While the city saw rising levels of air quality index (AQI), the nation as a whole did not rank quite well in the two reports released on the sidelines of the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30)
Supreme Court gives CAQM 'full authority' to take proactive, stakeholder-backed measures to tackle Delhi-NCR's worsening air pollution
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a fresh PIL by a wellness expert seeking urgent judicial intervention to tackle a "persistent and systemic failure" in addressing the country's rising air pollution levels. The top court, however, allowed holistic health coach Luke Christopher Coutinho to withdraw the PIL and file an intervention plea in a pending case filed by environmentalist M C Mehta on pollution. "The petitioner seeks liberty to withdraw the plea to file an intervention in pending proceedings in the MC Mehta case," the CJI said. The court is scheduled to hear the main plea on pollution on Wednesday. Coutinho had filed the plea on October 24 and made the Centre, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), several Union ministries, NITI Aayog, and the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Maharashtra as parties. The plea said the current air pollution crisis has reached proportions of a "public
As air quality dips and jaggery resurfaces as a "lung cleanser", experts say the belief rests on nostalgia and old animal studies, not human science, and explain what actually helps
From masks and plants to Diwali and ACs, pulmonologists break down the myths standing in the way of clean air and better health
AQI crosses 400 mark in 31 of 39 monitoring stations; construction activities restricted, BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles barred under new curbs
North and east Delhi's industrial belts continue to choke, with Jahangirpuri, Rohini, and Shahdara topping the city's pollution list, according to a hyperlocal study
Medical specialists have warned residents of Delhi-NCR about a severe health crisis triggered by the high air pollution in the region. Dr Arvind Kumar, Thoracic (Chest) Surgeon & Lung Health Specialist, Medanta Hospital, said that hospitals are seeing a spike in cases related to effect of pollutionThe NCR Region faces poor air quality with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 345 at 8 a.m. on Monday, placing the national capital firmly in the 'very poor' category.While talking to ANI, Dr Arvind Kumar described how hospitals are overwhelmed with respiratory cases, especially among children, due to air pollution. It includes symptoms like cough, cold, fever and difficulty breathing."There are patients all around. Everywhere, children are being brought to hospitals coughing, sneezing, having a runny nose, breathing fast, and having a fever. We have patients who are coming back with a cough or pneumonia. There is a huge spike in the number of chest cases. It's all the doctors ...
Dyson's new Purifier Hot+Cool HP2 De-NOx and HP1 are built to tackle pollutants such as NO2, VOCs, and PM2.5 using advanced filtration, smart sensors, and all-season heating and cooling
Health coach Luke Coutinho has filed a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking urgent action on India's worsening air pollution, citing violations of citizens' right to life and health under Article 21
All commercial goods vehicles registered outside Delhi that are not BS-VI compliant will be prohibited from entering the national capital from November 1, in line with the CAQM's directions. The BS-VI compliant vehicles meet stricter emission standards are expected to curtail pollution. A public notice issued by the transport department said BS-IV commercial goods vehicles will be permitted to enter Delhi only for a limited period, up to October 31, 2026, as a transitional measure. There will, however, be no restrictions on the entry of commercial goods vehicles registered in Delhi, BS-VI compliant diesel vehicles, BS-IV compliant diesel vehicles till October 31, 2026, or those running on CNG, LNG, or electricity. The notice added that restrictions under various stages of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on commercial goods vehicles will continue to apply during the period a particular stage is in force. In a meeting held on October 17, Commission for Air Quality Management
Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had imposed Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the National Capital Region with immediate effect
Air pollution is driving a wave of chronic, life-threatening illnesses across India, the State of Global Air 2025 reveals, with most deaths tied to non-communicable diseases.
Delhi's air quality sank into the 'very poor' category post-Diwali, with PM2.5 touching a five-year high of 488 µg/m³; cracker smoke and calm winds blamed for the spike
The national capital on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 19.6 degrees Celsius, 1.2 notches above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Relative humidity was recorded at 87 per cent at 8.30 am. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 32 degrees Celsius, the IMD said. The weather department has forecast mist and fog on Saturday and Sunday. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the 'poor' category, with a reading of 252 at 9 am, Central Pollution Control Board data showed. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
The CAQM said that Delhi recorded an AQI of 211 (poor) on Tuesday, which is expected to remain in the same category in the coming days
Delhi's Air Quality Early Warning System underpredicts PM2.5 levels by 30-35% due to outdated emission inventories, highlighting need for regular updates to improve forecasts and decision-making
All of India's 1.4 billion people live in areas where annual average particulate pollution levels exceed the WHO guideline and even those in the cleanest regions of the country could live 9.4 months longer if the air quality met global standards, according to a new report. The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago's (EPIC) 2025 report said PM2.5 concentrations in India in 2023 were higher than in 2022. These levels are more than eight times higher than the WHO guideline and reducing them to permanently meet the global standard would add 3.5 years to the average life expectancy of Indians. According to the WHO's 2021 air quality guideline, the annual average limit for PM2.5 is 5 micrograms per cubic metre, while for PM10 it is 15 micrograms per cubic metre. These limits are far stricter than India's own standards, which currently allow 40 micrograms for PM2.5 and 60 micrograms for PM10. The report said 46 per cent of India's population lives in areas where annual PM2
India generates over 500 million tonnes of agricultural residues annually.
Among the monitoring stations, Punjabi Bagh recorded the lowest AQI at 50, followed closely by Bawana at 51 and Vivek Vihar at 55. All three readings fall in the 'good' category