Stubble burning contributes to 3% of Delhi pollution; lowest this month

On November 5, stubble burning accounted for 33 per cent of Delhi’s air pollution, which was the highest for the month.

Stubble burning accounted for just 3% of Delhi’s air pollution on Wednesday, the lowest for this month, according to a government agency.

The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said the national capital’s air quality “improved significantly” on Wednesday as overnight rains washed away bigger pollutants, giving some respite to the city which has been reeling under “severe” pollution for the past one week.

The impact of PM 2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) in the pollution in the national capital has been marginal in the last couple of days as stubble burning in the neighbouring states declined significantly.

Stubble burning accounted for just 3% of the pollution in Delhi on Wednesday, the lowest for this month, SAFAR said.

“Stubble fire is unlikely to impact Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) as fire counts are significantly down and winds are also flowing from other direction,” it said in a report.

On November 5, stubble burning accounted for 33 per cent of Delhi’s air pollution, which was the highest for the month.

A number of local as well as regional factors have been contributing towards increase of pollution in Delhi.

Stubble burning in neighbouring states combined with some factors in Delhi such as vehicular emissions, industrial pollution and smoke from firecrackers around Diwali plague the national capital’s air quality every year.

This year too, the pollution level spiked to “severe-plus emergency” level due to rampant burning of firecrackers leading to the formation of blanket of smoke across Delhi.

Delhi’s air quality last Thursday went off the charts as smog caused due bursting of firecrackers engulfed the national capital. The AQI that that was recorded at 642.