Ludhiana: Dist records 139 cases of stubble burning, AQI ‘poor’

The district has till now reported a total of 560 cases of stubble burning, on Wednesday, there were 80 stubble burning cases, while 59 were recorded on Thursday

The Ludhiana district on Thursday recorded 59 cases of stubble burning, taking the total number of farm fire incidents in the last two days to 139.

The air quality index was recorded at 245, falling in the ‘poor’ category. (HT Photo)

The air quality index was recorded at 245, falling in the ‘poor’ category.

The district has till now reported a total of 560 cases of stubble burning. On Wednesday, there were 80 stubble burning cases, while 59 were recorded on Thursday.

Pardeep Gupta, chief engineer at the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), attributed the persistent smog and poor air quality to a drop in temperature and the absence of wind.

“The government is actively engaged in efforts to educate farmers about the harmful consequences of stubble burning, with PPCB teams issuing fines to violators. In addition to stubble burning, other factors contributing to the poor AQI levels include industrial and vehicular emissions, as well as inadequate dust management during cleaning operations, all of which further degrade air quality. To combat pollution in the district, the PPCB has implemented various initiatives,” he said.