 "This has led to incidents of stubble burning, as the farmers burn the paddy residue to sow wheat. Unlike previous years, the number of stubble burning incidents has reduced considerably this year. From the onset of the stubble burning season (widely")
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued a show cause notice on Tuesday to the Deputy Commissioners (DC) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) of Sangrur and Ferozepur districts over the rise in farm fire incidents in these areas.
The notice sought an explanation from the officials as to why stubble-burning cases were increasing and why the CAQM’s orders to curb air pollution had not been followed.
“The commission hereby directs you to explain why action should not be initiated as stipulated under Section 14 of the Act, for non-compliance, contravention of the order(s), direction(s) issued by the commission,” the notice stated.
The four officials involved — Sangrur DC Sandeep Rishi, Ferozepur DC Deepshikha Sharma, SSP Sartaj Singh Chahal, and Ferozepur SSP Saumya Mishra — have been asked to respond by 5 pm on November 14.
On Monday, 418 farm fires were reported across Punjab, with Sangrur leading with 103 cases and Ferozepur reporting 72.
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 "This has led to incidents of stubble burning, as the farmers burn the paddy residue to sow wheat. Unlike previous years, the number of stubble burning incidents has reduced considerably this year. From the onset of the stubble burning season (widely")
 "stubble burning")
Air quality in major cities of Punjab remained poor, with haze and smog persisting. Amritsar recorded an AQI of 284 on Wednesday, while Mandi Gobindgarh had 169, Jalandhar 175, Ludhiana 161, and Bathinda 222.
Stubble burning in Haryana
In a bid to intensify efforts against air pollution, the Haryana government has increased the fine for stubble burning. Farmers will now be required to pay an environmental compensation fee of Rs 5,000 for two acres of land, up from Rs 2,500. To date, the total fine collected amounts to Rs 1.65 lakh.
Delhi pollution: AQI in Delhi today
In Delhi, the air quality remained in the "very poor" category at an AQI of 355 for the 15th consecutive day since Diwali, leading to health issues such as breathing difficulties and eye irritation. Dense fog further reduced visibility, particularly in Noida and Gurugram, on Wednesday morning.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (Safar), the AQI in many parts of Delhi was nearing the "severe" level of 400, with Noida’s AQI recorded at 277.
Due to reduced visibility, several flights were diverted from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday morning, an airport representative confirmed. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that thick fog began forming around 5:30 am, resulting in poor visibility throughout the day.
(With agency inputs)
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