Air quality in 8 districts of Haryana ‘very poor’ despite farm fires decline

As per the Air Quality Index (AQI, which is the average of the past 24 hours) bulletin of the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI of Bhiwani, Faridabad, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Rohtak and Sonepat was ‘very poor’ on Tuesday

At least eight districts of Haryana on Tuesday were in the grip of ‘very poor’ air quality even though the total paddy stubble burning cases recorded in the districts were 26 on Monday and 27 on Sunday, according to official data.

The air quality tuned very poor in these districts even as in the past two days no stubble burning case was detected in Bhiwani and Faridabad. (HT File Photo)

As per the Air Quality Index (AQI, which is the average of the past 24 hours) bulletin of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI of Bhiwani, Faridabad, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Rohtak and Sonepat was ‘very poor’ on Tuesday.

The air quality tuned very poor in these districts even as in the past two days no stubble burning case was detected in Bhiwani and Faridabad, while one case of farm fire was detected in Sonepat on Sunday, and not a single incidence of stubble burning was reported on Monday. In Kaithal district, the highest 15 cases of farm fires were detected on Sunday and seven on Monday, while Rohtak saw just two cases on Monday and one on Sunday.

Similarly, in Karnal, the paddy residue burning events detected on Monday were seven in comparison to two on Sunday. In Kurukshetra, yet another district with ‘very poor’ air quality, the farm fires were one each in the past two days. From the Jind district, nine stubble burning cases were reported on Monday and seven on Sunday.

In Charkhi Dadri and Gurugram districts, where no farm fires have been reported during this season, the AQI on Tuesday was poor.

The air quality of Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Pawal, Panchkula and Sirsa was moderate on Tuesday. The number of farm fires detected in Ambala was four on Monday and 10 on Sunday, in Fatehabad, where, so far, the highest 199 number of stubble burning cases have been detected, the authorities found 19 farm fires on Monday and 23 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, according to the data compiled by the state agriculture department, there were 52 crop residue burning events across the state on Monday, pushing the cumulative number of farm fires to 1,146 till October 30, down from 1,925 during the corresponding period last year. Till October 30, Haryana had recorded 2,561 farm fires in 2021.

The farm fires data of October 31 was not available till late evening.

As per the data, the districts where the farm fires are on the rise this year in comparison to last year are Sonepat, Palwal, Hisar and Ambala. On the other hand, the districts notorious for farm fires and witnessing a dip in stubble burning cases are Fatehabad, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal and Kurukshetra.