Pollution is one of the biggest problem in North India during the winter months, and one of the major reasons of pollution is stubble burning.

And with the aim to control pollution, this year the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government has committed to bringing down stubble-burning incidents in the state by over 50% compared to last year, and completely eliminate stubble burning in six districts, the Commission for Air Quality Management.

Around the month of October the paddy harvesting season begins, and before the harvest season the old rabi crops are burned and this leads to a thick layer of toxic smog in the north-western India, especially the National Capital Region (NCR) including Delhi.

The temperatures fall, the wind speed drops, and the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 particles in the air rises to dangerous levels, worsened by the continuous burning of paddy stubble in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Efforts are being made by the Punjab Government to use the paddy straw for industrial and energy generation projects. Sizable quantity of straw will also be used as cattle fodder, the CAQM said.

Punjab also plans to manage around 8,000 acres of paddy area using Pusa Bio Decomposer. This microbial solution can break down paddy straw in just 15-20 days and will be provided to farmers for free, it said.

Hopefully the measures of the Punjab Government will help Delhi also breathe a cleaner air.