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The air quality in Delhi is expected to deteriorate significantly in the coming days, primarily due to the increasing practice of stubble burning in neighboring states. Currently, stubble burning contributes to a small percentage of the city's PM2.5 pollution, but this contribution is predicted to increase dramatically over the next few days. By Tuesday, October 21, stubble burning is anticipated to contribute nearly 7% to the PM2.5 concentration in Delhi's air, a drastic increase from the 1.7% recorded on Sunday.
This alarming rise in stubble burning emissions will have a significant impact on Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is expected to plummet into the "Very Poor" category on Monday and remain there for the following days. This severe air quality estimation highlights the urgent need to address the issue of stubble burning in agricultural states like Punjab and Haryana, which release substantial amounts of smoke and particulate matter into the atmosphere every autumn.
While meteorological conditions may offer some respite, with the ventilation index and mixing height increasing, these improvements might not be enough to counteract the significant pollution load from stubble burning. The wind pattern is also a contributing factor, as the shift to northwestern winds could channel more smoke from agricultural fires into Delhi, further exacerbating the pollution levels.
The situation underscores the complex interplay of factors contributing to Delhi's air pollution, including stubble burning, meteorological conditions, and wind patterns. Finding sustainable solutions to curb stubble burning and improve air quality remains a crucial challenge for policymakers and environmental agencies.
Source: Delhi air quality to worsen, stubble burning's role to increase by 4 times