Chandigarh: Smog envelops Tricity, Met says rain likely in two days

According to the Chandigarh Met Department, in the next 48 hours, as the smog subsides, the isolated areas in the Tricity might receive light rain.

THE BURNING of paddy straw by farmers in Punjab has led to deterioration in the air quality in the Tricity, as layers of smog have enveloped Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula.

“The sudden development of smog is not only because of the burning of the paddy crop, but is also because of the movement of the eastern winds towards the region,” said Surinder Paul, director of the Chandigarh Meteorological Department.

He added that the smoggy weather was expected to subside in the next 48 hours, and there was a possibility of rain and thundershowers after November 4. According to the Chandigarh Met Department, in the next 48 hours, as the smog subsides, the isolated areas in the Tricity might receive light rain. The Tricity has also been witnessing a drop in the temperature in the last few days, which is likely to continue in the coming days.

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“Even though stubble-burning is banned, it continues to be practised by a majority of farmers in Punjab to get rid of their residual crops, which has now resulted in smog and a drop in air quality,” Paul added.

Under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, farmers are banned from burning agricultural waste in open fields, but the practice of burning agricultural waste continues majorly in the months of October and November when farmers prepare their fields for the rabi crops.

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