Air quality takes further hit in 13 Haryana districts

Chief minister Khattar instructs officials to intensify vigil and dissuade farmers from burning straw

CHANDIGARH : Air quality in several Haryana districts dipped further on Friday as cases of stubble burning in the state rose to 4,288, an addition of about 100 since Thursday. The air quality was reported to be severe in Jhajjar and Sirsa districts; and very poor in Bhiwani, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Rohtak and Jind.

The air quality index (AQI) is rated as ‘poor’ if it is in the 201-300 range. It is described as ‘very poor’ in the 301-400 range and ‘severe’ in 401-500 range. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a poor AQI can cause breathing discomfort on prolonged exposure, respiratory illness if it is in the very poor category and adversely affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with ailments.

Member secretary Haryana State Pollution Control Board S Narayanan said the air quality in and around stubble burning areas was found to be adversely affected in 13 districts.

Cases of stubble burning have been reported from all major paddy-sowing districts — Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Hisar, Jind, Palwal and Panipat — where about 13-lakh hectare is under paddy cultivation this year.

Air quality was recorded as severe in Jhajjar (AQI 522) and Sirsa (AQI 455).

It was in the very poor category in Bhiwani (399), Faridabad (385), Fatehabad (374), Rohtak (349) and Jind (303) and categorized poor in Hisar (281), Rewari (242), Sonepat and Palwal (215 each), Karnal (207) and Yamunanagar (204).

Asked why the stubble burning continued unabated, Narayanan said there was a marginal reduction in the incidents from 4,288 cases in 2019 against 4,589 in the corresponding period last year.

The maximum cases of stubble burning at 909 have been reported from Kaithal district, followed by Karnal (876), Kurukshetra (689), Fatehabad (607),

Ambala (309), Jind (223), Palwal (187), Yamunanagar (184) and Sirsa (197). As many as 356 first information reports (FIRS) have been registered so far, said the pollution control board member secretary.

Joint director, agriculture, JR Dandi, said about 50% of the paddy crop has been harvested so far and the remaining would be harvested in a fortnight.

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar held a review meeting on the issue of stubble burning on Friday evening following which the district officials were asked to intensify vigil and dissuade farmers from burning the straw.