No fall in farm fires, winds keep pollution in check

PATIALA: Stubble burning continues unabated in Punjab, but the winds blowing over the state are keeping pollution levels in check by dispersing pollutants over a larger area and sending these to Pakistan.
As per data collected by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), a total 8,921 cases of farm fires have been collated using satellite imagery, of which the maximum number, 856 have been reported from Amritsar, followed by Sangrur with 778 fires and Bathinda with 711. This is marginally less compared to corresponding data in 2018 when 10,832 cases of farm fires were recorded via satellite images.
The inclination of farmers in Punjab to set wheat stubble on fire has been unaffected even as the Union government allocated a sum of Rs 685 crore to fund efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of the stubble fires. A large part of this fund has been spent on providing subsidised stubble management machinery to farmers in Punjab. However, the farmers had been demanding direct financial assistance of Rs 200 per quintal to find alternative means to deal with the crop residue. Besides, Punjab has also received an additional Rs 40 lakh as part of the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC).
Eight continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) in Punjab reflected an ambient air quality (AQI) of 88 microgram/m3 in Amritsar on Tuesday, which had minimal effect on human health and the same was recorded at 109 microgram/m3 at Bathinda, which was in a moderate zone.
At Jalandhar, the AQI was 138 microgram/m3 and at Khanna, it was 99 microgram/m3. In the industrial hub of Ludhiana, the AQI was recorded at 108 microgram/m3 and at Mandi Gobindgarh, it was slightly higher at 168 microgram/m3, but still in the moderate zone. In Patiala, the AQI was 134 microgram/m3 but in Ropar, it was recorded at 230 microgram/m3.
The PPCB maintained that the number of fires in the state have been reducing. It said as the harvest season was almost over, the farm fires are expected to end in the next couple of days. In the meantime, the winds are likely to keep the pollution levels low.