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AgenciesDelhi's air quality AQI Farm fires have so far had a negligible impact on Delhi’s air quality this season. However, their contribution is expected to increase sharply, with the Decision Support System (DSS) forecasting that paddy stubble burning could account for up to 16% of the city’s PM2.5 on Thursday and rise further to 29% on Friday, a TOI report stated.According to DSS, which operates under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, the share of stubble burning in Delhi’s PM2.5 levels remained mostly below 2% between October 1 and November 4, peaking at 5.88% on October 28.Delayed harvesting shifts peak pollution windowGufran Beig, founder of the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) and chair professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), said the impact of stubble burning on Delhi’s air quality depends on both weather conditions and the number of fires.“Data from previous years shows that its maximum impact is generally witnessed between Nov 4 and Nov 8. However, due to floods in Punjab this monsoon, harvesting was delayed by a week. As a result, the maximum impact window is expected between Nov 6 and Nov 12,” he said.Past data shows high peaks in farm fire impactData from previous years shows significant single-day contributions from stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels. The peak source was 35.2% last year, 35.43% the year before, 34% in 2022, 48% in 2021, and 58% in 2018.Live EventsExperts noted that wind direction and speed play a crucial role in determining how much pollution from farm fires reaches Delhi. If winds are not north-westerly or are slow, emissions from Punjab and Haryana do not reach the capital. On the other hand, calm conditions in Delhi can worsen pollution, while strong local winds can help disperse the pollutants.Conditions turning favourable for smoke transportIMD scientist Krishna Mishra said, “The impact is set to go up from Thursday as west-north-westerly winds are likely to blow into Delhi during the next five days.”Between October 23 and November 23 last year, the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s PM2.5 was more than 15% on 26 days and exceeded 20% on 14 days. From October 22 to November 30, 2023, farm fire contribution was above 10% on 58% of the days, more than 15% on 44% of the days, and over 20% on 30% of the days.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onDelhi AQIDelhi air qualityDelhi air pollutionDelhi AQI predictionfarm firesDelhi AQI farm firespollution in Delhi (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onDelhi AQIDelhi air qualityDelhi air pollutionDelhi AQI predictionfarm firesDelhi AQI farm firespollution in Delhi(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Prime ExclusivesInvestment IdeasStock Report PlusePaperWealth Edition123View all Stories
