According to the federal air quality prediction service SAFAR, Stubble burning accounted for 36% of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Friday, the most so far this season. Today, stubble emissions account for 36% of total emissions “SAFAR’s founder and project director, Gufran Beig, stated.
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He stated that Farm fires contributed to 25% of Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on Thursday. On November 5 of last year, the percentage of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution reached 42 per cent. On November 1, 2019, agricultural residue burning accounted for 44% of Delhi’s PM2.5.
If even half of the firecracker emissions from 2019 were seen this year, scientists at the SAFAR forecasting system predicted that air quality, which was already in the “extremely poor” category, would plunge to the “severe” category. On Thursday, the air quality in Delhi had already reached the high end of the ‘very bad’ category, with a 24-hour average of 382.
According to experts at the India Meteorological Department, fog conditions over Delhi worsened on Friday morning, with visibility plunging to the 200 m to 500 m range at the Safdarjung and Palam airports around 5.30 a.m. (IMD). The Delhi Air Quality Early Warning System predicts that the AQI will remain in the ‘severe’ category on Friday, with firecrackers, stubble burning, and meteorological conditions all contributing to the drop. With high winds, the AQI might rise to the ‘very bad’ level on November 6 and 7.
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Following uncontrolled cracker bursting on Diwali night, a dense layer of toxic haze blanketed the Delhi-NCR area on Friday, accompanied by a quick increase in emissions from stubble burning. As a result, the Delhi government issued a blanket ban on crackers till January 1, 2022, ahead of the festive season, and launched an intensive campaign against the sale and usage of crackers. The air quality index in Delhi climbed to 462 around noon on Friday after entering the severe zone on Thursday night.
