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Delhi's Air Quality Dips: Stubble Burning Season Begins, Threatening Capital's Winter Air
M
Moneycontrol•01-10-2026, 12:56
Delhi's Air Quality Dips: Stubble Burning Season Begins, Threatening Capital's Winter Air
- •Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) slipped to 'moderate' at 129, marking the start of the annual pollution season.
- •Satellite data recorded 19 crop-residue burning incidents across six states, with Punjab and Uttar Pradesh reporting seven each.
- •Stubble burning, or parali burning, is the practice of setting fire to crop residue after harvesting, primarily paddy, to clear fields quickly for the next crop.
- •The post-monsoon stubble-burning season typically begins in late September or early October, intensifying through October and peaking in late October and November.
- •Delhi's air quality worsens due to its downwind location from agricultural regions, combined with winter conditions that trap pollutants from farm fires, vehicle emissions, and other local sources.
Key Questions Answered
Stubble burning, or parali burning, is the practice of setting fire to leftover crop residue after harvesting paddy to quickly clear fields before sowing wheat. While fast and inexpensive, it releases harmful pollutants like PM2.5 and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.
The post-monsoon stubble-burning season usually begins in late September or early October, intensifies through October, and reaches its peak in late October and November.
Between September 15 and 30, a total of 114 stubble-burning incidents were detected, with Punjab reporting the highest number at 59, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 32 and Madhya Pradesh with 17.
