Smoke from India fires spreading into Bangladesh
Indian farmers often set fire to fields to clear them for planting. According to Indian agricultural practice, preparing for planting with fire has the benefit of clearing out some pests that eat crops and turning crop residues from the previous season into fertilizing ash. In late November, hundreds of fires continue to burn in northwestern India, covering the region with a gray haze. Although the smoke appeared to originate primarily from the agricultural fires, other factors such as urban and industrial smog may have contributed.
The smoke is blowing eastward along the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains, and into Bangladesh. (Credit: MODIS/Terra) According to news reports, thick smog hovered over Delhi for several days in early November. Smoke can harm human health, aggravating heart and lung disease. Humans evolved in the presence of fire and healthy young adults can generally withstand vegetation smoke. But older adults, children, and people with chronic health conditions are at risk. The smoke may include thousands of compounds, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. These components have the potential to affect human health, but exactly how different types of smoke affect people is not yet fully understood.
This satellite image captured by MODIS/Aqua on November 5, 2012 shows a multitude of fires spans more than 250 kilometers (150 miles) from east to west, and the smoke plume extends far to the southeast, obscuring the satellite’s view of Delhi. (NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.) Source: EarthObservatory, Earth Snapshots
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Related articles
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum. Other support options include Patreon pledges and sending us a one-off payment using PayPal.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.