Delhi Environment Minister Stresses Impact of Farm Fires from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh

Delhi Environment Minister Stresses Impact of Farm Fires from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh

VoM News Desk | November 5, 2023 | 04:21 PM IST | Climate & Environment, Delhi | Follow on Google News

Delhi Environment Minister Stresses Impact of Farm Fires from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh

Delhi Environment Minister Stresses Impact of Farm Fires from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh

Amid the worsening air quality in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai has highlighted that the smoke from farm fires in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh has a more significant impact on the national capital compared to stubble burning in Punjab. He referred to data from the Central government, which shows a reduction in stubble burning in Punjab compared to the previous year. However, the stagnation of wind means that the smoke from Punjab may not reach Delhi, while smoke from neighboring states is contributing to the pollution problem.

Ongoing ‘Severe’ Air Quality in Delhi

Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘Severe’ category for the fourth consecutive day. Various monitoring stations reported high levels of pollution, with the AQI in the Lodhi Road area at 385 (Very Poor) and the Delhi University area at 456 (Severe). Drone camera footage from the Qutub Minar area revealed a thick layer of haze in the air, and residents complained of difficulties in breathing and burning sensations in the eyes due to the elevated pollution levels.

NGT Seeks Remedial Action to Improve Air Quality

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought responses from the Chief Secretaries of the affected states and directed them to take immediate remedial action to address the air pollution issue. The NGT emphasized the need for prompt measures to prevent and control air pollution, ensuring better air quality for residents. The air quality in several cities has deteriorated to ‘severe,’ ‘very poor,’ and ‘poor’ levels, raising serious environmental and health concerns.

VoM News Desk

VoM News is an online web portal in jammu Kashmir offers regional, National & global news.