Photo of the day: Stubble burning and air pollution

In this photo taken on October 31, 2023, farmers burn straw stubble after a harvest in a paddy field on the outskirts of Jalandhar, Punjab. According to the Union Environment Ministry, the maximum share of farm fires in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution stood at 34 percent on November 3 last year and 48 percent on November 7, 2021. The Commission for Air Quality Management reports that the number of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana has reduced by 56 percent and 40 percent, respectively, compared to last year

Image: Shammi Mehra / AFP