Is there link between Pakistan and spiking Delhi pollution?
What's the story
Delhi's air quality has taken a turn for the worse, slipping into the "very poor" category on Tuesday, days before Diwali. Normally, the pollution level spikes after the festival. The spike is largely attributed to stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, but an unusual rise in crop fires across Pakistan is also making matters worse. Satellite data shows that fire counts in Pakistan's Punjab are 4.2 times higher than those in Indian Punjab during the first 29 days of October.
AQI spike
Delhi's air quality slips into 'very poor' category
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) categorizes an AQI between 301 and 400 as "very poor," while an AQI between 401 and 500 is considered "severe."
This year, Delhi's AQI crossed the 300 mark nearly a week before Diwali.
On Tuesday, the average AQI was around 330, with at least three stations recording severe air quality above 400.
Fire data
Stubble burning incidents in Pakistan's Punjab
According to NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), Pakistan's Punjab recorded 13,241 stubble-burning incidents from October 1-29.
In comparison, Indian Punjab had only 3,158 detections during the same period.
The stubble burning activity peaked toward the end of October with many incidents concentrated around Lahore, a rice-growing region.
Weather impact
Meteorological factors at play
Meteorological experts have highlighted that the current northwesterly winds are pushing smoke from Pakistan's crop fires through Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi-NCR.
The landlocked geography of the northern plains further traps these pollutants closer to the ground.
"Northern plains are, as usual, acting up as landlocked geography. As the fires continue to rise and local emissions will keep on adding, the AQI across the region is expected to deteriorate further in the coming days," meteorological expert Navdeep Dahiya tweeted.
Pollution control
GRAP II emergency measures implemented in Delhi
In light of the worsening air quality, Delhi has already implemented GRAP II emergency measures. These include stricter pollution control measures such as water sprinkling and monitoring construction sites.
However, it is important to note that while Pakistan's increased crop fires may be a contributing factor to Delhi's pollution crisis, they are not the sole reason.
Other factors like falling temperatures and sluggish winds also play a role.