Friday, March 29, 2024

Pollution alert in Delhi after Haryana, Punjab crop burning

Date:

Chandigarh, May 5: Delhi and neighbouring areas face prospects of pollution from crop burning now that harvesting is reaching its peak, though the extent of smoke may be lesser this year.

Wheat stubble burning is set to rise in Haryana and Punjab, where rain had brought relief in the recent days.

Officials say that stubble burning has come down by almost 60% in Punjab in April while such incidents are 30% less in Haryana so far as per data evaluated from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer suite (VIIRS), Suomi NASA. But experts are anxious as the stubble burning prevails till May 15 in the states as farmers prepare fields for Kharif crop.

While burning of paddy in kharif poses graver concern in winters due to concentration of toxic residue, the pollution is well distributed in summers due to higher temperature.

This week the rains has brought down the stubble burning incidents. “Fire is more prevalent in districts of Kaithal, Karnal, Rohtak, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Panipat compared to Southern districts,” chief scientist Haryana Space Applications Centre, Dr RS Hooda told ET.

As many as 1465 fire incidents have been assessed in Haryana so far compared to 2027 in the last year by this time of the year, he said.

Hooda said that the latest ground situation on stubble burning is send through SMS to over hundred officials stationed across districts every day.

In Punjab the number of fire incidents has come down to 1030 from April 21-29 this year compared to 3333 in the same period last year, as per data from VIIRS. “There is noticeable decrease in stubble burning so far,” says chief environmental engineer, Punjab Pollution Control Board Krunesh Garg.

The impact of stubble burning is less in wheat season as much of the stubble is used as fodder and also mixed with soil while paddy stubble is high silica content.

“It not just lead to poor quality of ambient air but affects soil quality,” Manmohan Kalia, joint director Punjab agriculture department said.

Source Economic Times

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