Chandigarh, May 5: Delhi and neighbouring areas face prospects of pollution from crop burning now that harvesting is reaching its peak, though the extent of smoke may be lesser this year.
Wheat stubble burning is set to rise in Haryana and Punjab, where rain had brought relief in the recent days.
Officials say that stubble burning has come down by almost 60% in Punjab in April while such incidents are 30% less in Haryana so far as per data evaluated from Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer suite (VIIRS), Suomi NASA. But experts are anxious as the stubble burning prevails till May 15 in the states as farmers prepare fields for Kharif crop.
This week the rains has brought down the stubble burning incidents. “Fire is more prevalent in districts of Kaithal, Karnal, Rohtak, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Panipat compared to Southern districts,” chief scientist Haryana Space Applications Centre, Dr RS Hooda told ET.
Hooda said that the latest ground situation on stubble burning is send through SMS to over hundred officials stationed across districts every day.
The impact of stubble burning is less in wheat season as much of the stubble is used as fodder and also mixed with soil while paddy stubble is high silica content.
Source Economic Times
