NewsControlled Burn and Air Pollution in India


The Indian government took emergency action to close schools and halt building construction in New Delhi due to air pollution on November 6, 2016. In New Delhi, air pollution by automobile exhaust and construction dust is a serious problem. In addition, controlled burn for cropping in neighboring states from October to November spur air pollution.

Fig. 1 shows controlled burn smoke observed by TANSO-CAI. On October 23, there was no smoke in New Delhi. However, smokes spread gradually after October 26. Fig.2 is the enlarged figure around the center of New Delhi marked with a red cross. The smoke covered New Delhi on November 4 and 7.
Many farmers in neighboring states cultivate winter wheat in November after harvest of rice crop in September. For this double-cropping, farmers burn the leftover straw to prepare the winter wheat crop quickly.

※The TANSO-CAI image was composed of band2 (674nm) in red, band3 (870nm) in green and band1 (380nm) in blue.

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Fig. 1. Controlled burn smoke around New Delhi.

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Fig. 2. The enlarged figure around the center of New Delhi.

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