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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on October 25, 2024

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Air Quality Index (AQI)

For Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

For Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context:

On several occasions in the past five years, the Supreme Court has said that the Right to Clean Air is essential to the Right to Life. On Wednesday, the Court referred to this Fundamental Right once again while upbraiding the Centre and the governments of Delhi and its neighbouring states for failing to ensure a pollution-free environment in the Capital and its adjoining areas

Read about:

What is Air Quality Index (AQI)?

What are the other reasons for Air pollution in Delhi?

Key takeaways:

• Data indicates that while seasonal stubble burning—a key contributor to pollution spikes before winter—has reduced in certain areas around Delhi, the severity of the problem remains significant.
• The minor improvements are not enough to substantially impact air quality. Stubble burning, or parali burning, is a common agricultural practice used to clear leftover paddy crop remains from fields to make way for wheat sowing. This activity typically occurs between late September and November.
• It involves the intentional burning of leftover straw and stubble after crops like rice and wheat are harvested. In regions that rely on combined harvesting methods, this residue is often left behind.
• The burning of agricultural waste is a major source of air pollution in parts of northern India, leading to deteriorating air quality. This practice is particularly prevalent in the Indo-Gangetic plains, especially in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, where it is mainly done to prepare the soil for rabi crops.
• In Punjab and Haryana, the paddy harvest usually takes place between early and late October, with farmers beginning to plant wheat in early November, continuing until mid-December.
• A major reason for stubble burning is the short window between the harvesting of rice and the planting of wheat, as any delay in the latter could negatively affect the wheat yield. After the paddy harvest, farmers have only a two-to-three-week period to prepare for the next crop.
• Punjab has the highest rate of stubble burning, followed closely by Haryana. Farmers use crop residue burning as a way to prepare their fields for the next planting season. This method involves burning leftover straw that remains in the fields after harvesting. It is widely considered a cost-effective method for field preparation following the harvest season