Farm fires' share in Delhi's pollution 38%, highest this season
The Hindu
The air pollution situation is the worst in Noida which falls into the path of emissions being transported from stubble burning, said Gufran Beig, founder project director, SAFAR
The share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution jumped to 38% on November 3, which, experts said was the reason behind the thick layer of pungent smog over the National Capital.
The increase in stubble burning has kicked off a political slugfest, with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on November 2 saying that there had been a 19% rise in farm fires over 2021 in Punjab and that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had turned the National Capital into a gas chamber.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in turn, blamed the Central government for rising incidents of stubble burning in Punjab and said it should "resign" if it cannot control air pollution.
Gufran Beig, founder project director, SAFAR, a forecasting agency under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said, "The share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution has increased to around 38% which is quite significant."
The air pollution situation is the worst in Noida which falls into the path of emissions being transported from stubble burning, he said.
"Gurugram and Lodhi Road areas which do not fall into this path are the least affected," Mr. Beig said.
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In 2021, five women from Mayithara, four of them MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers, found a common ground in their desire to create a sustainable livelihood by growing vegetables. Rajamma M., Mary Varkey, Valsala L., Elisho S., and Praseeda Sumesh, aged between 70 and 39, pooled their savings, rented a piece of land and began their collective vegetable farming journey under the Deepam Krishi group.