Delhi’s Air Pollution Problems and Solutions

• Delhi Chief Minister Atishi blames farm fires in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, BJP-ruled states, for high air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).
• AAP-led Punjab has seen a drastic reduction in farm fires, while Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have increased.
• The BJP has rejected these claims, and Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva accused the AAP government of being unresponsive to the pollution issue.
• Pollution levels in NCR are peaking again, reaching two to three times the permissible limit.
• Despite increased pollution, incidents of stubble burning, primarily causing pollution in the capital, have been on a decline.
• All three states mentioned by Atishi have shown fewer paddy residue burning events over the past eight years. Punjab recorded the most drastic decline of the three, attributed to stringent fines and cases filed against offenders.
• All districts have recorded sharp reductions in farm fires, except for Amritsar, which saw only a 5% drop between the two periods.
• The contribution of stubble burning to PM2.5 pollution levels in Delhi has remained below the 1% mark this October.
• With peak winter approaching, the air quality in NCR is bound to worsen further.