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Haryana sees further rise in farm fires, AQI plunges
The air quality index (AQI) in Panipat at 329 and Kurukshetra at 315 was categorised as “very poor” on Monday. The AQI in both these districts was worse than Delhi at 261.
Stubble burning cases are increasing in Haryana at a rapid pace with around 165 active fire locations detected in the state in last 24 hours, taking the total number of AFLs to 1,106 from September 25 to October 11, as per the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC).
The increase in farm fires has been deteriorating the air quality in several cities of the state. The air quality index (AQI) in Panipat at 329 and Kurukshetra at 315 was categorised as “very poor” on Monday. The AQI in both these districts was worse than Delhi at 261.
The air quality in Jind (294), Karnal (279), Gurugram (259), Charkhi Dadri (253), Ambala (226), Faridabad (224), Yamunanagar (217) and Manesar (213) was categorised as “poor”.
Health department officials say the rise in farm fires is likely to have a very bad impact on air quality in the coming days.
As per the HARSAC, with 25 new farm fire incidents, the number of AFLs in Kurukshetra has reached to 226, followed by 216 in Karnal, 150 in Ambala, 139 in Kaithal and 94 in Fatehabad, 83 in Yamunanagar, 75 in Jind, 36 in Hisar, 21 in Sonipat, 15 in Palwal, 14 each in Sirsa and Panipat and 10 in Panchkula. No new cases of farm fires have been reported in Mahendergarh, Nuh, Charkhi Dadri and Faridabad districts.
The government has issued strict instructions to the district administrations and village panchayats to take immediate action against the erring farmers.
Few incidents of stubble burning now due to farmers’ rising awareness: CM
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said there were very few incidents of stubble burning in the state now due to the increased awareness among farmers on the issue. “Very few incidents of paddy stubble burning have been reported during the present season as also borne out by the satellite imagery,” he said.
“There have been very few incidents of stubble burning as Haryana farmers have become aware (about the harmful effects of this practice). Farmers collect stubble and tie them in bales and later give it to those who put it to different usages,” Khattar told reporters here.
“Farmers can collect stubble and tie them in bales, for which we have kept a rate of Rs 50 per quintal and we send them where they can be put to use. “We are transporting stubbles to industries like those involved in power production or cardboard manufacturing,” he said.
(With agency inputs)
