Pakistan Stubble Burning Aggravates Delhi Pollution Crisis Ahead of Diwali
· India · India Today, NDTV
Delhi's annual pollution season has arrived earlier than usual as satellite data links an unusually high number of crop fires in Pakistan's Punjab to the worsening air quality. Northwesterly winds are creating a pathway for smoke from agricultural fires in Pakistan and neighbouring Indian states of Punjab and Haryana to travel into Delhi-NCR, while low wind speeds trap the pollutants. The city's AQI slipped into the very poor category, with average levels hovering around 330 and at least three monitoring stations recording severe air quality above 400. This follows an uncharacteristically clean October that saw an average AQI of 167 after rainfall. In response to the spike, the government has enforced GRAP II emergency measures, including water sprinkling, anti-smog guns, and heightened monitoring of construction sites.
Why it matters
Millions of residents across the Delhi-NCR region face severe health risks from toxic winter smog weeks ahead of Diwali, forcing authorities to implement emergency curbs on construction and dust control.
Read the original report — India Today
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