Delhi-NCR fears air pollution as farmers continue stubble burning

The farmers of Punjab and Haryana have started their annual exercise of burning crop stubble to prepare the fields for rabi (winter) crops and due to this practice of large area the air quality Delhi -NCR has started deteriorating.

The national capital's air quality was recorded in the poor category Thursday morning and it is likely to deteriorate further due to unfavourable meteorological conditions and spike in farm fires.
The city recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 201 at 9 am, which falls in the poor category.

Delhi's air quality had turned poor even on Wednesday, the first time in since June 29, with the Central Pollution Control Board recording a 24-hour average AQI of 215. It was 178 on Tuesday.

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An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday agreed to examine a suggestion that a portion of Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be withheld from farmers and released later only after verification that they didn’t burn stubble.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by environmental activist and class 12 student Aditya Dubey and law student Aman Banka who sought directions to provide free of cost stubble removing machines to small and marginal farmers to check high particulate matters in the air.

The petition contended that stubble burning contributes almost 40 per cent of air pollution in Delhi.

The PIL referred to the Harvard University study that air pollution may now be an important factor that aggravates a mild Covid-19 infection into an acute one.

Meanwhile, India's sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions, which contribute to air pollution, recorded a significant decline of approximately six per cent in 2019 as compared to 2018, the steepest dip in four years, a report has said.

However, India continues to occupy the top emitter's position for the fifth consecutive year, the report based on an analysis by Greenpeace India and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), released on Tuesday, said.

Sulphur dioxide is a poisonous air pollutant that increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and premature death.

(With inputs from agencies)