Delhi-NCR Remains Under Toxic Haze Blanket; Air quality 'Very Severe' Due To Stubble Burning

The burning of stubble by the farmers in Punjab and Haryana continues despite the ban due to which the air quality in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) has deteriorated severely, officials said.

New Delhi: Vehicles ply amid an atmosphere shrouded in smog in New Delhi, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019. The air quality in Delhi remained in the severe category with the smoky haze lingering over the national capital for the third consecutive day becoming a serious health concern for the residents. (PTI Photo/Atul Yadav)

New Delhi: The quality of air in Delhi NCR’s remains hazardous, and residents face a tough time even stepping outside their homes as breathing becomes difficult in the smog-wrapped city. Though the deterioration in the air quality became noticeable after Diwali, the biggest reason for the haze that has enveloped Delhi-NCR since the last few days, remains stubble burning, environmental experts say. The burning of stubble by the farmers in Punjab and Haryana continues despite the ban due to which the air quality in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) has deteriorated severely, officials said. The Air Quality Index (AQI)  of Delhi at around 4:30 am docked at 478 . with Pm 10 level at 582 and Pm 2.5 at 398, which falls in the "very severe" category. The AQI level recorded in Faridabad at the same time was 873,  in Gurugram it was 415, while in Noida and Ghaziabad it was 588 and 505, respectively. At around 8am on Friday, the AQI in Delhi's Anand Vihar surpassed all and reached 691. According to the data, the contribution of stubble burning to the haze and air pollution in Delhi-NCR was 35 per cent on Wednesday, it was estimated to be 24 per cent on Thursday and is likely to be 25 per cent on Friday. Even as the Central government provides 50 to 80 per cent subsidy to farmers for purchasing the essential technology and machineries, so that instead of burning the straw, they can convert them into fertilizer, the problem of stubble burning still exists. An expert from TERI, Sumit Sharma said 30-60 per cent of fog cover and spike in air pollution in Delhi-NCR in the current season is due to stubble burning. Watch ABP News' mega coverage of Delhi pollution throughout the day: LIVE TV Also watch: Effects of breathing in toxic air with 'severe' AQI levels