Ludhiana turns most polluted city in Punjab as stubble burning continues

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, May 12

Ludhiana has turned the ‘most polluted’ city in Punjab with stubble burning, which was continuing unabatedly, further deteriorating the air quality index (AQI) in the district, the official information has confirmed.

Precautions to be taken

• Wear mask outdoors
• Run air purifier indoors
• Keep windows closed to avoid dirty outdoor air
• Avoid outdoor exercise
• Promote greenery in your vicinity

OfficialSpeak

We are running awareness, education and enforcement campaigns to sensitise farmers and take action against stubble burning. The administration is committed to checking the menace. — Surabhi Malik, DC

As the current wheat harvesting, popularly known as rabi season, was drawing to a close and farmers were busy in clearing the crop residue by putting it on fire before paddy sowing in their fields in the district, Ludhiana became the most polluted city in the state on May 11, with AQI 163, which was the highest with PM2.5 concentration in city’s air currently 15.7 times above the World Health Organisation (WHO) annual air quality guideline value.

In the past one week, another 427 farm fires have been reported in the district, taking the total fire events in Ludhiana to 816, which was seventh highest district tally in the state, the data compiled by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) in Ludhiana has revealed.

The impunity with which the stubble burning was going on in the district was evident from the fact that the daily crop residue burning cases have touched as high as 138, which was the day’s highest figure recorded in any district in the state on May 8.

From just 107 farm fires in the first 28 days of the Rabi season to 427 within the next week till May 5, the fire events in Ludhiana almost doubled in another week to reach 816 on May 12.

The daily graph of stubble burning cases reported in the district during the past week showed that 427 farm fires were added to Ludhiana’s tally, including six on May 6, 110 on May 7, season’s and state’s daily high of 138 on May 8, 41 on May 9, 53 on May 10, 4 on May 11, and 37, which were second highest in the state after maximum of 46 farm fires recorded in Jalandhar, on May 12.

With this, the air pollution in the district has further deteriorated as the air quality index (AQI) went up from season’s earlier high of 171 on May 3 to 172, which was considered “unhealthy” level, on May 8.

As PM2.5 concentration in Ludhiana air remained the main pollutant, which was currently 15.7 times above the WHO’s annual air quality guidance value, Ludhiana became the most polluted city in the state on May 11 with the AQI 163, which also falls under “unhealthy” category. However, the air quality improved a bit on Thursday with the AQI coming down to 141, which was considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups”, and PM2.5 concentration in Ludhiana air pegged at 10.3 times above the WHO annual air quality guideline value.

On Thursday, Ludhiana ranked fourth most polluted city in the state while Mohali became the most polluted city with the highest AQI 162.

The poor air quality has left the maximum city of Punjab under an envelope of smog, especially in the morning and evening hours, with residents, especially those suffering from respiratory problems and senior citizens, complaining of breathing problems due to “unhealthy” AQI. The other cities that fell under the 10 most polluted places in Punjab included Mandi Gobindgarh, which ranked second with AQI 156, Patiala third with AQI 145, Ludhiana fourth with AQI 141, Khanna fifth with AQI 120, Faridkot and Jalandhar sixth with AQI 118, Amritsar seventh with AQI 109, Ropar eighth with AQI 106, and Bathinda ninth with AQI 83.

“The deteriorating air quality is injurious to human health. With no let-up in the stubble burning cases, respiratory problems are on the rise,” an expert, Dr AP Singh, said while advising that respiratory and cardiac patients should take extra precautions to avoid feeling breathlessness.

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