A study conducted by the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, has revealed that stubble burning is not the reason for the rise in pollution levels in the national capital.
“We have analysed data from the last four years, from October 1 to 16. During this period, due to the withdrawal of monsoon, the temperature starts falling and the wind speed is at two kms per hour or below. For any pollutants to move from one region to another, the wind speed needs to be at five kms per hour,” said PAU’s Principal Scientist Dr Prabhjot Kaur Sidhu.
Dr Prabhjot said: “According to the data, only four times — in 2019 and 2020 — when the wind speed was at five kms per hour or above. During this time, the wind was towards the southern direction and not towards Delhi. So, nobody can claim that the rise in pollution level is due to stubble
burning.”
The principal scientist, who is the Head of the Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology at PAU, said that the pollutants need high wind speed to move and every State is responsible for its own pollution.
The varsity’s study maintained that the wind speed had exceeded five kms per hour only on three days between October 1 and November 15, and had remained below two to three kms per hour for the remaining days. “In the circumstances, it is unlikely that the smoke travelled 300 kms and polluted Delhi,” she said, adding that the smoke had raised the pollution level in Punjab more than Delhi.
“It was on October 23, 24 and November 2 that the wind speed was found to be over five kms. On the remaining days, when the wind speed was below two kms per hour, photochemical smog was seen locally,” she said.
The photochemical smog is produced when ultraviolet rays from the sun react with nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere.
Dr Prabhjot stated that Punjab’s smoke is not travelling 300-400 kms to choke Delhi’s lungs, rather the farmers are harming their own children and brethren by setting their fields on fire.
Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) is higher as compared to Punjab. Delhi’s air quality remained “very poor” on Sunday morning, with the city recording its AQI at 382 at 9 am. The 24-hour average AQI was 374 on Saturday.
The situation has forced Delhi authorities to keep the schools shut for physical classes till further orders, while online classes and board exams will continue. Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai will hold a high-level meeting on Monday on restrictions imposed to contain high-pollution levels.
