Air quality ‘severe’ in Hisar, Fatehabad, Jind

Deepender Deswal

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Hisar, November 2

The air quality index (AQI) entered the “severe” category in Hisar, Fatehabad and Jind districts today.

Particle pollution PM 2.5 touched 500 points in Fatehabad district today. The average AQI in Fatehabad was recorded at 416, while Hisar recorded average AQI of 422 and Jind 415.

The Agriculture Department has not released today’s crop residue burning report. The report till yesterday indicated that Fatehabad had 235 incidents of farm fire, the highest in the state. Hisar recorded 67 incidents of stubble burning against 35 such cases recorded till November 1 last year.

An official of the Agriculture Department in Hisar said the lack of purchasers of paddy residue bales was the main reason behind stubble burning. “Adequate number of machines are available for crop residue management. The bailer machine transforms the paddy residue into bales. But there are no takers for the bales that are used as fuel in industrial units,” said an official.

No takers for residue bales

We managed crop residue on 300 acres, but I have to incur a loss of about Rs 9 lakh as there are no takers for the bales of paddy residue. If I transport it to other districts, I will not be able to recover even the transport cost. The average price of paddy residue has dropped to about Rs 75 a quintal in Fatehabad district. —Harpal Singh, Bailer machine owner

Expert’s view

Both manmade and natural factors (climatic conditions) are responsible for the current situation. Heavy particles remain suspended in air due to cold weather conditions. Such particles, formed due to vehicle movement, construction activity or burning of stubble or waste, remain suspended in close environment, resulting in a thick smog. —Dr VK Garg, Bathinda varsity professor

The official said they held a meeting with owners of compressed biogas (CBG) plants in Hisar who assured to purchase paddy residue bales. “But they are also unable to purchase bales being generated by the bailing machine owners. They say they will purchase about 170 to 230 tonne crop residue daily. But they are unable to meet the target,” the official said.

An owner of a CBG plant said they would purchase one lakh tonne crop residue, but refused to divulge details of purchase made till today.

In Fatehabad district, the situation has gone from bad to worse with crop fire incidents going unchecked, especially in Tohana subdivision. A farmer of Damkora village said they were unable to get any bailer machine for disposal of the crop residue for about a week and thus had to resort to stubble burning.