Punjab’s AQI deteriorates from ‘moderate’ to ‘poor’
The HinduThe harvest of paddy, the key kharif crop, is almost at its fag end in Punjab, and the number of farm fires in the State this year have been less than they were in the corresponding period of the previous year. While the problem of paddy stubble burning, which aggravates air pollution, persists in the State, the prevailing meteorological conditions — a dry spell and negligible wind movement — have caused the average air quality index in Punjab to deteriorate from ‘moderate’ to ‘poor’ in the past few days. Punjab Pollution Control Board data, based on satellite imagery, shows that in the ongoing kharif season as many as 7,112 cases of farm fire occurrence were reported in Punjab till November 12. Stubble burning around autumn every year has been one of the factors contributing to air pollution across the country’s northern region, including the national capital and its surrounding areas. Krunesh Garg, Chief Environmental Engineer, PPCB, said that the role of stubble burning as a factor contributing to air pollution cannot be dismissed, but the ongoing meteorological conditions are key factors behind the rise in air pollution in Punjab.