E-Paper
Farm fires dip but AQI deteriorates in some Punjab areas
Of the 13 cases reported on Thursday, a maximum of four farm fires were reported in Ferozepur, three each in Amritsar and Tarn Taran and one each in Malerkotla, Ludhiana and Kapurthala
A total of 13 fresh cases of paddy stubble burning were reported on Thursday. As per the data of Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC), the total number of fires this kharif crop harvest season reached 1,076.
Of the 13 cases reported on Thursday, a maximum of four farm fires were reported in Ferozepur, three each in Amritsar and Tarn Taran and one each in Malerkotla, Ludhiana and Kapurthala.
The total number of farm fire cases this season continue to remain highest since 2021 and the air quality index (AQI) remained ‘moderate’ at half of the eight continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) across Punjab on Thursday. Moderate AQI is a condition which leads to breathing discomfort to asthmatic patients and people with lung and heart diseases.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Bathinda’s AQI was recorded as highest at 151 while that of Rupnagar’s was just a notch below at 150.
Mandi Gobindgarh’s AQI on Thursday was 120, followed by Jalandhar (118).
The AQI in Amritsar was ‘satisfactory’, that leads to ‘minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people’, with one notch below the ‘moderate’ level.
Khanna, Ludhiana and Patiala had ‘satisfactory’ AQI levels on Thursday.
Meanwhile, after a slight drop in paddy arrival on Wednesday, mandis across the state saw brisk arrival of produce on Thursday.
Punjab mandi board data says farmers brought 2.22 lakh quintals at purchase centres while the figure was 1.66 lakh tonnes on Thursday. To date, 15.65 lakh tonnes of paddy arrived in the mandis, says board data.
