When The Sky Tells Two Stories
- Nithiyanandam Yogeswaran
- Dec 01, 2025, 20:34 IST IST
Satellites helped separate India’s winter local haze from a distant volcanic plume. A dedicated atmospheric monitoring system would enable us to respond to each challenge on its own terms
North India entered its familiar winter haze – a severe health hazard – only to be told that the plume of ash from the volcano that erupted in Ethiopia would worsen the situation. It is important to recognise that the impacts of the two are vastly different.
Urban emissions, stubble burning, and winter inversions that trap pollutants close to the surface plunged Delhi and much of the Indo-Gangetic Plain into the seasonal rise in pollution. This pattern is predictable and thoroughly documented each year. Satellite data clearly showed the spread of carbon monoxide and particulate matter across Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Pakistan.
Urban emissions, stubble burning, and winter inversions that trap pollutants close to the surface plunged Delhi and much of the Indo-Gangetic Plain into the seasonal rise in pollution. This pattern is predictable and thoroughly documented each year. Satellite data clearly showed the spread of carbon monoxide and particulate matter across Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Pakistan.
