Delhi: Wind conditions may worsen farm fire impact soon

Around 100 rice harvest remnant fires are reported daily in Punjab, but the smoke’s impact on Delhi’s air quality is currently minimal. However, experts predict that once the wind conditions calm down, the air quality will worsen to a ‘poor’ level by Friday. The number of paddy-residue burning incidents in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh between September 15 and October 4 has been high, with over 6,000 fires at its peak. Measures to reduce farm fires, such as incentives and straw management machines, need to be assessed for their effectiveness.