Farm fire share to rise rapidly from Oct 27; diyas, not firecrackers, appeals Delhi govt

New Delhi: The air quality index in the national Capital dropped to double digits on Monday after Sunday's showers washed out pollutants from local sources and reduced the impact of stubble burning in neighbouring states but monitoring agencies have predicted that this relief will be short lived for Delhiites, as the air set to worsen from October 27, owing to a predicted increase in stubble burning events.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi's 24-hour average AQI was 82 on Monday. The Ministry of Earth Sciences' forecast agency SAFAR said the air quality is likely to remain in the satisfactory to moderate categories for the next three days.

SAFAR said smoke from stubble burning accounted for 6 percent of Delhi's PM2.5 pollution, adding that this percentage is likely to "increase rapidly" from October 27 due to the highly favourable speed and direction of transport-level winds from Punjab and Haryana and no likelihood of rainfall.

Rainfall and cloudy conditions across northwest India on Sunday kept the number of farm fires down, with IARI detecting zero farm fire events in Punjab for the day and just 38 in Haryana.

Meanwhile, with the festive season fast approaching and reports of firecrackers being sold despite a ban on them, the Delhi government has strengthened its measures to implement the ban with Environment Minister Gopal Rai promising strict action under the IPC and the Explosives Act against violators.

Launching the 'Patake Nahi, Diye Jalao' campaign to ensure on ground implementation of its cracker ban, the Environment Department met with Delhi Police and district authorities on Monday.

The Minister announced that 15 central teams will be formed in all 15 districts of Delhi Police, which will have about 157 members who will take the initiative to the ground. Along with the police teams on the ground, several teams have been formed under the 33 SDMs, who will take action against firecrackers in different parts of the city.

Rai urged brands to advertise for Diwali by encouraging the festival of light and not one of firecrackers. The government will encourage people to celebrate Diwali with Diyas through the campaign and avoid crackers, the environment department said in a statement.

So far, eight cases have been registered in Delhi this year with regard to the illegal trading of firecrackers.

The Delhi government also took its anti-vehicular pollution campaign up by a notch, as councillors in the city hit intersections to ask motorists to turn off their engines at red lights.