Air Quality

The government says India sets its own air quality standards and does not follow WHO guidelines; cities are ranked under NCAP, with top performers rewarded annually

Government tells Parliament that India relies on its own air-quality standards and city-level assessments

Affluent Indians are increasingly buying second homes not as weekend getaways but as critical health guards as cities turn into gas chambers, thanks to ever-increasing air pollution levels

The programmes are aimed at reducing air pollution through airshed-based planning, clean mobility, improved cooking access and multisector green transitions

After a brief respite, Delhi's air quality dipped again on Thursday, with at least 10 stations recording AQIs above 300. Rising pollution and falling temperatures are worsening citizens' discomfort

NSIT, Dwarka, and Bawana recorded the worst air quality on Wednesday, though Aya Nagar, IGI Airport T3, and Mandir Marg recorded AQI in the 'moderate' category

Seventeen of the city's 39 monitoring stations still recorded AQI levels above 300, but most showed signs of improvement compared with last week

Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category as dense smog blanketed the city, while a cold wave swept through north India. Pollution levels surged, with several hotspots crossing the 300

Delhi's air quality remains very poor with most monitoring stations recording an air quality index (AQI) above 300

Delhi's air quality slips into severe levels again, with most areas under smog. AQI readings above 400 at key hotspots signal serious health risks, while forecasts show little relief

Despite a significantly lower contribution from farm fires this season, Delhi's air quality has still slipped into the very poor to severe, pointing to the impact of local pollution sources

Nehru Nagar in south Delhi recorded highest pollution levels among city neighbourhoods, with an AQI of 351. In contrast, NSIT Dwarka in southwest Delhi recorded 195, falling under 'moderate' category

The Mumbai Congress on Sunday unveiled a comprehensive action plan outlining emergency, medium-term and long-term measures to tackle the city's deteriorating air quality and growing environmental stress. The 10-point plan titled "Mumbai Congress Mission Wipe Out Pollution" focuses on emergency response during severe AQI levels, strengthening citizen health protections, large-scale afforestation, and enhancing accountability in pollution management. Former Maharashtra minister and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad unveiled the document at Marine Drive along with other party leaders. Gaikwad, in a post on X, said that the rising pollution in Mumbai is a result of a contractor and builder-friendly, apathetic government's inaction. She accused the Mahayuti government of poisoning Mumbai's air, and alleged that its greed is threatening people's lives and the city's future. "The Mumbai Congress will fight for your fundamental right to clean air. Today, we launched our Clean Air Acti

Shadipur recorded the highest pollution levels this morning at 336, followed by RK Puram at 308, both falling in the 'very poor' category

The study also shows that meteorology and geography are adding to the persistent winter smog, especially across the Indo-Gangetic region

The Bombay High Court on Thursday said authorities cannot blame ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia for air pollution in the metropolis and said the air quality index here has been poor much before that. A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad was urged to take up hearing into a bunch of pleas from the year 2023 on the issue of air pollution in the city. Senior counsels Darius Khambata and Janak Dwarkadas, appearing for the petitioners, said the AQI in the city has been consistently poor and above 300 this month. Additional government pleader Jyoti Chavan said air pollution has worsened due to the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia two days back. The court, however, discarded this and said air pollution has been bad much before the eruption of the volcano. "Even before this eruption, if one stepped out visibility was poor beyond 500 metres," the court said. The bench, while referring to the situation in Delhi, which is witnessing alarming

Delhi-NCR's air quality plunged into the severe zone on Monday, with fog trapping pollutants, 20 stations crossing 400, and authorities invoking Grap

Air quality plunged across Delhi-NCR, with several zones breaching the 400 AQI threshold as foggy conditions and dipping temperatures intensified pollution on Sunday

Speaking about whether Air pollution can cause stroke, Neurologist Joy Dev Mukherji dismissed these assumptions but suggested the risk of dementia

Delhi's air quality plunged to 'severe' levels on Wednesday morning as smog thickened across NCR, with vehicles and stubble burning driving pollution and IMD forecasting foggy, colder mornings