Explained: Delhi smoke, Punjab water — the tradeoff

A decade-old law has led to the sowing and transplantation of the summer paddy crop in Punjab to be delayed by about a fortnight, and moved the harvesting season to end-October and early November.

Farmers’ organisations say late sowing and transplanting delays the harvesting as well, and they are left with a very small window to prepare their fields for the next crop.

A 10-year-old Punjab law is being blamed for contributing to the air pollution over Delhi and surrounding areas. The law led to the sowing and transplantation of the summer paddy crop to be delayed by about a fortnight, and moved the harvesting season to end-October and early November — a time when the moist air and largely inactive wind systems cause particulate matter and gases from burning paddy stubble to hang in the atmosphere. This air is carried by northwesterly winds towards Delhi, which lies to the southeast of Punjab.