Patiala, Oct. 5 -- Punjab has reported a five-day pause in farm fire incidents, with no new cases recorded since September 30, according to data from the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). This comes as a surprise during the peak paddy harvest season, a period typically marked by widespread stubble burning across the state.

However, the lack of farm fire updates is primarily due to the temporary suspension of NASA's satellite data services. The suspension, caused by a lapse in the US federal government funding, has left Indian authorities without their usual source of satellite imagery for real-time monitoring of stubble burning.

An official advisory on NASA's website reads: "Due to the lapse in federal government funding, NASA is n...