'FARM FIRES LEADING TO RISING AIR POLLUTION'

Punjab has seen an increase of at least 28% in farm fire incidents

- DIBYENDU MONDAL

Raging farm fires in Punjab have contributed to air pollution in Delhi and its adjoining areas, with the air quality index showing the national capital's air quality to be 40 times more toxic than the international standards prescribed for clean air.

The air quality in the National Capital Region of Delhi has plummeted to hazardous levels since the last couple of weeks with the PM 2.5 levels shooting up to 500 which is considered as "dangerous" by doctors and environmentalists. PM 2.5 is the dimension of the particulate matter that is present in the air and is almost ten times thinner than the human hair which can easily be inhaled through the nose and these matter settle in the human lungs creating a black soot or spots in human lungs.

The air quality data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for the National Capital over the last one month shows that as the farm fires kept increasing in Punjab and the weather conditions in northern India became unfavourable with calm winds and dipping temperatures, Delhi got covered with a thick blanket of smog (smoke+fog).

According to CPCB data, the air quality index in Delhi increased from 150 to 500 in the last one month. The CPCB data also shows that since the 24th of October, the air quality index shot up by 50% and it is also during the same time when stubble burning across the state of Punjab and in some of parts of Haryana began to pick up.

The Punjab government's own pollution and farm fire dashboard shows that a total of 26,543 farm fire incidents have been reported from the state, while the maximum number of farm fires have been reported from the Sangrur district, that is represented by the Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann. Apart from Sangrur, Barnala, Bhatinda, Firozpur, Moga, Mansa and Mukhtasar are some of the other districts of Punjab that are currently reporting more than 150 incidents of farm fire.