Over the past one week, images from NASA have revealed a massive upsurge in the number of fires in the Delhi-NCR area, showing the prevalence of crop residue burning in the region, especially in Haryana. This is despite the complete ban on stubble burning by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). With air pollution in Delhi being one of the worst in the world, the call for a complete end to crop residue burning, identified as a major health hazard, has intensified over the past year. On Wednesday, the NGT was shown photographs of crop burning in Kaithal district in Haryana, prompting it to ask state governments for a status report. Environmentalists, however, pointed out that although solutions are available to tackle crop burning, yet there are barriers for implementation.

Source: Indian Express May 03, 2017 22:52 UTC