NEW DELHI – Stubble burning, the practice of intentionally setting fire to cultivated fields to prepare the land for its next crop, is one of the chief drivers of India’s so-called annual pollution season, which begins each winter.
Authorities have been trying for years to combat this serious public health risk – but there’s a new urgency this year, COVID-19.
Presently, India has the second highest number of infections globally and the third highest number of deaths.
“The combination of air pollution along with COVID-19, and especially as this is going to happen during the winter months, is something we need to be really concerned about and take adequate measures, so that we don’t let a huge spike occur in the number of cases,” said Dr. Randeep Guleria, director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.(CNN)
