Despite a ban by the Haryana government, incidents of stubble burning have not abated in Fatehabad town of the state. Farmers here have been burning crop residue, causing pollution in the nearby states, while claiming that they lack alternatives.
Today, the air quality index (AQI) in the national capital was at 252, which falls in the poor category, according to Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
Last month, NASA satellite images recorded several incidents of farm fires across Haryana and Punjab, indicating that the stubble burning season had started in the two states.
To combat the menace of air pollution, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in Delhi has announced the implementation of the Odd-Even scheme from November 4 to 15, 2019, stating that the smog from the nearby states due to the burning of crop residue is the major cause of pollution in the region.
On a closer look, farmers residing in Haryana and Punjab usually burn the crop residue after harvesting paddy in the autumn season in order to clear the fields for summer harvest. Smoke from these two states travels to the national capital each year, leading to a spike in the air pollution levels.
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