Please crack down on crop burning, says Delhi Government

With an aim to bring down the pollution levels in Delhi, the Delhi government on Saturday has written to the neighbouring states—Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab— asking them to take all precautionary measures to reduce crop burning.

In the letter, Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Saturday, explained how with the onset of winter, the Capital faced high levels of pollution leading to large cases of respiratory illness. The letter stated that starting from October, the capital had been engulfed in a thick blanket of smog which has been due in large part to the burning of crops in other neighbouring states.

"The detailed analysis of ambient air quality data shows that Particulate matter like PM2.5 and PM 1, gaseous pollutants like NO2. CO, secondary pollutant like NH3 show an increasing trend in the month of October, November, which coincide with agricultural/ crop burning in neighbouring states," Hussain said in his letter.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) monitor ambient air quality in the country under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). Three air pollutants—sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10)—are monitored at 684 manual monitoring stations in 302 cities/towns in 29 states and five union territories, out of which 10 are in Delhi.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Delhi High Court have also from time to time directed the neighbouring states for submitting the action plan to prevent air pollution emanating from crop stubble burning after the harvesting season.

Moderate to poor is the air quality when particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10 levels are between 61-90 µg/m3 (microgram per cubic meter) and 101-250 µg/m3 respectively; very poor is when PM 2.5 or PM 10 levels are between 121-250µg/m3 and 351-430 µg/m3 respectively; severe is when ambient PM 2.5 or PM 10 levels are more than 250µg/m3 and 430µg/m3 respectively and very severe or emergency is when PM 2.5 or PM 10 levels are above 300µg/m3 and 500µg/m3 respectively, and persist for 48 hours or more.