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Journalism of Courage
The impact of stubble burning in its neighbourhood is expected to be seen in Delhi in the coming three days as farm fire incidents start to increase in Punjab. Prevailing winds are also expected to aid the transport of emissions from northwest India to the Capital.
On Wednesday, Punjab reported 69 farm fires – the highest single-day spike since September 15. The overall farm fire figures in the state are still the lowest since the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) started maintaining data in 2020. (See box)
Between September 15 and October 22, 1,919 incidents of stubble burning have been recorded, with Punjab (484), Uttar Pradesh (704), and Madhya Pradesh (378) leading the count.
So far, the overall contribution of farm fires to Delhi’s pollution has been under 3%. In the past, this has gone up to 40% at the peak of the stubble burning activity in states surrounding Delhi.
Among the reasons that farm fire incidents in Punjab are low is flooding in Punjab last month, which has delayed harvest.
According to experts, as harvest picks up pace, incidents of farm fires are also expected to rise. “The peak of farm fires is expected in the second week of November,” a senior official from the Punjab Agriculture department said.
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