was 584.“The 1,152 fires detected on November 8 were nearly seven times the 163 recorded on November 7, marking a staggering 606.7 per cent day-on-day increase.”1,152 farm fires on Diwali day reverse Punjab's stubble-burning progress | Chandigarh News - The Indian Express

58.5% of the preceding seven days' detected farm fires in Punjab occurred on Diwali day.“The 1,152 fires detected on November 8 were nearly seven times the 163 recorded on November 7, marking a staggering 606.7 per cent day-on-day increase.”1,152 farm fires on Diwali day reverse Punjab's stubble-burning progress | Chandigarh News - The Indian Express

20 out of Punjab's 23 districts witnessed an increase in farm fire incidents on November 8, 2026.“As many as 20 of Punjab’s 23 districts recorded more active fire events on November 8 than on November 7”1,152 farm fires on Diwali day reverse Punjab's stubble-burning progress | Chandigarh News - The Indian Express

Punjab recorded 989 additional fire events on November 8 compared to the previous day.No reliable source found for this yet.

Connected

The same claim was checked in another Reel (@battle.mind, 2026-11-10): “Between 1-29 Oct 2026, NASA satellite fire detections showed Pakistan's Punjab had 13,241 fires while India's…”, found true (see it)

What the Reel doesn't tell you

Punjab recorded 1,152 satellite-detected farm fires on Diwali day (November 8, 2026), bringing the seasonal cumulative count to 4,459 (Indian Express, The Hindu).
Police registered 1,442 FIRs and imposed Rs 7.28 crore in environmental fines in Punjab for stubble burning up to November 9, 2026 (Times of India, DD India).
Delhi's AQI reached 'very poor' to 'severe' levels around Diwali, driven by a combination of stubble burning, firecrackers, and vehicular emissions (Hindustan Times, The Hindu).

Short version

✅ TRUE 👉 Punjab recorded a season-high 1,152 farm fires on Diwali day in 2026, marking a significant spike from the previous day. 👉 Official satellite data from ISRO and the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre confirms the 1,152 farm fires recorded on November 8, 2026. 📰 Source: Indian Express 🔎 Full check: send this Reel to @checkthis.chat