New Delhi, Dec. 1 -- The stubble-burning season, tracked from September 15 to November 30, ended on Sunday with only five fires detected across Punjab and Haryana. Data from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute shared with the Commission for Air Quality Management shows that farm fire counts have halved in both states compared to last year, easing their annual impact on Delhi's winter air quality. Punjab reported 5,114 fires this season, sharply down from 10,909 last year. Previous years recorded far higher numbers: 36,663 in 2023, 49,922 in 2022, 71,304 in 2021 and 83,002 in 2020. Haryana logged just 662 fires, its lowest in five years. The state had 1,406 fires last year; 2,303 in 2023; 3,661 in 2022; 6,987 in 2021 and 4,202 in 2020. Experts said while some fires may go undetected due to gaps in satellite capture, the overall downward trend is consistent. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment, said, "While the exact figures may not be fully accurate, as some farmers may be burning fields when the satellite is not capturing data, overall we know there is a reduction, which is down to both in-situ and ex-situ measures." She added that the reduced stubble impact helped keep Delhi's AQI peaks lower this year. "This year, we have seen the peak contribution from farm fires to be much lower than previous years. A combination of reduced impact from stubble burning and an early Diwali may be a factor," she said. Data from the Decision Support System shows the peak contribution of farm fires to Delhi's pollution reached 22.4 percent on November 12, after which it declined rapidly to 0.84 percent on Saturday. The daily contribution crossed 10 percent on only eight days this season. This year's peak was significantly lower than previous seasons: 35.1 percent on November 1 last year; 35 percent on November 3 in 2023 and 2022; and 48 percent on November 6 in 2021. However, while Punjab and Haryana improved, fire counts rose in neighbouring states. Rajasthan recorded 2,890 fires this season, up from 2,772 last year. Uttar Pradesh logged 7,290 fires, compared to 6,142 last season. Madhya Pradesh saw the sharpest rise, with 17,067 fires this year versus 16,360 last year....