IITM estimates show firecrackers contributed 71.1% of Delhi's PM2.5 during the early hours of November 9, after Diwali.
Punjab Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal challenged the focus on stubble burning and demanded figures on pollution from vehicles and industries.
Punjab reported 5,002 farm fires by November 10, while tourists travelled from Delhi-NCR to Himachal Pradesh amid worsening air quality.
Delhi's air quality remained in the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday, November 11, with the city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) at 299 at 5 am. The post-Diwali pollution debate has intensified after an IITM assessment estimated that firecrackers contributed 71.1% of Delhi's PM2.5 between 1 am and 9 am on November 9. Punjab Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, meanwhile, questioned the focus on stubble burning and asked the Centre to disclose the contribution of vehicles, industries and farm fires to pollution.
The IITM Air Quality Early Warning System recorded an AQI of 366 at ITO at the same time, in the ‘very poor’ category. Stage III restrictions under GRAP have been in force since November 6.
Firecrackers Add To Stubble-Burning Debate
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) assessment put firecrackers' contribution at 43.4% during the same hours on November 8, before Diwali, compared with 71.1% on November 9. The figures are model-based estimates for a specific eight-hour period and do not represent the contribution of firecrackers to the city's pollution throughout the day. In the absence of real-time measurements of firecracker-related aerosols, their impact was estimated indirectly.
Source-apportionment data on the Ministry of Earth Sciences' AIRWISE-Delhi portal put the firecracker contribution at 80.2% for the same period on November 9. The estimate carried a standard deviation of 54.9 percentage points, indicating considerable uncertainty. The IITM assessment put the contribution at 29.8% between 1 am and 9 am on November 10, while secondary organic aerosols accounted for 17.5%.
Goyal said figures from the Centre showed that stubble burning accounted for 7% of air pollution. “Yet they blame Punjab for all of it,” he said. He asked the Centre to disclose how much pollution was attributable to vehicles, industries and stubble burning. “Blaming everyone like this is wrong,” he said, urging the government to adopt measures to reduce pollution instead of blaming others.
Punjab recorded 5,002 stubble-burning incidents between September 15 and November 10, with 345 fresh farm fires reported on Tuesday, according to official data cited by PTI. Authorities had registered 1,155 FIRs and imposed environmental compensation of Rs 79.75 lakh in 1,574 cases. Of this amount, Rs 36.40 lakh had been recovered. The authorities had also marked 1,342 red entries in the land records of farmers found burning crop residue.
Tourists Head To Himachal Pradesh
ANI reported that travellers from Delhi-NCR and the northern plains were heading to Manali in Himachal Pradesh to escape the post-Diwali smog. Dr Suresh Kumar Atri, an environmental scientist with the Himachal Pradesh State Environment Department, said the state's air quality after Diwali was better than that of several other places. He said air quality in Shimla was also good and that Himachal Pradesh ranked among the less-polluted regions.
On Diwali, Shimla and Manali recorded AQI readings of 66 and 70, respectively, both in the ‘satisfactory’ category. However, Parwanoo recorded 219, in the ‘poor’ category, highlighting variations in air quality across the state.
According to PTI, Himachal Pradesh Chief Scientist Suresh Attri said the state's air quality had improved by 50% over the past five to six years. He attributed the improvement to greater public awareness, fewer forest fires, more cautious use of firecrackers and intermittent rainfall. He also said people were increasingly opting for lower-smoke crackers, including electronic firecrackers.
The Tribune reported on November 10, citing the India Meteorological Department, that a western disturbance was expected to bring rain to the Himalayan region until November 13 and Kashmir on November 12, with minimal impact on Delhi. Winds from the northwest were expected to slow to 8-10 kmph on Tuesday evening, when they were forecast to turn westerly.
