Delhi air quality drops to AQI 348 amid stubble burning
Delhi's air quality has dropped again, with the AQI hitting 348, firmly in the "very poor" range.
Stubble burning from nearby states is an increasing contributor to the city's PM2.5 pollution, which now makes up 15.301% on November 3.
Satellites detected 219 paddy residue-burning incidents on November 2, especially in Punjab and Rajasthan.
Farm fires still drive Delhi pollution
Even though total farm fires are way down compared to past years (Punjab had 1,612 this season versus 41,176 in 2020), their impact is still huge.
The Decision Support System for air quality management in Delhi, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, says stubble burning could drive up Delhi's pollution even more this week, with its share peaking at 22.207%.
So despite fewer fires overall, they're still a big reason why breathing easy in Delhi is tough right now.