Stubble smoke to worsen Delhi's air quality in coming days
Delhi's air quality is taking a hit again, with smoke from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana drifting into the city.
Experts say this farm fire smoke will make up 16% of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution on Thursday, jumping to 29% by Friday—all thanks to a delayed harvest pushing peak burning into November.
Peak pollution expected between November 6 and 12
Strong north-westerly winds are blowing the smoke straight into Delhi, sending AQI numbers soaring past 500 in places like Noida and Gurugram.
Calm winds and chilly nights are trapping even more pollution close to the ground.
According to Gufran Beig from SAFAR, the maximum impact window is expected between November 6 and 12 due to delayed harvesting and peak farm fires.
Historically, stubble burning has caused up to 58% of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution during this season.