AQI levels in parts of Punjab, Haryana remain in 'poor', 'very poor' category post Diwali

CHANDIGARH: Air quality in Punjab has further declined due to extended Diwali celebrations. Air Quality Index (AQI) in parts of the state was recorded in 'poor' and 'very poor' category. Similarly, air quality in parts of Haryana was recorded in the same categories, with Dharuhera in Rewari district the worst-hit in the state. The industrial town of Mandi Gobindgarh was the most polluted place in Punjab. As per the data with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI of Mandi Gobindgarh was 293 at 4 pm on Wednesday which falls in the very poor category. Punjab registered an average AQI of 215 against last years AQI of 265. The average AQI post Diwali was 207 in 2023, while it was 224 in 2022 and 268 in 2021. Punjab Pollution Control Board data showed that the average AQI was poor category after two days of firecracker bursting on Monday and Tuesday. In neighboring Haryana, the AQI in Dharuhera in Rewari district was at 338, Jind recorded 305 and Rohtak 302 which was in 'very poor' category. AQI breaches 400 on festive day, Delhi's air quality worsens Chandigarh (Union Territory), the common capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded an AQI of 129. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, 401 and 450 severe and above 450 severe plus. An official of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) said that they have compiled data related to the pollution level and divided it into three parts (pre-Diwali, Diwali and post Diwali) and found that the air quality was less impacted this year. The average AQI on October 19 was 117, while it was 151 on October 20 and 231 on October 21. It was lower than reported last year when the AQI the day before Diwali was 150 and 216 on Diwali day and 265, a day after the festival, he said. The PPCB has also compared the average AQI of Punjab and Delhi and found that the average AQI in the national capital in the past three days remained on a higher side. Delhis average AQI has been fluctuating between 296 and 351 over the past three days, he said. In the last two days, Punjab reported 107 crop residue burning. According to official data compiled from September 15 to October 21, Punjab has recorded 415 cases of farm fires this year. This marks a staggering decline from the 1,510 incidents reported in 2024 and 1,764 incidents in 2023 during the same critical period. The sustained and rigorous efforts by the civil administration and Punjab Police to prevent stubble burning has yielded significant results, with the state witnessing a near four-fold reduction in farm fire cases this year compared to the same period in the previous two years. Pertinently, complying with the directions of the Supreme Court and Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to bring down stubble burning cases to zero, Director General of Police Punjab Gaurav Yadav and Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla have been personally monitoring the action against stubble burning. Yadav has also been holding meetings with all the senior officers, Range Officers, CPs/SSPs and Station House Officers (SHOs) to personally review the cases of stubble burning in the state on day to day basis. Special DGP, Arpit Shukla, said that Police teams along with civil administration have been making untiring efforts at the ground level to curb the menace of stubble burning in the state. He said that DCs, SSPs and SDMs and DSPs have been conducting joint tours in villages, which have been identified as stubble burning hotspots and holding public awareness meetings with various farmer unions at district and sub-divisional level. As many as 251 joint tours were made by DCs/SSPs and 790 joint tours were made by SDMs/DSPs in last few days, during which they held 2381 public awareness meetings; 1769 meetings were organised with the farmer unions. Apart from this, Parali Protection Force has also been constituted at Police Station level, which has been keeping vigil as well as sensitising farmers about the ill-effects of putting matchstick on the crop residue, said Shukla. He added that legal action is being initiated against those found burning stubble. Till now, 415 farm fires were detected by the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PSRC) in the state, and joint teams were sent for inspection on the spot, he said. He further said that police teams have registered FIRs in 172 cases and imposed penalties in 189 cases. Apart from this, he said that red entries have also been made in revenue records of 165 farmers.