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Delhi-NCR
Even with farm fires at a multi-year low, Delhi-NCR's winter air remains suffocating. For most of October and November, pollution levels hovered between 'very poor' and 'severe', fuelled by a rising "toxic cocktail" of PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) emitted mainly from vehicles and other local sources. At least 22 air-quality monitoring stations in Delhi recorded carbon monoxide (CO) levels above permissible limits on more than 30 of the 59 days assessed, with Dwarka Sector 8 logging the highest number of breaches at 55 days, followed by Jahangirpuri and Delhi University's North Campus, both at 50 days, according to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The analysis also highlights a troubling proliferation of pollution hotspots in the capital. In 2018, only 13 locations were officially designated as hotspots. Now, several more locations routinely record pollution levels far higher than the city average. Jahangirpuri emerged as Delh
Road dust remains a major driver of particulate pollution in the capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Sunday after its flying squads inspected 321 road stretches across Delhi under Operation Clean Air. The inspections, carried out on Saturday, were meant to check how much dust had settled on the roads and whether cleaning, sweeping and dust-suppression measures by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) were working on the ground. Out of the 321 stretches checked, 35 showed high levels of visible dust, 61 had moderate dust, 94 recorded low dust and 131 had no visible dust. CAQM in a statement said the results highlight once again that road dust remains a major contributor to Delhi's particulate matter, especially in winter, and that regular mechanical sweeping, timely removal of collected dust, pavement upkeep, and water-sprinkling are essential. MCD had the largest number
Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd has secured a Rs 15.06 crore contract from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for installing, testing and commissioning ballast-less track systems across key corridors in the National Capital Region, the company said in a statement on Monday. Ballast-less refers to a type of railway track that replaces traditional crushed stone ballast with a rigid concrete or asphalt slab to which the rails are fastened. The project covers a 5.8 km track across Saket-G station on Line 11, Sarita Vihar Depot on Line 10 and Noida Electronic City station on Line 3. Work will begin on December 1 and is slated for completion in 12 months, adhering to DMRC's safety and quality standards, the statement said. Managing Director Sudipta Mukherjee said the order reinforces confidence in Texmaco's engineering capabilities and aligns with the Make in India priorities. Texmaco is also executing a larger DMRC project involving 58 km of track between Majlis Park and R.K. ...
The air quality in Delhi touched the season's worst level on Sunday morning with the AQI climbing to 391 before dipping slightly. A blanket of smog shrouded the national capital as temperature dropped to 11.7 degrees Celsius, significantly below the normal range. At 4 pm the Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 370 on Sunday, placing the city in the red zone, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed. In the morning, around 8 am, the AQI was recorded at 391 the season's highest so far slightly declining two hours later, it added. Most monitoring stations in Delhi logged pollution levels in the severe category, with Punjabi Bagh recording the highest at 425, followed by Bawana at 410, Jahangipuri at 401 and Nehru Nagar and Wazirpur at 400, according to data from the CPCB's Sameer app. The app compiles readings from 38 monitoring stations across the national capital. In the NCR region, Noida recorded the highest AQI of 354, followed by Ghaziabad at 345 and Greater N