Hussain demands immediate halt to stubble burning

Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 17

Environment Minister Imran Hussain today said crop residue burning must be immediately halted otherwise entire north India will suffer serious health hazards. Today Delhi’s air quality slipped to “very poor” category for the first time this season.

In view of the prevailing situation, the government has requested residents of the city to cut down on the local pollution while warning garbage and crop residue burning will invite strict action. Graded Response Action Plan is already notified upon the directions of the Supreme Court to tackle severe levels of air pollution the city witnesses during the winter.

For the past few days, satellite images have been showing smoke billowing out from open fields in the NCR areas, following some neighbouring states resorting to measures leaving local farmers upset.

Earlier, Hussain had written to his union counterpart Dr Harsh Vardhan asking him to urgently convene a meeting of the neighbouring states — Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh on the rising concerns over stubble burning.

With the onset of winter, the ambient air quality in parts of northern India, including Delhi, becomes a cause of serious concern, which is evident according to the National Air Quality Index (AQI).

The city’s overall AQI stood at 313 at a time when the AQI of several areas moving towards severe levels of pollution, going by the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research.

“It is high time that the crop residue burning in fields must be immediately halted, failing which a serious health hazard awaits entire northern India. Why this menace is being ignored despite a well-known fact that the consequences will be disastrous in coming days?” said Hussain.

Winter days are almost here and with them the worries of quality of air in and around the capital getting bad loom large. Due to induced cyclonic circulation over north Rajasthan and its neighbourhood, the wind direction over Delhi is likely to be variable with wind speed 5-10 kmph and a partly cloudy sky. Light showers in some areas can be expected on Saturday and Sunday.

Although, prevailing meteorological conditions are favourable for dispersion, higher moisture and residue crop burning resulting in release of large amount of pollutants into the city’s air could add to the city’s decline in air quality.