Page 3 - Air Pollution Study

Delhi's PM 2.5 levels up in 2024 even after low stubble burning: CSE report

Delhi's annual PM2.5 levels rose in 2024 for the second consecutive year, despite a 37 per cent drop in stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and the national capital, according to a new report. The report by think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said Delhi's annual PM2.5 concentration increased to 104.7 microgrammes per cubic metre in 2024 -- a 3.4 per cent rise from the 2023 levels. This is also more than twice the national ambient air quality standard of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre. While the 2024 average is still 9.6 per cent lower than the 2018 peak of 115.8 microgrammes per cubic metre, it is 3 per cent higher than the three-year average of 2021-2023, indicating a gradual reversal of earlier gains made between 2018 and 2022, it said. The report highlighted that the total annual fire counts (on account of stubble burning) dropped by 37.5 per cent in 2024 in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. Punjab recorded a 75 per cent decline, and Haryana, a 37 per cent ...

CAQM reinstates GRAP 3 curb in Delhi-NCR as air pollution levels rise

The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Friday brought back stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan amid a rise in air pollution levels owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions, according to an official order. Delhi's air pollution levels showed an increasing trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 371 at 4 pm. ?According to forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the air quality situation is predicted to deteriorate further owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions. The Commission for Air Quality Management, responsible for strategizing air pollution mitigation in Delhi-NCR, directed authorities in the region to immediately implement curbs prescribed under stage 3 to prevent further worsening of the situation. GRAP Stage 3, which was lifted last Friday, entails a ban on non-essential construction work. Classes up to grade V are required to shift to hybrid mode und

Amid dip in Delhi-NCR pollution levels, CAQM revokes Grap-3 restrictions

The Centre's panel on Delhi-NCR's air quality on Friday rolled back stage 3 curbs under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) amid a dip in air pollution levels owing to continuous rains, according to an official order. Delhi's air pollution levels showed a declining trend and the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 324 at 7 pm. ?According to forecasts from the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the air quality situation is predicted to improve further owing to favourable meteorological conditions. The Commission for Air Quality Management, responsible for strategizing air pollution mitigation in Delhi-NCR, said curbs prescribed under stage 1 and 2 will remain in force in the region. GRAP Stage 3 entails a ban on non-essential construction work in the private sector. Classes up to grade 5 are required to shift to hybrid mode under Stage 3. Parents and students have the option to choose online education wherever ...

Delhi air quality improves to 'very poor' category, Grap-IV measures lifted

The stringent measures under the stage-IV of the Grap in Delhi were lifted on Tuesday, following an improvement in the AQI

Govt reviews $30 billion sulphur-cutting programme for coal plants

Instead of FGDs, government officials have proposed deploying locally made electrostatic precipitators that remove fine particles such as dust and smoke from emissions

Delhi continues to battle with 'severe' air quality amid drizzle and fog

AQI hits 401 despite light rainfall; cold wave grips north India with plummeting temperatures and snowfall disruptions

Residential sector key source of PM2.5 pollution in north India: Study

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 air still in 'severe' category despite light rainfall, AQI at 402

While the first half of December saw six 'moderate' air quality days, November remained highly polluted

Delhi's air quality remains at 'severe' stage, govt blames stubble burning

Despite the enforcement of Stage-IV measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), pollution levels show little respite

Air pollution linked to more hospitalisations for all causes, finds study

A research has found an increased hospital admissions for all causes, including mental illnesses, in relation to a long-term exposure to air pollution. The Scottish study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open, found that a higher exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) combined was linked to a higher hospitalisations for cardiovascular, respiratory and infectious diseases. Researchers from the University of St Andrews, UK, found that for every one micron per cubic metre increase in PM2.5 and NO2 pollutants, the incidence for hospitalisations for respiratory conditions rose by over four per cent and one per cent, respectively. Further, higher hospital admissions for mental or behavioural disorders were associated with an increased exposure to nitrogen dioxide. While the average yearly levels of NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 were lower than the 2005 World Health Organization guidelines, the levels of NO2 and PM2.5 were higher than those in the

Delhi continues to breathe 'severe plus' air; no sign of improvement

The city is currently under Grap Stage-IV, which bans all construction work within city limits and prohibits the entry of unnecessary polluting trucks inside the capital

Delhi is breathing 'severe plus' air quality again, Grap-IV reimposed

The air quality in Delhi deteriorates to 'severe plus'; strict measures under Grap Stage IV enforced to curb pollution

Delhi's air quality is 'very poor' again, no immediate improvement expected

This sharp decline in air quality is attributed to low wind speeds, vehicle emissions, falling temperatures, and stubble burning

AQI at 275: Delhi's air quality deteriorates, commission faces criticism

The Air Quality Early Warning System predicts Delhi's air quality will remain in the 'poor' category for the next two to three days

New study: PM2.5 air pollution in India leads to 1.5 million deaths a year

A groundbreaking study links PM2.5 pollution to 1.5 million annual deaths in India, urging nationwide action to tackle the health crisis caused by poor air quality

About 1.5 mn deaths a year during 2009-2019 linked to air pollution: Study

About a million and a half deaths every year from 2009 to 2019 is potentially linked with a long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Researchers, including those at Ashoka University, Haryana, and Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi, said that the entire 1.4 billion population of India live in areas having PM2.5 levels higher than World Health Organization-recommended five micrograms per cubic metre yearly average. The team also found that nearly 82 per cent of India's population, or 1.1 billion, lived in areas with yearly average PM2.5 levels exceeding those recommended by the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (40 microns per cubic metre). Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, pollution is caused by particles sized under 2.5 microns in diameter. A yearly increase in PM2.5 pollution of 10 microns per cubic metre was associated with 8.6 per cent higher annual mortality, the researchers found. Fo

Delhi air quality improves a bit; AQI drops to 207, some areas 'moderate'

Improved air quality in Delhi as AQI drops to 207; Lodhi Road, Pusa among areas recording 'moderate' levels

Delhi AQI reaches 186 as authorities ease Grap-III and IV pollution curbs

As the air quality improved to 'moderate' from 'poor,' it is expected that it will continue for the next two to three days as most areas in Delhi reported moderate air quality this morning

SC eases Grap restrictions in Delhi, moves to Stage II due to improved AQI

The top court said that if AQI goes above 350. Stage-III measures will have to be immediately implemented, and if AQI crosses 400 on a given day, Stage-IV measures will have to be re-introduced

Want clean air in Delhi? 5-star hotels turn air filtration into a 'service'

As Delhi battles high pollution levels, luxury hotels offer clean air through advanced filtration systems, turning guest rooms into spaces with AQI levels dramatically lower than the city's