On air, connect the dots, Pg8.

Key Highlights:

• Delhi experienced relatively better air quality in recent months due to early monsoon retreat and western-disturbance-induced rainfall.
• A likely transition towards a La Niña phase by mid-October 2025, with a 71% probability, could further improve air quality.
• Delayed paddy harvest in Punjab and Haryana, caused by severe floods, postponed stubble burning, preventing it from coinciding with Diwali.
• Despite relaxed restrictions allowing green firecrackers, pollution levels spiked on Diwali night, highlighting implementation challenges.

Detailed Insights:

• Delayed monsoon withdrawals, linked to climate change, typically worsen air quality by slowing winds and trapping pollutants.
• The early monsoon retreat in 2025 kept winds active and rainfall continued to wash the air, curbing pollution build-up.
• Strong La Niña events can enhance surface wind speeds over northern India, dispersing fine particulates and reducing winter smog.
• Delayed paddy harvest shortens the window for wheat sowing, potentially leading to increased stubble burning due to the need for quick field clearance.
• Green firecrackers still emit a significant amount of pollutants, and their impact is limited without diligent implementation and monitoring.
• Long-term solutions, such as tackling source emissions and adopting an airshed-based approach, are crucial for sustainable air quality management.
• The National Air Quality Resource Framework of India (NARFI), prepared by NIAS, aims to achieve self-reliance (atmanirbharta) in air quality management.

Key Concepts Involved:

• La Niña: A climate pattern characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
• Airshed: A geographic area that shares a common air supply, often used for managing air pollution sources and impacts.
• Stubble Burning: The practice of setting fire to crop residue after harvest, which is a major source of air pollution.