Delhi's air pollution: It's mostly garbage burning, not stubble
Turns out, Delhi's choking air isn't mainly from farmers burning crop stubble—new research says over half of the city's PM2.5 and PM10 pollution comes from open fires of all kinds—including garbage burning, biomass burning, and fires linked to cooking and heating—right inside the city.
Local fires are the real culprit, while stubble burning barely makes a dent. Slow winds only make things worse by trapping all that bad air.
Why is this happening?
Experts warn that "uncontrolled incineration" of trash releases toxic stuff like carbon monoxide and dioxins.
Nearly 30% of Delhi's daily waste isn't properly processed—it just gets dumped and burned in unauthorized spots because the city doesn't have enough facilities to handle it all.
Fixing this means boosting waste processing and supporting informal waste collectors, which could seriously help clear up Delhi's air.