Steep decline in farm fires improves Palwal air quality

BOX: MODERATE LEVEL

Date AQI

Oct 22 90

Oct 23 91

Oct 24 90

Oct 25 92

Oct 26 91

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Palwal, October 26

With a sharp decline in the incidents of stubble burning this paddy harvest season in the district, the air quality index has also shown a remarkable improvement in comparison to the last season.

According to the officials of the Agriculture Department here, a total of only 16 farm fires have been reported in the district till Monday evening. “The number is minuscule in comparison to the incidents recorded in the corresponding period last year, when around 90 cases of farm fires had surfaced till October-end,” said a senior official of the department.

He said an “environment compensation” had been imposed in all cases, the total amount of which was around Rs 42,000 so far. The total number of cases of farm fires recorded last year was 105. More than 210 incidents had surfaced in 2019 and the authorities had imposed a penalty of about Rs 3 lakh besides registering FIRs against 47 persons for burning stubble that year.

Though according to officials the extended rainy season could be a factor for the decline in farm fires this season, sources in the Haryana State Pollution Control Board said it had a positive impact on the environment as the air quality index had improved.

Against the average of about the PM-2.5 level (particulate matter of 2.5 micrograms hanging in air) of 212 in October last year, this time it is 114,according to the data collected by ‘Sameer’, the official app of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The PM-2.5 (air quality) recorded in October this year has been between 77 and 151 while it was between 129 and 295 in the corresponding period last year, which was almost double.

According to the AQI standards, the level from zero to 60 or less is considered “good”, and if it is between 61 and 100 then it is categorised as “satisfactory”, between 100 and 200 is “moderate”, above 200 is “poor”, between 300 and 400 is “very poor” and above 400 is “severe”.