Mostly local factors behind rising Delhi pollution even as stubble burning goes up in Punjab
AQI reading of 325, compared to the previous day's 304. This increase was attributed to persistent pollution, particularly from stubble burning in Punjab, which surpassed 1,000 incidents for the first time this season, according to remote sensing data.
Despite the Punjab government's commitment to making certain districts stubble burning-free, such incidents were reported.
However, local sources of pollution played a significant role in Delhi's AQI, with calm winds hindering the dispersion of emissions and minimal intrusion from neighbouring states.
Various areas, including Mundka, Jawahar Nagar, and Jahangirpuri, witnessing fluctuating AQI levels between 'very poor' and 'severe' throughout the day. Pollution monitoring agencies predicted that Delhi's AQI would likely remain 'very poor' for the next two to three days and persist in the same range for the subsequent six days.
Weather analysts highlighted the necessity for strong winds to disperse accumulated pollutants.
At present, low wind speeds, especially from the east at around 4-5 kmph, hindered the ventilation of pollutants, leading to the accumulation of new particles. Unfortunately, there was no expectation of a significant increase in wind speed over the next two to three days.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice Chairman of Climate Change and Meteorology at SkyMet, emphasized the predominant contribution of local sources to Delhi's pollution, with minimal intrusion from Punjab and Haryana due to low wind speeds.
Vehicular emissions within Delhi accounted for 17% of the city's net PM2.5, while crop burning contributed around 10%.
Punjab recorded 1,068 stubble burning incidents on Sunday, the highest this season. Although the state has reported fewer incidents compared to
