Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the “poor” category, and the contribution of stubble fumes to the city’s PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter and respirable pollutants) load doubled to 22% Saturday from 11% of the day before.according to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi under the earth sciences ministry.
Delhi’s AQI on Saturday was 287 in the poor category, according to the CPCB’s 4 pm bulletin, with PM10 being the main pollutant.
Although the wind speed was around 12 km / h during the day, pollution levels remained low due to stubble fumes from neighboring states and high local pollution, the scientists said. The ventilation index – a function of the mixing height and wind speed and defines the capacity of the atmosphere to disperse pollutants – on Saturday was 10,000 m2 / s. A ventilation rate below 2350 square meters / second is considered poor. Mixing height is the height at which the pollutant mixes into the air.
“A ventilation rate of 10,000 m2 / s was recorded during the day. But at night, the wind is calm and the temperature is low. The ventilation index also drops. Air pollution levels did not deteriorate further just because it was windy during the day. The wind direction is northwest and will continue to be so for the next few days. Stubble fires will affect the air in Delhi, ”said Vijay Soni, scientist at IMD (Air Quality Management Division).
Also read: SC appoints former judge to monitor stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana, UP
Saturday’s data also showed that action against stubble fires has not been as widespread this year, compared to previous years. Far fewer subsidized straw handling machines have reached farmers in Punjab and Haryana this year compared to the past two years, according to data from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). In 2018-19 and 2019-20, around 51,000 machines were distributed. But in 2020-21, for this season, only 9,000 machines have been distributed in Punjab. “Less than half of the machines that were going to be available have reached the farmers. I can’t tell you why this has happened, but the money has already been given to the states for the distribution of machinery, ”said Trilochan Mohapatra, CEO of ICAR.
Anirudh Tiwari, Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Punjab said that around 23,500 machines have been sanctioned for this year. But the Punjab government received 77,000 requests for machines. They then organized a raffle to distribute the machines. But even for people who were selected to buy these machines and get a 50% subsidy, they must pay the full amount up front before the subsidy is transferred to them. To pay the amount up front, they need money that often comes only when the harvest begins. “For example, around 50 lakh tonnes of rice have been harvested and those farmers would have gotten the money to buy the machinery if necessary. We expect 170 lakh tonnes of rice to be purchased during the season. So in areas where there was early harvest like Amritsar, Tarn Taran, etc. people have bought, machines have been delivered and they are also being physically checked so that the subsidy can be paid. It was 9000 machines until last week, now the total number of machines delivered may have increased to more than 10,000, ”he said.
“Agricultural fires will increase in areas where agricultural unrest is high and protests (against new agricultural laws) continue like Barnala, Sangrur, Bhatinda. No official or authorities will go there to control the burning of stubble, so the agricultural fires will continue. Apart from this, fewer machines have been distributed to farmers this year. Not even 30% of the collection is complete. So agricultural fires will peak next week in Punjab, ”said Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Punjab.
Also read: Agricultural fires increase in Punjab, Haryana despite guarantees
“There was hardly any wind until 7.30 in the morning today. Now the winds are blowing in a northwesterly direction at a speed of only 5 km / h. The minimum temperature has also dropped to 16.8 degrees Celsius compared to the normal 19.4 degrees Celsius. When the wind is heading northwest, the impact of stubble burning will be felt in the northern states, ”said Kuldeep Shrivastava, director of the regional weather forecast center.
Since Grap’s winter segment was launched on October 15, law enforcement agencies have been closely monitoring pollutant sources to prevent deterioration in air quality in the coming months. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) closed seven polluting industries in the Wazirpur industrial area on Saturday. Apart from this, regular inspections are also being carried out to check for outdoor burning and dust.
All municipalities have been ordered to ensure that roadsides are sprayed with water to settle the dust. These agencies will present a report of the measures adopted to the DPCC every fifteen days.
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