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POLLUTION TRIPLED IN CITY SINCE 2010: STUDY
The Morning Standard
|December 05, 2025
THE number of hours Delhi recorded severe air quality has tripled since 2010, according to a new study. This rise is largely linked to a shift in stubble burning timing caused by the 2009 Groundwater Conservation Policy implemented in Punjab and Haryana.
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The policy delayed paddy sowing, shortening the harvest and planting cycle. As a result, farmers now burn crop residue in early to mid-November instead of late October. The timing shift increased the daily 4 pm Air Quality Index by around 90 points and raised "severe" pollution hours by 275%, from 89 hours to 334 hours.
This story is from the December 05, 2025 edition of The Morning Standard.
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