Delhi air pollution: NASA shows rise in Punjab farm fires during weekend | See photo
fires was shown by the NASA Worldview portal during the weekend (November 4 and 5). Farm fires in Punjab are one of the biggest reasons behind aggravated air quality in the national capital Delhi. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered one of the major reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh in October and November every year, according to environmentalists.
As the window for sowing wheat, a key rabi crop is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue. Yesterday, 3,230 farm fires, the highest in a day so far this season were reported by PTI. Out of the 3,230 stubble-burning incidents reported on Sunday, Sangrur reported the maximum at 551.
This was followed by 299 in Ferozepur, 293 in Mansa, 247 in Bathinda, 189 in Barnala, 179 in Moga, 177 in Tarn Taran, and 169 in Patiala. So far, 17,403 farm fire incidents have occurred in Punjab alone this year as per the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre data. Farm fires reported in November constitute 56% of the total stubble-burning incidents this season, the data showed.
Can air pollution lead to cancer? Experts explore the link Punjab recorded 49,922 stubble burning incidents in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019, and 50,590 in 2018, it stated. Both in Punjab and Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party is in power, therefore, BJP has accused AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of failing to tackle the pollution crisis in the national capital. Last week, a group of farmers allegedly defied the orders of a farm fire prevention team and forced an officer to set a heap of stubble on fire in Punjab's Bathinda district.
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