NEW DELHI: The System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, on Thursday flagged an increase in stubble burning fires around Punjab, Haryana, and as well as areas surrounding Delhi, which, every year, severely affects the air quality in the national capital.
As per the forecasting system, the air quality of the national capital is deteriorating day-by day, with the particulate matter with diameters of 2.5 and 10 microns, which are too small to be filtered out of the body, increasing to 157 and 55 micrograms per cubic metre, respectively. Coarse dust particles are the lead pollutant.
The air quality index of the national capital is likely to deteriorate and reach the lower end of the poor category on October 3 and 4. It will cross the 200-mark on October 3. “An increase in stubble burning fires was observed yesterday (Wednesday) around Punjab, Haryana, and neighbouring border regions,” SAFAR reported.
Burning of stubble in these two states marks the beginning of a highly-polluted period which goes on to last for about three months. The farmers harvest rice in October, which leaves them about three weeks before the next round of wheat sowing is to begin. With cheap labour no longer available, and machinery to extract the crop residue or stubble expensive or unavailable, the farmers resort to the easiest possible option which is to burn the stubble to prepare the fields.