New Delhi:

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday questioned whether Delhi should remain the Indian capital as the city’s worsening toxic smog surged past 60 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily maximum.

A thick layer of smog – a toxic blend of smoke and fog – has been enveloping the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) for the past few days with the air quality index (AQI) plummeting to the “severe-plus” category, forcing authorities to switch schools to online classes and invoke strict pollution control measures.

“Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, 4x hazardous levels and nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka. It is unconscionable that our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it,” Mr Tharoor posted on X.

The Congress MP said he has run an Air Quality Round Table for experts and stakeholders, including MPs, since 2015 but “gave up” last year because “nothing seemed to change and no one seemed to care”.

“This city is essentially uninhabitable from November to January inclusive and barely livable the rest of the year. Should it even remain the nation’s capital?” Mr Tharoor added.

Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, 4x Hazardous levels and nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka. It is unconscionable that our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it. I have run an Air… pic.twitter.com/sLZhfeo722

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 18, 2024

Delhi and the surrounding areas, which are home to about 7 crore people, consistently tops world rankings for air pollution in winter as cold air traps dust, emissions and smoke from illegal stubble burning by farmers in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana to clear their fields for ploughing.

Pollution Chokes Delhi, AQI Nears 500-Mark

A thick blanket of smog continued to grip Delhi and its adjoining areas this morning as the AQI nearly touched the 500-mark.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) data, the national capital’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 494 at 6 am, the worst so far this season, which officials said was due to “unfavourable” meteorological conditions.

#WATCH | Delhi: Kartavya Path and surrounding areas covered in a layer of smog as air quality in the city remains in ‘Severe’ category, as per Central Pollution Control Board. pic.twitter.com/80mK0nCkBq

— ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2024

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 on Monday invoked stricter pollution control measures for the Delhi-NCR under Stage 4 of the anti-pollution plan Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). 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) – also urged the public, particularly children, senior citizens and those with respiratory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or other chronic diseases, to stay indoors.

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.

Kaithal:

In a stricter move to curb air pollution, the Haryana government has doubled the fine for stubble burning, now for two acres of land the farmers will have to pay an environmental compensation fee of Rs 5,000 up from Rs 2,500 and the fine collection so far stands at Rs 1.65 lakh.

Deputy Director of Agriculture, Babu Lal said, “In Kaithal district, 172 cases of stubble burning have been identified so far and 67 cases were uncertain but we have registered cases on 93 of them. The fine collection so far stands at Rs 1.65 lakh. According to the new rules, the fine for land up to 2 acres has been doubled from Rs 2500 to Rs 5000.”

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has taken a significant step to curb stubble burning by issuing orders to ensure the imposition of revised Environmental Compensation (EC) in cases of stubble burning instances.

The directive was issued on November 7, 2024, and is addressed to the Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change press release.

According to the notification of the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Delhi region and adjoining areas (imposition, collection and utilization of environmental compensation for stubble burning) Amendment Rules, 2024 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change vide Notification No. G.S.R. 690(E) dated November 6, rates of EC for stubble burning have been revised.

Under the revised rules from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, farmers with less than two acres who earlier paid Rs 2,500 will now have to pay Rs 5,000, the release mentioned.

Whereas, farmers having an area of land of two acres or more but less than five acres who used to pay Rs 5,000 earlier will now have to pay Rs 10000 as per the amended rules. Farmers having an area of land of more than five acres who used to pay Rs 15,000 will now have to pay Rs 30,000.

The Commission through its order issued on November 7, has authorized all Nodal and Supervisory Officers appointed by the respective governments in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, NCR areas of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to impose fines and collect Environmental Compensation from farmers causing air pollution by stubble burning, as per the revised rates. This order is required to be implemented by the respective state governments with immediate effect.

The revised EC rates are designed to deter farmers from engaging in stubble burning and other practices that significantly contribute to air pollution in the region.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The air quality in Delhi worsened this morning as people defied a ban on firecrackers during Diwali celebrations on Thursday.

The relentless bursting of firecrackers caused severe noise pollution and blanketed the national capital in dense smoke with residents flouting the restrictions till late at night.

#WATCH | Delhi skyline on #Diwali shows the city illuminated in colourful lights. pic.twitter.com/BRvtW3wsRz

— ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2024

According to the real-time data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) soared to 359 at 6:30 am, which falls under the “very poor” category. The AQI on the morning of Diwali was at 328.

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 AQI level in most of the 40 monitoring stations in the city remained in the “very poor” category with Anand Vihar and RK Puram reporting the worst air quality index of 395.

#WATCH | Delhi: A thin layer of smog engulfs the National Capital as the air quality continues to deteriorate.

As per the CPCB, the AQI of the area is 317, in the ‘very poor’ category.

(Visuals from India Gate) pic.twitter.com/nKvFMOPZrd

— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2024

Burari Crossing (394), Sonia Vihar (392), Punjabi Bagh (391), North Campus (390), Bawana (388), Jahangirpuri (387), Rohini (385), Ashok Vihar (384), and Nehru Nagar (381) were some other places with the “very poor” air quality

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, has said that the air quality in the national capital is likely to be in the “very poor” category (AQI 300 to 400) on Friday.

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

On Diwali eve, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that 377 teams were formed to enforce the ban on firecrackers across the capital. A senior Delhi Police officer had said all deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) were asked to form dedicated teams to ensure that firecrackers are not burst in their respective districts.

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.

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

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.

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.

Chandigarh:

The police have registered cases against 192 farmers in Haryana for burning crop residue, an official said on Monday.

The police have issued 334 challans and imposed fines of Rs 8.45 lakh on farmers.

In addition, 418 red entries were made in farmers’ field records.

A government spokesperson said the government has categorised villages into red, yellow, and green zones based on the incidents of paddy stubble burning in the previous year.

Panchayats in the red and yellow zones will receive incentives from the government to reduce stubble-burning incidents. Red zone panchayats will be awarded an incentive of Rs 1 lakh, while yellow zone panchayats will receive Rs 50,000 for achieving zero-burning targets.

He said with the directive of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, a state-specific scheme has been implemented. This initiative provides financial assistance to farmers for crop residue management while setting zero-burning targets for panchayats to curb stubble-burning incidents.

As a result, there have been a total of 713 recorded incidents of stubble burning by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) this year, marking a 29 per cent reduction compared to last year.

The spokesperson said the government is raising awareness among farmers at the village level about the importance of not burning stubble. A total of 83,070 farmers have registered to manage 7.11 lakh acres of paddy area as of October 28.

The spokesperson said the government is providing subsidised crop management equipment to farmers for both in-situ and ex-situ management. From 2018-19 to 2024-25, a total of 100,882 crop residue management machines have been made available to farmers at a subsidy of 50 to 80 per cent. This year, farmers have purchased 9,844 machines.

The farmers are being given an incentive of Rs 1,000 per acre for managing paddy crop residues. In addition, an incentive of Rs 7,000 per acre is provided for adopting alternative crops in paddy areas under the Mera Pani-Meri Virasat Yojana.

This year, 33,712 farmers have registered for crop diversification, opting for other crops instead of paddy on 66,181 acres. From 2020-21 to 2023-24, incentives worth Rs 223 crore have been disbursed to farmers.

The government is offering an incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre for adopting direct seeding of rice (DSR) technology. Furthermore, ‘gaushalas’ are also being given an incentive of a maximum Rs 15,000 as transportation charges of bales at the rate of Rs 500 per acre.

Various industries are being established near villages to utilise stubble, allowing farmers to generate additional income instead of resorting to burning it.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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.