North India, Brace Yourself: NASA Images Show Farmers In Punjab, Haryana Begin Stubble Burning
Air pollution concerns have resurfaced in northern India, which typically is smothered by a blanket of smog that throws life out of gear in the winter, as farmers resume burning crop residue after harvesting the crop in Punjab and Haryana.
Satellite images from the US space agency NASA show that farmers have already begun burning crop stubble in parts of the two northern states that¡¯s blamed for the winter-time phenomenon that holds up flights and trains and reduces road traffic to a crawl.
Jump in number of fires, satellite images show
Data from the agency's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), a key instrument on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite, shows a gradual jump in detection of fires in farmlands in recent weeks.
¡°Most of the fires are in and around Amritsar in Punjab as of now. This year due to consistent cloud/rain the overall fire season is delayed,¡± Pawan Gupta, senior scientist, Earth Sciences at the USRA Science and Technology Institute (STI) told Moneycontrol by email. STI/USRA works closely with the Nasa Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, USA.
Over 250 fires in a month in Punjab
From 1 September 1 to October 3, Punjab recorded about 268 fire events and Haryana about 47.As many as 65 fires were spotted in Punjab on 29 September while 12 fire incidents were recorded in Haryana on the same day. This is the highest number for a day in September in both states.
¡°The consistent cloud cover also limits satellite capabilities to detect small fires and thus, we may not be detecting all the fires in the region,¡± Gupta said.
In October-November every year, farmers in Punjab and Haryana, together the breadbasket of India, clear the stubble from their fields by burning the stubble because it is the cheapest method for them to make the soil fit for replanting.
North India chokes again
?It is a major contributor to air pollution in northern India, many cities in which are ranked among the world¡¯s most polluted. On an average peak day, the number of fires touches 4,000.? ??
The stubble burning in northern India has long been a major cause of air pollution in the region. The Union government has spent over Rs 2,245 crore to address this issue in the last four years.
Many experts link the pollution in Delhi-NCR to the paddy-wheat cropping system which they suggest should change for a long time change. And till that happens, North India is likely to continue the struggle to breathe in winters.
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