New Delhi: Amid rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR, large-scale stubble burning incidents in neighbouring Pakistan have also become a matter of concern. According to NASA satellite data, 2,813 stubble burning incidents were recorded in Pakistan’s Punjab province between October 29 and November 4. During the same period, 893 incidents were reported in Indian Punjab and 87 in Haryana. The number of fire incidents recorded in Pakistan’s Punjab was thus more than three times that of Indian Punjab.
According to the data, stubble burning incidents in Pakistan rose sharply. There were 293 fire incidents recorded there on October 29, increasing to 1,944 by November 1 and 2,813 by November 4. Experts said smoke from Pakistan can reach Delhi-NCR via Punjab and Haryana due to north-westerly winds. Low wind speed and a fall in temperature allow pollutants to remain in the atmosphere for longer.
In view of the situation, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is preparing to raise the issue of cross-border stubble burning on an international platform. The commission will write to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), an organisation of eight countries, in an effort to find a solution through regional cooperation.
However, a higher number of satellite-detected fires does not by itself establish how much Pakistan contributes to Delhi’s pollution. Local vehicles, construction activity, industrial emissions and smoke from stubble burning in India’s agricultural regions are also factors that increase pollution. According to experts, effective control at the local level, along with cross-border cooperation, is essential to improve Delhi’s air.
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