SAFAR says next two days may see similar levels; CAQM flags тАЬincreased incidentsтАЭ of stubble burning in Punjab
SAFAR says next two days may see similar levels; CAQM flags тАЬincreased incidentsтАЭ of stubble burning in Punjab
Air quality in the Capital worsened on Thursday due to a combination of drop in wind speed, increase in cases of stubble burning and reduction in mixing height.
On Thursday, the Air Quality Index fell to the тАЬvery poorтАЭ category from тАЬpoorтАЭ a day ago.
According to Gufran Beig, project director at the Central government-run monitoring agency System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the air quality is expected to remain at similar levels for the next two days and the effect of stubble burning is likely to increase over the next week.
тАШIncreased stubble burning in PunjabтАЩ
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), meanwhile, said тАЬincreased incidentsтАЭ of stubble burning in Punjab this year are a matter of serious concern.
тАЬFor the period 15th September, 2022 to 26th October, 2022, total paddy residue burning events reported in Punjab are 7,036 compared to 6,463 for the same period during the last year i.e. a significant increase of about 9%,тАЭ read a CAQM statement, two days after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said stubble burning across Punjab on Diwali saw a 66% fall compared to last year.
тАШRed Light On, Gaadi OffтАЩ shelved
Meanwhile, Mr. Rai said the Delhi governmentтАЩs тАЬhighly successfulтАЭ тАШRed Light On, Gaadi OffтАЩ campaign has been indefinitely shelved after Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar SaxenaтАЩs тАЬinordinate delay and refusal for clearing the fileтАЭ.
тАЬтАЩThe Red Light On, Gaadi OffтАЩ campaign plays an important role in reducing vehicular pollution in Delhi. The campaign was supposed to start tomorrow but it has been unfortunately shelved due to the L-GтАЩs refusal,тАЭ he said.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called it тАЬdirty politicsтАЭ by AAP.
тАЬIt would be better if instead of levelling allegations against the L-G, the Chief Minister and his Enviorment Minister cite one scientific research report that says schemes like тАШOdd EvenтАЩ or тАШRed Light On, Gaadi OffтАЩ have helped reduce winter pollution in Delhi in the past years,тАЭ said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
