High-ranking government officials gathered on Friday for a crucial meeting aimed at evaluating the ongoing efforts to combat pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. With a specific focus on reducing stubble burning in neighboring states, a significant contributor to the annual air quality crisis, the meeting was chaired by PK Mishra, the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, according to media reports.
Mishra took the opportunity to direct the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to closely monitor and address farm fires in their respective states. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of in-situ management of paddy stubble, employing crop residue management machinery and bio-decomposers. The meeting also underscored the economic potential of paddy straw, highlighting the need for proper storage facilities and infrastructure to facilitate ex-situ utilization of this agricultural residue.
Attending the meeting were chief secretaries from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, along with various departmental secretaries, including those from the ministries of environment, agriculture, road, petroleum, and the Central Pollution Control Board. This gathering sought to review the actions taken by the task force established in 2017 to combat air pollution.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the region continued to deteriorate, registering an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 256, compared to 220 the previous day, placing it in the "poor" category. This annual decline in air quality typically commences at the end of the monsoon season due to meteorological changes and the practice of burning crop residues by farmers.
Although the Delhi government has already implemented its annual Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) to address the crisis, the principal secretary called for strict adherence to ensure its effectiveness. The PMO statement emphasized the need for intensified efforts to replace aging vehicles and the strict implementation of Grap measures by all relevant parties.
On Friday, stubble burning contributed to just 1percent of Delhi's PM 2.5 concentration, as reported by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), a decrease from the 2 percent recorded on the same date the previous year. Typically, the contribution remains in the single digits until late October when it significantly rises as harvesting peaks.
Gufran Beig, founder project director at Safar, attributed the current air pollution levels to local factors, particularly low wind speeds, and noted that stubble burning's impact was not particularly significant at this point. Satellite data indicated that Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh collectively recorded 202 farm fires on Friday, with forecasts indicating that air quality was likely to remain "poor" on Saturday.
In other efforts to combat pollution, the Delhi government initiated the spraying of a bio-decomposer solution in its farmlands. Environment minister Gopal Rai inaugurated this initiative, announcing plans to apply the bio-decomposer over 5,000 acres of agricultural land this year, involving 13 teams working on both Basmati and non-Basmati fields.
