Delhi's air looks much better this October
Delhi's air quality is looking much better this October, mostly because there have been way fewer farm fires in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
Thanks to longer monsoon rains and tighter government checks, pollution levels in the city have dropped just as stubble-burning season begins.
Farm fire cases fell by 65%
Farm fire cases fell by 65% compared to last year during mid-September to early October.
Punjab saw a 51% drop (only 95 cases), Haryana nearly wiped them out with a 95% decrease (just seven cases), and Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh also saw smaller declines.
Uttar Pradesh was the exception—cases there jumped over 280%.
Government ramped up satellite tracking, ground patrols
The government ramped up satellite tracking, ground patrols, and sent more teams to monitor hotspots.
These steps have helped reduce stubble burning and contributed to cleaner air in Delhi.
With less stubble burning, Delhi's AQI stayed around 109
With less stubble burning and some timely rain, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stayed around 109 on October 6—way better than last November when it shot past 370.
The CAQM team in Mohali is now handling crop residue management all year round.
Officials are staying alert since the worst of stubble burning
Officials are staying alert since the worst of stubble burning usually happens later in October and November.
The message: keep enforcing the rules so Delhi can breathe easier through the rest of the season.