New Delhi:

Delhi and its adjoining areas are covered in smog and air quality is still in the ‘very poor’ category. The fourth stage of anti-pollution measures will remain in effect for three days as no sign of relief is expected soon.

Several factors contribute to Delhi’s inferior quality, including construction, the city’s vehicular pollution and the stubble burning by farmers in Punjab and Haryana. While the Central Air Quality Management (CAQM), the pollution control body, has appreciated Punjab for significantly bringing down the cases of stubble burning in the state, scientist Hiren Jethva at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, differs and told NDTV that farmers are timing stubble burning with NASA satellites overpass time over the subcontinent leading to severe undercounting. Now, exclusive satellite images accessed by NDTV appear to confirm the inference.

Satellite Images Of Punjab Farm Fires

NDTV accessed satellite images of a small area west of Amritsar, to understand the extent of farm fires on November 18 at 2:18 pm. It may look like an image of a warzone, but the smoke is not from the impact of bombs but from farmers burning their agriculture stubble. The red circles indicate the location of farm fires in a small area lying west of the Amritsar airport.

The satellite imagery experts consulted by NDTV, counted at least 26 independent farm fires in the north and west of Amritsar on November 18, shortly after NASA’s satellites with fire-detecting sensors had completed their overpass of the subcontinent.

A zoomed-in image of a farm fire west of Amristar airport shows a large amount of smoke emanating from a single farm fire that burns for several hours, contributing significantly to poor air quality and lowering the visibility in the region.

On November 18, flight operations at Amritsar Airport were impacted due to poor visibility as a result of smog and the smoke from farm fires has converted the Indo-Gangetic plain belt which includes Delhi and its adjoining areas into a gas chamber. 

Read more: Exclusive: Wary Of NASA Satellites, How Farmers In Punjab Time Crop-Burning, Scientist Explains

Mr Jethva, earlier told NDTV that, “The overpass time of NASA satellites over the region is around 1:30-2:00 pm but somehow they (farmers) have learnt that they can bypass the satellite overpass time and can burn the crop residue in the late afternoon. This is confirmed by the South Korean geostationary satellite that the majority of the crop burning happens after 2 pm once the NASA satellites overpass the region when there is no surveillance, but the fires cannot be hidden from geostationary satellites which take a picture of the region every five minutes.”

The images accessed by NDTV were captured at 2:18 pm and farm fires were visible in the Maxar imagery and are absent from farm fire data processed by Sumoi-NPP/VIIRS sensors used by NASA.

Another satellite captures an image of an area adjacent to the spot where a single fire emanated a huge amount of smoke. At least eight independent farm fires were spotted by experts who were consulted by NDTV to locate the incidents of stubble burning.

Mr Jethva earlier in an X post, shared satellite images from October 29, taken by the GEO-KOMSAT A2 satellite, showing a timelapse of the crop-burning activities in northwest India. The images show dense cloud cover over the region post-4 pm, when compared to 1:30 pm, suggesting that farmers are burning crops late afternoon to avoid NASA satellite surveillance.

NASA Data

The yellow box next to Amristar is the location of the satellite images accessed by NDTV. The red dots are farm fires which have been detected by sensors from NASA World View, data from which is extensively used in India. The fire sensor data was taken at 2:18 pm on November 18, at the same time when other satellites, except NASA’s, passed over the region

The images appear to confirm that there is a severe undercount of farm fires in Punjab which contribute significantly to the air pollution load this time of the year when farmers burn their agriculture stubble.

Mr Jethva earlier told NDTV, “Yes, farmers can hide the crop burning from the 1:30 pm overpass time but the PM 2.5 data and the pollution load over the Indo-Gangetic plain region, the geostationary satellite data and the burnt…everything is pointing toward fire is still present. Smog towers are a small fix. It won’t work unless we address the issue of crop burning in the region.”

Thermal Inversion – Another Key Factor

Thermal inversion is a big factor behind the sudden spike in dense smog and pollution levels. Mr Jethva explained that “The warmer air sits above the cooler air on the ground and that does not allow the vertical mixing of pollutants and whatever we emit at the surface stays for around 200 metres within the boundary layer. The stronger the thermal inversion, the more pollutants will be trapped near the surface because there is no venting place for the pollutants to go up in the vertical direction.”

“In the satellite images, we can notice that smoke from crop burning is mixed with clouds or is above them and that kind of situation furthers thermal inversion because of the absorption of light-absorbing aerosols and that it further warms the upper layer and increases thermal inversion,” Mr Jethva said.

The particulate matter (PM) acts as a cloud condensation nuclei which favours the formation of fog and when temperatures go down a huge amount of aerosols contribute to fog formation.

New Delhi:

A thick layer of smog – a toxic blend of smoke and fog – enveloped the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) this morning as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the “severe-plus” category, forcing authorities to announce stricter pollution control measures.

Smog also affected visibility in the national capital which various airlines said could delay flight schedules. Visibility at Palam dropped to 150 metres at 7 am.

#6ETravelAdvisory: Fog is currently affecting visibility in Delhi, which may result in slow moving traffic and delays in flight schedules. We recommend allowing extra travel time and checking flight status before starting your journey https://t.co/rpnOvAOxQl. Safe travels!

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) November 17, 2024

Kind attention to all flyers!#Fog#FogAlert#DelhiAirportpic.twitter.com/QRx6v26Ral

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) November 18, 2024

According to the real-time data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the AQI in Delhi was recorded at 481 at 6 am, the worst so far this season. Officials said it was due to “unfavourable” meteorological conditions in Delhi-NCR.

An AQI between 0 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.

The Centre’s air quality panel has invoked stricter pollution control measures for the Delhi-NCR under Stage 4 of the anti-pollution plan Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), effective from 8 am today. This is in addition to the preventive actions announced under Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 of GRAP already in force.

The GRAP for Delhi-NCR is divided into four stages of air quality: Stage 1 for “poor” air quality (AQI ranging from 201 to 300), Stage 2 for “very poor” air quality (AQI from 301 to 400), Stage 3 for “severe” air quality (AQI from 401 to 450), and Stage 4 for “severe-plus” air quality (AQI above 450).

The panel – Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) – has urged the public, particularly children, senior citizens and those with respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or other chronic diseases, to stay indoors.

GRAP 4 In Delhi As Air Quality Worsens

Under Grap 4, no trucks will be allowed into Delhi except for those carrying essential items or using clean fuel (LNG/CNG/BS-VI diesel/electric). Non-essential light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will be prohibited, except for EVs and CNG and BS-VI diesel ones and those carrying essential items.

Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles are banned, except for those in essential services.

In-person classes have been suspended for all except for students in classes 10 and 12.

All construction activities, including highways, roads, flyovers, power lines, pipelines and other public projects, have been suspended.

Public and private offices in Delhi-NCR have been recommended to work at 50 per cent capacity, with the rest working from home. Work-from-home options may also be introduced for central government employees.

State governments could also close colleges, limit non-essential commercial activities and implement odd-even vehicle rules.

Around 38% of the pollution in the national capital this year has been caused by stubble burning or farm fires in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Delhi grapples with smog each winter as cold air traps dust, emissions and smoke from illegal farm fires.

New Delhi:

Since Wednesday morning, north India has been covered in a thick blanket of smog, leading to low visibility, a drop in temperature and the air quality deteriorating to the ‘Severe’ category.

Air quality remained a concern all over the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), with satellite images showing the alarming scale of the smog cover over northwest India including Delhi and its adjoining areas. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, parts of north Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, are covered with smog.

Hiren Jethwa, an aerosol remote sensing scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, shared the satellite images, detailing the extent of the smog covering the IGP, the reasons behind the dense smog in November, and how the farmers in Punjab are evading NASA satellites by burning crops late afternoon.

Early morning satellite images reveal IGP engulfed in smog. Delhi AQI in severe category. Urban heat island effect over Delhi. Farm fires in Pujab appear to have passed peak burning phase, but still plenty to fuel bad AQI downwind @VishnuNDTV@mohitk1@CBhattacharji@jksmith34pic.twitter.com/OTGXyJwVny

— Hiren Jethva (@hjethva05) November 14, 2024

Thermal Inversion – A Key Factor

Thermal inversion is a big factor behind the sudden spike in dense smog and pollution levels. Hiren Jethwa, a research scientist at NASA, explained the phenomena and said, “The warmer air sits above the cooler air on the ground and that does not allow the vertical mixing of pollutants and whatever we emit at the surface stays for around 200 metres within the boundary layer. The stronger the thermal inversion, the more pollutants will be trapped near the surface because there is no venting place for the pollutants to go up in the vertical direction.”

“In the satellite images, we can notice that smoke from crop burning is mixed with clouds or is above them and that kind of situation furthers thermal inversion because of the absorption of light-absorbing aerosols and that it further warms the upper layer and increases thermal inversion,” Mr Jethwa said.

He added that the fog occurrence over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) has increased and the occurrence has increased in November, which usually took place in December. He explained that there’s more particulate matter (PM), which acts as a cloud condensation nuclei which favours the formation of fog and when temperatures go down an enormous amount of aerosols contribute to fog formation.

Farmers Avoiding NASA Satellites?

The CAQM appreciated Punjab for making strenuous efforts to bring down the stubble-burning count by nearly 71 per cent as compared to last year. Mr Jethwa said, “It is not true that farm fires in Punjab and Haryana have gone down.”  On Monday, farm fires in Punjab alone crossed the 7,000 mark after over 400 fresh cases were registered.

Mr Jethwa claimed that farmers in Punjab are timing crop burning with the overpass of NASA satellites. He said, “We use the afternoon satellite overpass time data from NASA Satellites like Suomi NPP and Aqua. They overpass the region around 1:30-2:00 pm but somehow they (farmers) have learnt that they can bypass the satellite overpass time and can burn the crop residue in the late afternoon. This is confirmed by the South Korean geostationary satellite that the majority of the crop burning happens after 2 pm once the NASA satellites overpass the region when there is no surveillance, but the fires cannot be hidden from geostationary satellites which take a picture of the region every five minutes.”

Mr Jethwa in an X post, shared satellite images from October 29, taken by the GEO-KOMSAT A2 satellite, shows a timelapse of the crop-burning activities in northwest India. The images show dense cloud cover over the region post-4 pm, when compared to 1:30 pm, suggesting that farmers are burning crops late afternoon to avoid NASA satellite surveillance.

Today’s GEO-KOMSAT A2 satellite images visually convince of late afternoon burning acticitivities in NW India, avoiding NASA satellite surveillance around 1:30 PM IST @VishnuNDTV@CBhattacharji@parthaabosu@jksmith34@UrbanEmissions@avoiland@moesgoipic.twitter.com/BJsidjNqzy

— Hiren Jethva (@hjethva05) October 29, 2024

“The pollution loading in the last two weeks has reached the highest level that we haven’t seen in the last 10 years…The crop burning has gone down over a certain period. Still, if we look at the geostationary images, there are many farm fires after 2 pm,” he told NDTV today, adding that “the data from geostationary satellite is sensitive to the thermal signal produced by the fire. It lasts for at least four hours.”

On whether there has been an increase in burnt area, Mr Jethwa said, “This year, the data is yet to come out, but the fires seen so far until November 14 are 19% of the level seen in 2022 and 35% seen in 2023. Of course, there is a drastic drop around 1:30 p.m., but if we see the burnt area data, there has been no drastic decrease.”

Today the data showed that five farm fires were reported in Punjab, 11 in Haryana, and the highest number, 202, in Uttar Pradesh, according to satellite data shared by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). As per government data, Punjab recorded 49,922 farm fire events in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018 with many districts including Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar witnessing a large number of stubble burning incidents.

Mr Jethwa concluded by saying “Yes, farmers can hide the crop burning from the 1:30 pm overpass time but the PM 2.5 data and the pollution load over the Indo-Gangetic plain region, the geostationary satellite data and the burnt…everything is pointing toward fire is still present. Maybe it’s still increasing…Smog towers are a small fix. It won’t work unless we address the issue of crop burning in the region.

Toxic Air In Delhi

Several factors contribute to pollution in the Delhi-NCR region including the emission of gases from vehicles, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana and construction and dumping activities.

The situation worsens every year after Diwali due to the bursting of firecrackers, which have been under a blanket ban in Delhi for the last few years.

Last morning, dense smog caused zero visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, disrupting flight operations. Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the panel tasked with enforcing anti-pollution measures in Delhi-NCR, called it an “episodic event” and expected the situation to improve “owing to stronger winds”.

Today, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 428 at 9 am, placing it in the ‘severe’ category. This marks Delhi’s worst air quality reading of the season and the highest in the country, with a 24-hour AQI of 418 on Wednesday, an increase from 334 the day prior.

Dr Vivek Nangia, a Pulmonology head at Max Hospital, told NDTV that “Air pollution has been labelled as the single-most hazardous environmental risk factor to our health.” 

“Large particulate matter of 5 or 10 microns irritates the eyes and sore throat, but the smaller particles go inside the lungs and get absorbed into the bloodstream along with toxic gases, which results in an inflammatory cascade in the body. This is not only restricted to the lungs but the entire body. It could result in brain strokes, heart attacks, panic attacks and various types of cancer, a decreased life expectancy. For the lungs, it could cause illnesses like Asthma and even lung cancer which was earlier labelled as ‘smoker’s cancer’.” Dr Nangia said.

The satellite image shows the whole of Delhi and its adjoining areas covered under a dense layer of smog. The gravity of the situation is better understood when the satellite picture is compared with an image from exactly one year ago. On November 14, 2023, a less dense cloud cover was visible over the Indo-Gangetic plain from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh. On November 14, 2024, the density of the smog cover appears to have doubled than what it was at the same time last year.

The CAQM has today enforced stricter norms to control air pollution, banning all non-essential construction demolition work, and plying of BS III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars, among other actions. The measures will be implemented from 8 am tomorrow.

The Supreme Court today agreed to expedite a hearing on measures to combat the city’s hazardous pollution levels on November 18.

Situation In Pakistan

The situation is bad in neighbouring Pakistan too. Most outdoor activities have been banned in the Punjab province of the country, including an early shutdown of shops, markets and malls in some areas to curb pollution-caused illnesses.

Districts of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala have reported an increase in patients with respiratory diseases, and eye and throat irritation. “The spread of conjunctivitis/ pink eye disease due to bacterial or viral infection, smoke, dust or chemical exposure is posing a serious and imminent threat to public health,” the Punjab government said.

Similar to its cross-border neighbour Amritsar, Lahore is also enveloped in a thick layer of smog, which stretches from west Pakistan, all the way to Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh, satellite images show.

Lahore’s air quality has remained hazardous for several days with an index score of over 600, according to IQAir. At 8 pm (IST) today, Lahore is the world’s most polluted city with an AQI of 1136, as per IQAir. It is expected to drop to 850 by 11 pm (IST). Delhi ranks second on the index with ‘very poor’ air quality.

For comparison; As per the IQAir monitor, Washington DC is the cleanest city in the world with an AQI of 31.

UNICEF has also called for greater efforts to reduce pollution and protect children’s health in Pakistan’s Punjab, saying over 11 million children under five years of age are in danger as they breathe the toxic air.

“In addition, schools in smog-affected areas have been closed…the learning of almost 16 million children in Punjab has been disrupted,” Reuters reported, quoting, Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in the country.

New Delhi:

Delhi and neighbouring areas woke up to a thick layer of smog this morning, and the air quality index (AQI) remained in the “very poor” category despite various anti-pollution measures. According to the real-time data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the AQI on the morning of Diwali was recorded at 328, which falls under the “very poor” category.

An AQI between 0 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.

In Anand Vihar, which is one of the 40 monitoring stations in the national capital, the AQI level was recorded at 419 and remained in the “severe” category.

#WATCH | Delhi: A layer of smog engulfs the Anand Vihar area of the National Capital.

The Air Quality Index of Anand Vihar is 418 in the ‘Severe’ category as per the CPCB. pic.twitter.com/zcGVBOarZx

— ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2024

The air quality remained “very poor” in other areas like Alipur, \Ashok Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, Burari, Dwarka, IGI Airport (T3), Jahangirpuri, Mundka, Narela, Okhla, Patparganj, Punjabi Bagh, Rohini, RK Puram, Rohini, Vivek Vihar, Shadipur, Sonia Vihar, and Wazirpur.

ALSO READ | Delhi Air Pollution, Ahead Of Winter, Raises Respiratory Illness By 15%

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune said the air quality is likely to be in the “very poor” category on Thursday and Friday, but may also reach the severe category in case of additional emissions from firecrackers and stubble or waste fires.

Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather Services told the news agency PTI that on Diwali, pollution levels are likely to rise as winds have shifted from south-southeast to northwesterly, which may carry smoke from stubble burning into the city.

“If firecrackers are also burst, the altered wind direction could further trap pollutants, worsening the air quality,” he said.

Last year, the “festival of lights” was celebrated on November 12 and Delhi recorded its best air quality on Diwali day in eight years, with the average AQI at 218.

Stubble burning or farm fires in neighbouring Haryana and Punjab, especially during the post-harvest season of October and November, are also often blamed for the rise in pollution levels in Delhi.

Strict Measures In Delhi On Diwali

As many as 377 teams have been formed to enforce the ban on firecrackers across the national capital on Diwali, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has said.

A senior Delhi Police officer has said all deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) have been asked to form dedicated teams to ensure that firecrackers are not burst in their respective districts.

The capital has been breathing hazardous air quality for the past few weeks, prompting authorities to impose stage two of the GRAP or the Graded Response Action Plan last week.

Under stage two, there will be restrictions on the use of coal and firewood as well as diesel generator sets in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

ALSO READ | Smog Engulfs Delhi-NCR, Toxic Foam Blankets Yamuna River As Winter Approaches

Mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on identified roads will also be carried out on a daily basis, and dust control measures will be enforced at construction and demolition sites.

Further, traffic personnel will be deployed at congestion points, vehicle parking fees will be increased to discourage private transport and additional bus and metro services will be started.

People have been advised to use public transport and minimize the use of personal vehicles. They also have been asked to regularly replace air filters at recommended intervals in their automobiles, and avoid dust-generating construction activities from October to January.

People in Delhi-NCR also have been told to avoid the open burning of solid waste and bio-mass.

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court grilled the central – and Punjab and Haryana – governments on Wednesday as arguments over states’ non-compliance with, and failure to enforce, anti-pollution measures, rolled into yet another hearing, even as air quality in Delhi and the national capital region remains ‘very poor’ and prompts concern over the risk of increased respiratory diseases.

A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka, Justice A Amanullah, and Justice AG Masih, dismissed as “mere eyewash” the Punjab and Haryana governments’ efforts to stamp out farm fires – i.e., farmers burning agricultural waste – that contribute to toxic air smothering Delhi annually.

The state governments were questioned over the lack of prosecution, or even imposition of commensurate financial penalties, of farmers violating the law, and, in the case of Haryana, even suggested the failure to enforce was a “policy devised by you” to favour some farmers over others.

The top court also rapped the union government over “toothless” environmental protection laws, observing that laws meant to control pollution, specifically the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Act of 2021 had been passed sans the administrative machinery to ensure implementation.

It was also pointed out that Section 15 of the Environmental Protection Act – which covers penalties for violating anti-pollution laws – had amended so “procedure for imposing penalty cannot be followed”.

Section 15 was the “only section for enforcing the EPA”, it was pointed out, to which Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the centre, said it would be “fully operationalised” in 10 days.

“Not A Single Prosecution…”

Punjab was the first to feel the court’s wrath, with Justice Oka doubting its claim that 44 people had been prosecuted. “Your Advocate-General said nothing was done…” the court told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Punjab government, “… not a single prosecution.”

The court was told that Rs 11 lakh had been recovered, as fines, from 417 people violating the stubble burning laws, but declared itself unhappy at the “nominal” amounts charged.

READ | “Punjab Should Say It Is Helpless”: Top Court On Delhi Air Pollution

“You impose nominal fines…” Justice Oka observed when told fines varied from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 per violator. “You have given licence to people (to commit the crime) …” he noted, also asking Mr Singhvi why 684 others violating the same law had been spared any penalty.

The Punjab government’s Chief Secretary claimed that “very small fires” were sometimes overlooked, to which the court responded sharply, “… minimum expected of you is to fine.”

Haryana Govt ‘Under Fire’

The court then moved to the Haryana government, and lamented that not one prosecution had been recorded since June 2021, when the Commission for Air Quality Management, a central government panel, issued orders to prosecute those violating the anti-farm fires law.

The Haryana government claimed success in controlling farm fires, pointing to data that claims only 655 had been reported this year (of which around 200 were found to be false flags) compared to nearly 10,000 earlier, but the court was not fully convinced.

“(If) there are around 400 fires why have only 32 police cases been filed?”

“Others have been penalised as per Section 15 of EPA… we have collected Rs 2 crore totally,” the state government responded, to which a cynical court asked, “Are you collecting under Section 15 so they can be later quashed (and amount returned to farmers) on appeal?”

The Haryana Chief Secretary sought credit for having reduced the count of farm fires but the Supreme Court was entirely unhappy, saying, “This is all hogwash… Is this some policy devised by you? So, some people are arrested, and some others just fined? We are very sceptical…”

The court also cast doubt over the drastic reduction in farm fire numbers, suggesting that many may not have been recorded. “Again… in some, police cases are registered, and in others there is nominal amount (of fine recovered). There needs to be consistency in the approach.”

“States Interested In Implementing Law”?

The Supreme Court said “there will have been at least one prosecution… if (Punjab and Haryana) are really interested in implementing the law”, and wondered aloud about “political reasons” for that failure.

Last week it was submitted that sometimes “political reasons” made it difficult to take action; Justice Oka had then said, “This is not a political issue… it is about implementation of statutory directions…”

The court had warned officials from CAQM – which it last week slammed as a “toothless wonder” for failing to enforce its orders and questioned its members’ competence – it would take action.

An irate court trained its guns on the anti-pollution panel today too.

Stubble burning in Punjab, shows data, has been lowest in the last three years. Data from NASA’s Worldview satellite, which detects fire events around the world, corroborates the assertion made by the Punjab government that stubble burning, a major cause of air pollution, in the state this year has been a fraction of what it has been over the last two years.

Stubble burning is a significant concern in Delhi and neighbouring states, as winter conditions trap pollutants, leading to hazardous air quality and thick smog.

One will still have to wait for a few weeks to be sure that the air this year remains cleaner across large parts of the Indo-Gangetic plain, the initial indicators are encouraging and are backed by data.  

The Punjab government says, in data shared with NDTV today, that there have been 196 farm fires across the state between September 15 to October 6, 2024. For the same period last year, there were 845 fires. And in 2022, for the same period, the data says there were 630 fires.

Significantly, on October 6, just yesterday, the Punjab government says that there were just three farm fires.

NDTV decided to fact-check the Punjab government data using a series of sensors deployed on NASA Worldview satellite and this is what they show. Here’s a comparison of first six days in October with corresponding data for the same period last year.

Amid growing concerns over stubble burning and pollution ahead of the winter season, AAP leader Malvinder Singh on Monday highlighted the Punjab government’s efforts to tackle the issue, asserting that stubble burning has reduced by 70%.

“The Bhagwant Mann government is working hard to reduce stubble burning. There has been a 70% reduction in stubble burning. The Punjab government is providing alternatives to farmers, as the biggest loss from stubble burning is borne by them. The government is actively working to manage the situation,” said Mr Kang.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has reiterated his government’s commitment to combating pollution by promoting the ‘Crop Residue Management Loan Scheme’, which helps farmers access machinery for disposing of stubble without burning it.

On September 27, the Supreme Court had rapped the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) over its failure to curb air pollution in Delhi due to crop residue burning in the neighbouring states and said it needs to be more active in its approach.

The top court had said efforts are needed to ensure that stubble-burning alternative equipment is used at the grassroots level.

With the onset of stubble burning season, ‘flying squads’ have been deployed in several districts of Haryana and Punjab to monitor such incidents.

Flying Squads will assess the ground-level situation and report to the Commission and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) “on a daily basis”, including the steps taken to prevent further incidents of paddy stubble burning in the allocated district, the Ministry of Environment said.