NEW DELHI: At least 16 farmers have been arrested in India’s northern state of Haryana for illegally burning paddy stubble to clear fields, a practice that stokes air pollution in the region around New Delhi at the onset of winter, authorities said on Tuesday.
India’s national capital region battles pollution at this time each year as temperatures fall and cold, heavy air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke, much of which authorities say travels from the neighboring breadbasket states of Punjab and Haryana.
Delhi, ranked the world’s most polluted capital for four years in a row by Swiss group IQAir, has closed its schools and halted construction projects for brief periods in the past as it looks to tackle the problem.
Police in Haryana’s Kaithal region said that 22 complaints of stubble burning have been registered this year, and 16 people have been arrested.
“Those arrested have been released on bail since this is a bailable offense,” said Birbhan, a deputy superintendent of police, who uses only one name.
Investigations have been launched against almost 100 farmers across Haryana, while fines have been imposed on more than 300, local media reported.
Delhi recorded “very poor” air on Tuesday morning, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), with an air quality index (AQI) of 320. An AQI of 0-50 is considered good while anything between 400-500 poses health dangers.
It was the second-most polluted city in the world on Tuesday, a live ranking on IQAir’s website indicated, after only Lahore in neighboring Pakistan.
The environment ministry said Delhi’s daily average AQI was likely to stay in the ‘Very Poor’ category (300-400) in coming days due to unfavorable meteorological and climatic conditions.
To curb Delhi’s pollution authorities have ordered water sprinkling on roads to tackle dust, increasing public bus and metro services and higher parking fees to discourage car use.
Environmentalists say the measures are inadequate.
“These are only emergency measures ... This air pollution mitigation needs a long-term comprehensive solution rather than these ad hoc measures,” said environmentalist Vimlendu Jha.
Sixteen farmers arrested for burning crop waste as pollution rises in north India
https://arab.news/j7348
Sixteen farmers arrested for burning crop waste as pollution rises in north India
- Investigations have been launched against almost 100 farmers across Haryana, while fines have been imposed on more than 300
- Delhi is the second-most polluted city in the world on Tuesday, after only Lahore in neighboring Pakistan
Dozens missing after boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsized off the coast of Gambia
- At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region
BANJUL: Dozens are missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants on their way to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, the West African nation’s leader said late Friday, setting off a frantic search and rescue operation.
At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region, Gambian President Adama Barrow said in a state broadcast.
The emergency services were joined by local fishermen and other volunteers in searching for the victims, days after Wednesday’s incident near the village of Jinack, he said.
Thousands of Africans desperate for better opportunities in Europe risk their lives traveling on boats along the Atlantic coast, one of the world’s deadliest migrant routes that connects the West African coast across Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania.
Many migrants seeking to reach Spain via the Canary Islands never make it due to high risks of boats capsizing. In August 2025, around 150 people were either dead or missing after their boat that came from Gambia capsized off the coast of Mauritania. A similar incident in July 2024 killed more than a dozen migrants with 150 others declared missing.
It was not clear what led to the latest tragedy. Gambia’s Ministry of Defense said the boat was found “grounded on a sandbank.”
“The national emergency response plan has been activated and the government has deployed adequate resources to intensify efforts and provide assistance to the survivors,” Barrow said.
Some of the 102 survivors were undergoing urgent medical care, the Gambian leader said.
As he condoled with families, Barrow vowed a full investigation and called the accident a “painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration.”
“The government will strengthen efforts to prevent irregular migration and remains determined to create safer and more dignified opportunities for young people to fulfil their dreams,” he added.
