Punjab Stubble Burning Caught On Cam Days After SC Notice To 5 States On Pollution Menace

A fire broke out in an open crop stubble storage in Punjab's Firozpur. This comes as air quality in Delhi and adjoining areas continues to decline day-by-day.

Crop stubble burning near Saiyanwala village of Firozpur in Punjab.

Source : X (@ANI)

Amid concerns regarding a continuous drop in the air quality in Delhi, Mumbai and several other cities across the country, a fire broke out in an open crop stubble storage area near Saiyanwala village of Firozpur in Punjab on Thursday. This comes just two days after the Supreme Court asked the governments of five states -- Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan-- to file affidavits stating the steps taken to control air pollution. A fire station personnel meanwhile said that a fire engine will be stationed at the site as a precautionary measure.

"The fire broke out due to heat, early morning today. Looking at the facts that there is a village nearby and more stubble is stored here, one fire engine will be stationed here as a measure of precaution," Nirmal Kumar of Faridkot Fire Station said.

#WATCH | Fire breaks out in open crop stubble storage area near Saiyanwala village of Firozpur in Punjab pic.twitter.com/MyegdQexNw

— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2023

A three-judge bench headed by Justice SK Kaul directed them to file an affidavit within a week. Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and PK Mishra noted that crop burning is one of the leading reasons contributing to air pollution in the national capital. Earlier, the apex court had sought a report from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on the steps taken to curb pollution in and around Delhi.

The quality of air in Delhi has been on the decline for the last week despite anti-pollution measures in place. On Thursday morning, Delhi and Noida stood in the 'very poor' category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 351 and 377 respectively. According to the data shared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on November 1, the air quality in Greater Noida stood at 354 in the 'very poor' category and Faridabad was also in the same category with an air quality index of 309.

The air quality index in Mumbai was 152 which has also been witnessing a constant inccrease in the pollution levels.