Delhi's air is not fit to inhale. Experts argue that prolonged exposure to toxic air could lead to serious health hazards like heart and lung diseases, various types of cancer etc. But is it the case that the smog, which engulfed the entire National Capital Region (NCR) and many of the north Indian cities during October-November was entirely caused due to burning of firecrackers in Diwali or because of vehicular...

-The Hindu Paddy stubble, unlike wheat residue, isn’t valuable animal feed. Incentivising biomass-based power plants in Punjab and Haryana will help north India breathe easier. Delhi has registered its worst air quality in recent times. This has prompted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to call it a “gas chamber”. Pollution in different parts of the capital has touched hazardous levels with potentially serious health effects on the rich and poor alike, especially on...

-The Times of India Shahjahanpur: As smog engulfed northern parts of India causing respiratory diseases and burning of eyes, experts from the sugarcane research centre in Shahjahanpur has appealed to farmers to use fungus cultured Organo decomposer (OD) instead of burning crop residue. Burning of crop residue is one of the many reasons that have contributed to the recent blanket of smog in large parts of north India, including western UP....

-The Indian Express Apart from sitting over the subsidy applications for agriculture Machines, the state has not been able to add even a single biomass power plant in the last three years. Ludhiana: Even while Punjab attempted to wash its hands of the air pollution that is plaguing Delhi, the state has not been able to set its own house in order either. Apart from sitting over the subsidy applications for agriculture Machines,...

-Livemint.com Only 20% of Delhi’s air pollution can be attributed to stubble burning by farmers in Punjab and Haryana, environment minister Anil Madhav Dave said on Monday New Delhi: The spike in pollution levels in Delhi’s air is an annual winter ordeal, so is burning of paddy stubble by farmers in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana after the crop is harvested. But how much does burning of crop residues contribute to Delhi’s pollution peaks?...