Stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana up by 4% between 2003-17: Govt

It has been found that AOD, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are higher over Indo-Gangetic Plains covering parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during October and November, govt said

Fire occurrences in Punjab and Haryana during the October-November period increased by four per cent between 2003 and 2017, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said the imager payload on-board ISRO's INSAT-3D and 3DR satellites is used to monitor Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), an indicator of particles and smoke from biomass burning affecting visibility and PM2.5 and PM10 concentration in the atmosphere.

"It has been found that AOD, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are higher over Indo-Gangetic Plains covering parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during October and November. High concentration of these pollutants is seen originating from parts of Punjab and Haryana during stubble burning," he said.

"Climatological study of fire occurrences and associated pollutant parameters reveals that fire occurrences increased by 4 percent over Punjab and Haryana region during October- November between 2003 and 2017," he said.