Delhi-NCR air quality to be ‘very poor’ ahead of Diwali as authorities asked to ban coal, firewood and diesel generators

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The air quality in Delhi-NCR will worsen to "very poor" by Saturday, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said, directing authorities to ban the use of coal and firewood in hotels, restaurants, and open eateries, as well as diesel generators except for essential services.

Other measures to prevent air quality from worsening include vacuum-based sweeping of roads every day, water sprinkling to prevent dust pollution, and strict enforcement of dust control measures at construction and demolition sites.

Smog envelops Delhi-NCR as pollution worsens amid the approaching winter season. (Image Credit: ANI)

"Also, the Diwali festival on October 24 is expected to worsen the situation further," CAQM added.

Air quality in the Delhi NCR region was recorded in the 'poor' category as the Air Quality Index (AQI) touched 249, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

However, stubble burning continues to be an issue, with 134 cases of stubble burning being registered in Kaithal, Haryana, alone. A total fine of Rs 3.35 lakh has been imposed on farmers so far; now FIRs will also be registered against erring farmers, Sangeeta Tetarwal, Deputy Commissioner, Kaithal, said on October 21.

Punjab | Stubble burning underway in the state; visuals from Tarn Taran district pic.twitter.com/FtmKna0GWO

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2022

The report by the CSE emphasised that the air has been much cleaner this year due to the rainfall in September and October. However, the intensity of the early winter pollution will depend a lot on the trend in the crop fires along with the impact of Diwali.

The PM2.5 concentration for winter (October 1 to February 28) used to hover around 180-190 microgram per cubic metre before the pandemic. It has, however, come down to 150-160 microgram per cubic metre since then, the report said.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari demanded a lifting of the cracker ban by filing a plea in the Supreme Court. However, the  Supreme Court on Thursday refused an urgent hearing of a plea seeking the removal of a complete ban on firecrackers in the national capital, saying "let the people of Delhi breathe clean air".

"Let the people of Delhi breathe clean air. People should not spend money on firecrackers instead they should eat sweets," the bench said and added that the plea will be coming up for hearing along with the main matter pending before the court.

A report by Zee News from November 2021 suggests that stubble burning contributes to 36 percent, construction work makes for 30 per cent of pollution and emissions from vehicles cause 28 per cent. The remaining six percent is perhaps then caused by firecrackers burnt on Diwali.

The Centre on Wednesday said incidents of stubble burning have started increasing rapidly, especially in Punjab, and the state government has not taken adequate steps to prevent farm fires.

Along with unfavourable meteorological conditions, paddy straw burning in adjoining states is a major reason behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November. Farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue before cultivating wheat and vegetables according to Moneycontrol's report.

According to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Punjab reported 71,304 farm fires between September 15 and November 30 last year and 83,002 farm fires in the corresponding period in 2020.