Punjab: Cannot be blamed for Delhi's poor air quality

Amid the blame game over Delhi’s deteriorating air quality, the Punjab government today made it clear that incidents of stubble burning in the state have little to do with the poor air quality in the national capital.

Agrarian state Punjab has held that the rising pollution levels in the national capital is a problem that lies within Delhi. Secretary Punjab agriculture, KS Pannu, said the air quality index (AOI) of Punjab currently is 150 against Delhi’s 350, which indicates that Punjab’s paddy farmers cannot be blamed for rising pollution levels in the national capital.

While stubble burning in Punjab has been sizable curtailed since last one year, satellite images show that the number of incidents has increased three times in the last 3-4 days. The government said even as the numbers have risen in the last three days, they are still far less than the stubble burning cases compared to the corresponding period last season.
Sources said some of the stubble burning fires are out of symbolic protests by farmers seeking compensation. Sources add that satellite images capture every fire incident in the field that is in an area exceeding 5 feet.

Therefore, fluctuating numbers coming up in images need to be cross-checked before any inference can be drawn on the extent of stubble burning, say sources.