STUBBLE BURNING DECLINES, BUT DELHI'S AIR QUALITY STAYS POOR

CHANDIGARH Despite a significant decline in stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana this year, Delhi's air quality remains hazardous, spotlighting local sources as key contributors to the toxic haze over the national capital.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

With farm fires down by 74% in Punjab and over 44% in Haryana compared to previous years, experts and officials are questioning whether stubble burning is truly the primary culprit behind Delhi's persistent air pollution issues.

As Delhi's residents continue to face severe pollution, allegations against farmers in neighbouring states persist. Every year, from October to November, farmers burn crop stubble left over from paddy harvesting to prepare fields for wheat. Critics argue that the smoke from these fires releases high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and other pollutants into the atmosphere, exacerbating air quality problems in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). Yet, some experts contend that stubble burning is only a part of the equation, with local sources accounting for the majority of the pollution.

Farm fires in Punjab have drastically reduced from 22,981 incidents between 15 September and 8 November in 2022 to 6,029 incidents during the same period this year. Haryana reported only 906 cases, down from 1,605 last year.

Despite this decline, Delhi's air quality has continued to degrade, with no days recorded in the "good" category. Local sources, including vehicular and industrial emissions, seem to be filling the gap left by the reduction in stubble burning.

A recent research report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) underscores the role of local pollution sources, with vehicular emissions emerging as the primary contributor. The emission inventory studies for Delhi, including those conducted by IIT Kanpur in 2015 and TERI-ARAI in 2018, suggest that the transport sector alone contributes between 20% and 41% of PM2.5 levels in the city.