Smog from Crop Straw Burning Hits Delhi

Air quality in India is rapidly deteriorating, and the capital, Delhi, has officially entered the autumn season of pollution caused by crop straw burning. Concentrated burning of rice straw in farmlands across Punjab and Haryana has released large amounts of pollutants, including fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, with the smoke being carried by northerly winds toward Delhi’s urban areas. Delhi’s average PM2.5 level has reached 112 micrograms per cubic meter, exceeding 150 micrograms per cubic meter in some suburban areas—nearly three times higher than a week ago—classifying the air quality as “heavily polluted.”