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Pollution Control
The government is encouraging mechanised sweeping and planting of bushes to control dust in cities, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. Responding to a supplementary during Question Hour, Union Environment minister Bhupender Yadav said to control dust pollution, a city-specific plan is prepared. Under the plan, "greening" is carried out based on the requirement of a particular city. He said bushes help control spread of dust. The way roads are being constructed at present, states are being encouraged to go for mechanised sweeping. "In NCR too, (municipal) corporations were encouraged for mechanised sweeping to control dust," he said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the CAQM, CPCB and state pollution control boards to come out with measures to prevent air pollution within three weeks, ahead of the onset of winter when pollution levels spike. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran also pulled up states over vacancies in their pollution control boards and asked states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab to fill them in three months. The bench also passed similar directions to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It, however, granted six months for filling up promotional posts in state pollution control boards, CAQM and CPCB. The CAQM is a statutory body formed by the Centre and its main goal is to manage and improve air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) and its adjoining areas, which include parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The bench was hearing a suo m
Maharashtra environment minister Pankaja Munde on Saturday said the state's pollution control board must conduct surprise inspections at sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the lines of "raids" by the Enforcement Directorate to ensure compliance with prevalent norms. Addressing a joint meeting with industrialists and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board officials in Nashik, Munde also said industries must grow, but environmental protection has to be prioritised. "Just like the ED conducts raids, the Pollution Control Board must raid STP plants. Check whether the water is being treated properly before being discharged into rivers," Munde said. Addressing the growing concerns of pollution and the role of industry in safeguarding the environment, she said, "We are now facing a global crisis. Industries must grow, but environmental protection must be prioritised. Reducing pollution in zones like the red category is critical." She also highlighted the need for efficient water use and ...
Pollution in east, north and central Indian cities primarily comes from residential and transportation sectors, while in western India, industry and energy are the main contributors to local PM2.5 pollution, a study has found. Published in the journal Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, the study also found that PM2.5 pollution in cities in south India majorly comes from the industry and residential sectors. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Maharashtra, and the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, analysed pollution levels in 53 cities, having more than a million population during the winter of 2015-2016. Residential emissions -- from burning biomass for cooking and heating -- were found to be the leading contributor to local PM2.5 pollution in Srinagar (68 per cent), Varanasi (37 per cent), Allahabad (34 per cent) and Kanpur (33 per cent). The transportation sector's contribution to local PM2.5 pollution was found to be higher in north Indian .
Delhi's hazardous air quality was a key focus at COP29, as experts warned about the health risks of air pollution and called for immediate global action. Aarti Khosla, Director of Climate Trends, sais that Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) had reached dangerous levels, with some areas recording particulate pollution above 1,000 microgram per cubic metre. Pollution comes from many sources like black carbon, ozone, burning fossil fuels, and farm fires. We need solutions that tackle all of these, she said. Khosla also explained that low wind speeds during the La Nia weather pattern are trapping pollutants in the air, making the situation worse. While we discuss major global issues, millions of people's health is at risk. We must act fast, she said. Courtney Howard, Vice-Chair of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, shared her experience from Canada, where wildfires forced the evacuation of 70 per cent of her population in 2023. This was expensive, even for a rich country like ours. ..