Pollution in Delhi: NASA image depicts ‘River of Smoke’ blanketing the city, partly caused by combustion
Air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region has been an alarming problem over the years. Pollution levels rise sharply during the winter, blanketing the city with a thick blanket of smoke. In a new NASA discovery, one cause of the problem has been identified. Photos posted on Twitter by The Weather Channel India show that the burning of straw in neighboring states has partly caused pollution in this area to spike. Satellite images taken by NASA depict plumes of stubble spewing from these states towards Delhi-NCR. The photo’s caption reads: “Every winter, pollution in Delhi spikes, in part due to stubble burning activities in neighboring states. Now, NASA has captured satellite images. depicts the straw flowing towards Delhi.”
The Indian Weather Channel explained the process of burning stubble. Farmers often burn the remains of their crops to prepare their fields for the next crop. The tweet reads, “This annual activity results in worsening seasonal pollution.”
Every winter, #DelhiPollution spike, in part due to straw burning practices in neighboring states.
Now, @NASA captured satellite images depicting beards flowing towards #Delhi.
Read: https://t.co/SAYQW1XdCT
????: Lauren Dauphin / NASA Earth Obsv. pic.twitter.com/VL5UUnaZVO
– Indian Weather Channel (@weatherindia) November 24, 2021
#StubbleBurning is the process by which farmers remove crop residues by burning them up, to make space for a lush crop. This annual activity leads to more severe seasonal pollution.
????: Piyal Bhattacharjee / TOI, BCCL, Delhi pic.twitter.com/qRx416Yesn
– Indian Weather Channel (@weatherindia) November 24, 2021
The pictures were taken by NASA describes a “river of smoke” emerging from burnt crop residues in Punjab and Haryana. This extends towards Delhi.
The pictures were taken by @NASA Underline the magnitude of #StubbleBurning problem by describing a huge ‘river of smoke’ that originates from fires in Punjab, Haryana and even northern Pakistan, extending towards Delhi.
????: Lauren Dauphin / NASA Earth Obsv. pic.twitter.com/1zQ6VorjOW
– Indian Weather Channel (@weatherindia) November 24, 2021
Usually, the increase in air pollution is also due to less airflow during this season. However, this year’s prolonged monsoon helped control the rise in pollution levels in early November, but pollution spiked after that. NASA has identified more than 74,000 hotspots in Punjab as of Nov.
The NASA update also indicates that this year’s extended monsoon has curbed a spike in pollution levels in early November.
But since 11 November, fire operations have accelerated, with VIIRS recording >74,000 fire hotspots in Punjab through Nov.
????: Y Kumar / BCCL pic.twitter.com/MpsrNu8v3L
– Indian Weather Channel (@weatherindia) November 24, 2021
Pawan Gupta, a USRA scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, said of the pollution levels on Nov. 11, he said, “A conservative estimate is that at least 22 million people were affected. by smoke on this day.”
“Looking at the size of the November 11 cloud and the population density in this area, I would say a conservative estimate is at least 22 million people,” said Pawan Gupta, a USRA scientist. affected by smoke on this day. at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
– Indian Weather Channel (@weatherindia) November 24, 2021
The burning of stubble spikes during the winter and thus adds to the pollution.
The arrival of the winter months coincides with the burning of straw practiced by farmers in neighboring states. This adds to the pollution woes of the region, which is locked inland by the Himalayan foothills to the east.
– Indian Weather Channel (@weatherindia) November 24, 2021
The tweet thread explains that falling temperatures and lack of wind during the winter months cause air pollutants to be trapped in the atmosphere for longer periods of time. Ultimately, it leads to various health hazards.
Pollutants are trapped in the atmosphere longer than usual due to reduced mercury levels, lack of wind, etc.
This combined effect makes air quality in Delhi dangerous for even healthy people, while severely affecting those with respiratory illnesses.
????: S Kataria / BCCL pic.twitter.com/R1VrWcFLSK
– Indian Weather Channel (@weatherindia) November 24, 2021
Pollution in Delhi has also become a concern this year.
