Share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution down to 17% from 44%

Delhi's air quality is likely to remain "severe" due to calm winds, which is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants

The share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution reduced from 44 per cent on Friday, the season's highest, to 17 per cent on Saturday, according to government air quality monitor SAFAR.

But the city's air quality is likely to remain "severe" due to calm winds, which is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants, it said.

However, it is likely to recover to "very poor" category on Sunday due to a drastic reduction in stubble burning and change in wind direction, according to a SAFAR report.

"A drastic reduction has been recorded in effective stubble fire counts (268) in Haryana and Punjab during the last 24 hours after touching a peak value of 3,178 on October 31. The share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution now predicted to drop down significantly to 17 per cent today owing to reduction in fire counts and change in upper wind direction to northerly," the report read.

A Western Disturbance as a cyclonic circulation lies over Jammu and Kashmir and another fresh WD is approaching. These are likely to positively influence Delhi's air quality by increasing surface and boundary layer wind speed and leading to isolated rains, thereby flushing out the accumulated pollutants, it said.