Pollution from winter waste burning in cities three times higher than summer, study finds

Open waste burning rises sharply in winter across different categories of Indian cities, with the average incidence, quantity of waste burned, and associated emissions as much as three times higher than in summer, according to a working paper by the World Resources Institute (WRI) India, made public on Thursday (September 10, 2026). The findings come as cities approach the post-monsoon period, when falling temperatures and stagnant atmospheric conditions typically make it harder for pollutants to disperse.

The study, based on field surveys from 2019-2026 in 11 polluted Indian cities, the names of which have not been disclosed, found that Tier 2 cities, with their population between 500,000 and five million, had the highest quantities of waste burned among the cities examined. Tier 3 cities, however, recorded the highest winter incidence of burning, at an average of 49.6 incidents per square kilometre per day, compared with 46 in Tier 2 cities, and 39.4 in Tier 1 cities.

Open waste burning was not the dominant source of citywide particulate pollution, and contributed less than 1% of total citywide PM2.5 and PM10 emissions in the cities assessed. But because it happens closer to homes, streets and waste dumps, it can increase short-term exposure to toxic smoke.

The burden, the report assessed, was also strongly associated with socio-economic conditions. Poorer areas recorded substantially more burning than higher-income areas, with the highest incidence in the study, at nearly 84 incidents per square kilometre per day, recorded in the poorer areas of Tier 2 cities during winter. The researchers say the pattern points to disparities in waste collection and other municipal services.

The quantity of waste burned in Tier 2 cities nearly doubled from about 21 tonnes a day in summer to 41 tonnes in winter. Across the cities, paper and plastics were major components of the material being burned. 

Winter brings weaker winds, more stable atmospheric conditions and, in many places, temperature inversions that restrict the dispersion of pollutants. The WRI study also attributes increased waste burning partly to its use for warmth, alongside seasonal waste disposal practices.

The findings come shortly after the Commission for Air Quality Management announced steps to curb open waste burning in the National Capital Region. The initiative will identify locations where waste is repeatedly dumped or burned, assess measures needed at these “waste-sensitive” sites, train waste management workers, and conduct public awareness campaigns. It will also develop pilot solutions that could subsequently be expanded across the National Capital Region.

The Commission has also called for a zero-tolerance approach to open waste burning, and continued inspections under its ‘Operation Clean Air’. In May, the Union Environment Ministry urged Delhi authorities to augment its waste processing capacity by September, and deploy adequate enforcement teams to prevent winter burning, while recommending heating facilities for workers as an alternative to burning waste for warmth.