Farm fires surge, Capital chokes on pollutants

Farm fires surged in Punjab and Haryana on Sunday, according to the authorities monitoring pollution. The number of farm fires spotted from satellites rose from around 900 on Saturday to over 1,600 on Sunday. This has led to fears of further worsening of Delhi air which has gone from bad to worse over the last few days. According to Central Pollution Control Board data, the 24-hour average air quality index in Delhi stood at 349 on Sunday, which is in the "very poor" zone. Experts have warned that with dying wind and rising pollutants due to the farm fires, the Capital may be in for extreme pollution.