Air Pollution

Delhi-NCR invokes Grap Stage-III curbs amid sharp dip in air quality

The Commission for Air Quality Management on Saturday invoked stricter GRAP Stage-III restrictions, including shifting schools to hybrid mode up to Class 5 and restrictions on construction and demolition work, in Delhi-NCR after pollution levels rose sharply amid unfavourable meteorological conditions. The national capital's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 349 but jumped to 401 by 10 am on Saturday, "owing to slow wind speed, stable atmosphere, unfavourable weather parameters and meteorological conditions and lack of dispersal of pollutants", the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said in a statement. It said that due to the prevailing trend of air quality, and to further prevent deterioration in the region, the CAQM GRAP Sub-Committee on Saturday took the call to invoke all actions under Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) 'Severe' Air Quality with immediate effect in the NCR. This is in addition to the actions under Stages I and II of GRA

Delhi covered in dense smog as multiple areas record 'severe' AQI

Persistent fog and low winds trap pollutants as winter sets in, reducing visibility and disrupting daily life across the capital

Rahul Gandhi flags issue of air pollution, seeks discussion in Lok Sabha

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday raised the issue of air pollution in major cities of the country and sought a discussion on it in the Lok Sabha. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Gandhi said the discussion on the issue can be framed in an interesting manner where the opposition and the government do not trade abuses at each other, but find a solution to the problem. "This is not an ideological issue. Everybody in this House would agree that air pollution, the damage it is doing to our people, is something that we would like to cooperate on," Gandhi said. The Congress leader said the prime minister can then put in place a plan to deal with the issue of air pollution. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready for a discussion on the issue and the Business Advisory Committee of the Lok Sabha can allot time for the same. "Most of our major cities are living under a blanket of poisonous air. Millions of children are getting lung disease

Explained: How India handles pollution and what WHO air guidelines say

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

Smog blankets Delhi as air quality worsens, 28 stations see 'very poor' AQI

Smog remained widespread across Delhi and NCR, with Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Rohini, and NSIT Dwarka among the worst-hit hotspots

As AQI levels hit sky-high levels, urban Indians gravitate to getaway homes

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

Philips Air Purifier AC4221 review: Silent, effective, and intelligent

The Philips Air Purifier AC4221 builds on a familiar foundation while introducing meaningful improvements in capacity, noise management, and intelligence

Delhi air quality dips to 'very poor' again as cold wave tightens grip

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

CAQM asks Supreme Court to review order shielding old vehicles in Delhi

Flagging vehicular pollution as one of the most significant contributing sectors to the generally poor air quality in Delhi-NCR, the Centre for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to review its August 12 order that ordered no coercive steps be taken against the owners 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in the national capital. In an over 300-page affidavit filed in a plea seeking measures to curb air pollution, the CAQM said, "Vehicular pollution is one of the most significant contributing sectors to the generally poor air quality in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region). Abatement of vehicular pollution thus has been one of the main focus areas of the Commission in its deliberations with the NCR State Governments and GNCTD." Suggesting a way forward, the CAQM said, "For controlling vehicular emissions, BS-III and below standard vehicles are required to be kept out of purview of Order dated August 12, 2025 of the Supreme Court in ...

No conclusive data links deaths exclusively to air pollution: MoS Health

There is no conclusive data available in the country to establish a direct correlation of death/disease exclusively due to air pollution, Minister of State for Health, Prataprao Jadhav, told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Air pollution is one of the triggering factors for respiratory ailments and associated diseases, Jadhav said in a written reply. The health effects of air pollution are a synergistic manifestation of factors, which include food habits, occupational habits, socioeconomic status, medical history, immunity, heredity, etc., of the individuals. The government of India has taken several steps to address air pollution issues, he said. The National Programme for Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) has been implemented with an objective to create awareness, capacity building, health sector preparedness and response and partnerships related activities on climate sensitive health issues since 2019, according to the reply. Under NPCCHH, the government of India has develope

Delhi air quality improves slightly, overall AQI in 'poor' category today

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

Drop in AQI levels across India lead to rise in respiratory drugs sales

Winter triggered ailments no longer just a seasonal fluctuation but an escalating public health trigger due to air pollution, say experts

Delhi's AQI remains 'very poor'; CM criticises anti-pollution protests

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta criticised recent protests over air pollution, questioning why similar demonstrations were absent during previous administrations

Penalty imposed on construction sites flouting pollution norms: Sirsa

The Delhi government has imposed more than Rs 7 crore in penalties on construction sites violating pollution norms this year, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Saturday. A total of 1,750 sites were inspected, 556 notices were issued and 48 units were ordered shut for violating pollution control norms, he said. In the last two days, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee officials carried out 230 road and garbage inspections, 110 by Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials, 36 by the Public Works Department, 32 by the Delhi Development Authority, 17 by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, and eight by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, resulting in a show-cause penalty of around Rs 1 crore, the minister said. He said the agencies issued 7.97 lakh Pollution Under Control challans this year, compared to 4.33 lakh challans in 2024. A total of 42,017 potholes were fixed this year, against 18,000 repaired a year ago. Sirsa said the number

'Pollution in Delhi nearly doubled in Nov, becoming 4th most polluted city'

Delhi's air pollution nearly doubled in November, pushing the national capital to the fourth spot among the most polluted cities in the country, according to a report. A report released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) on Saturday highlighted that while the impact of stubble burning on Delhi's air quality was significantly lower compared to last year, pollution levels in the city remained severe. Delhi ranked as the fourth most polluted city in the country in November, recording a monthly average PM2.5 level of 215 micrograms per cubic metre -- nearly double its October average of 107 micrograms per cubic metre. The national capital witnessed 23 'very poor' days, six 'severe' days and one 'poor' day during the month. Despite the deteriorating air quality, the contribution of stubble burning averaged only 7 per cent in November, compared to 20 per cent last year. Peak stubble-burning contribution touched 22 per cent, significantly lower than the 38 per cent

Delhi chokes as air quality stays in 'very poor' band, with AQI at 330

A thick blanket of pollution hung over the capital on Saturday as Delhi's air quality stayed locked in the 'very poor' category, with the 24-hour average AQI settling at 330. Among the 40 monitoring stations, 31 stations remained in the 'very poor' levels in the evening, with Nehru Nagar reporting the highest AQI at 369, according to CPCB's Sameer App. Earlier, Delhi woke to another choking morning with the AQI at 335 at 9 am. A total of 36 stations were in the 'very poor' category, with Mundka recording the worst levels at 387. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'. According to the Decision Support System for Delhi's air quality management, transport within the city remained the highest local contributor at 14.8 per cent, followed by industries in Delhi and surrounding areas at 7.3 per cent, residential sources at

Air pollution a legacy problem we inherited, says Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

Calling the national capital's air pollution woes a legacy problem, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday assured that her government has been actively working for the past 10 months to address these issues. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Gupta highlighted that issues like pollution, garbage mountains, and broken roads were legacy issues and her government is working to tackle them through sustained efforts. She also referred to the clean-up of the Yamuna river as a "big project", stating that her administration is working daily to rejuvenate it. The rapid population growth in Delhi and the exponential increase in vehicles have contributed to rising pollution levels, Gupta pointed out, adding that several factors, including dust, vehicular emissions, and open burning, contribute to the pollution crisis. "It also matters what steps were taken by the previous government. Our government has taken all the steps needed to tackle pollution, which were not taken

Delhi's air quality remains 'very poor', temperature drop adds to woes

Delhi-NCR continues to be under dense smog with 35 of 39 monitoring stations recording 'very poor' AQI. Temperatures have also hit the lowest so far this year

Delhi air quality remains 'very poor' as govt steps up anti-pollution drive

Government ramps up mist spray units, intensifies dust and debris control, and urges citizens to report pollution issues via the MCD-311 app for faster action

Tourists flock to Rajasthan as Delhi chokes on post-Diwali pollution

Hotel occupancy is hovering between 70 and 80 per cent, out of which domestic tourists account for 95 per cent