Page 15 - Air Pollution

Delhi merely spent 1/3rd funds received under NCAP to fight air pollution

Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in India, has used less than one-third of the funds it received under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), according to government records. Launched in 2019, the NCAP is India's first national plan to set clean air targets. It aims to reduce PM10 pollution by 40 per cent in 130 highly polluted cities by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base year. Environment ministry data showed that Delhi spent just Rs 13.94 crore, 32.65 per cent of the Rs 42.69 crore released to it under the NCAP. A total of 14 cities and urban agglomerations have spent less than 50 per cent of the funds they received under the programme, either directly from the environment ministry or through the 15th Finance Commission. Noida in Uttar Pradesh, another major pollution hotspot in the National Capital Region, has spent only Rs 3.44 crore of the Rs 30.89 crore given to it for air pollution control. Faridabad in Haryana spent Rs 28.60 crore of the Rs 107.14 crore it ...

Electric vehicles: Why change is needed and how to make it happen

By 2030, the penetration of EV sales would be 70 per cent of all new commercial cars, 30 per cent of private cars, 40 per cent of buses, and 80 per cent of two- and three wheelers

Delhi breathed better in 2025 compared to 2024: Environment Minister Sirsa

Delhi breathed easier between January to May as the AQI saw a significant improvement from last year, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Wednesday. Sirsa said the data reveal that the average AQI during these five months stood at 214, an improvement from 231 recorded during the same period in 2024. In addition, the average PM2.5 concentration for the period dropped to 95 micrograms per cubic metre, down from 111 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024, he added. PM2.5 are fine inhalable particles with a 2.5 micrometre or smaller diameter, and are the greatest health risk. The acceptable annual standard for PM2.5 is 40 micrograms per cubic metre. Delhi's air quality in May was the cleanest for the month in over a decade, Sirsa said. The average AQI for May was in the 'moderate' category an unusual achievement considering the historical trend of 'poor' air quality in previous years. "Unlike previous governments that drafted policies but failed in execution, our governme

Delhi unveils 25-point plan to cut pollution, boost clean mobility: Details

Delhi's new air plan targets dust, vehicles, and landfills, with 5,000 e-buses, 7 million trees, cloud seeding, and AI tools to track and fight pollution

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta launches 'Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025'

Deployment of 2,300 electric autos at metro stations, installing of mist sprayers at 13 pollution hotspots and audit of PUCC centres every six months -- these are some of the features of the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025 launched by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday. The chief minister stressed that clean and healthy Delhi is the government's dream and said air pollution directly affects people's health. Under the plan titled 'Shuddh Hawa Sabka Adhikar Pradushan Par Zordar Prahar', the government will start planting trees under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign with a target to plant 70 lakh saplings this year, she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier launched the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, a unique initiative combining environmental responsibility with a heartfelt tribute to mothers. Gupta said an audit of Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) centres will be conducted every six months to prevent any corruption. To reduce traffic congestion, the

Climate change, summer dust storms deepen India's air pollution crisis

The WHO recommends an annual average of no more than 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) for PM2.5, and a daily average not exceeding 15 µg/m³

Cooking fumes and cosmetics may be raising women's risk of lung disease

Women over 40 face a higher risk of chronic lung disease, possibly due to indoor pollution, hormonal shifts, and misdiagnosis - not just smoking

Senate moves to block California clean air, vehicle emission standards

Senate Republicans have voted to establish a new precedent that will allow them to roll back vehicle emission standards in California, including a rule phasing out the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. The winding series of Senate procedural votes that went late into Wednesday evening could have profound implications for California's longstanding efforts to reduce air pollution. It also established a new, narrow exception to the Senate filibuster even as Republicans have insisted that they won't try to change Senate rules. Democrats strongly objected to the move, delaying the votes for hours as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., cleared the way procedurally for Republicans to bring up three House-passed resolutions that would block the rules. The Senate could pass the resolutions later this week. At issue are the three California rules phasing out gas-powered cars, cutting tailpipe emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and curbing smog-forming nitrogen oxide ..

Delhi cabinet clears sanitation, dust plan to cut road pollution: CM

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday said the cabinet has approved a comprehensive sanitation and dust control plan for the Public Works Department (PWD). Under this plan, the cabinet has approved the procurement of advanced cleaning machines to reduce pollution on Delhi roads. In a statement, she said under this initiative, a range of equipment will be deployed on PWD-maintained roads to combat dust pollution. They include 250 water sprinkler machines integrated with anti-smog guns and 70 Mechanical Road Sweeping (MRS) machines integrated with 210 water sprinkler machines and anti-smog guns, 18 dump vehicles and 18 water tankers. All these machines are expected to be fully operational on Delhi roads before the onset of winter. The Environment Department will provide the necessary budget to the PWD under the 'Pollution Control and Emergency Measures' scheme for the deployment of the machines, she said. These machines will be used exclusively for dust cleaning on roads and c

Stage-I Grap measures enforced across NCR as Delhi AQI remains 'poor'

The decision was a comprehensive review by the CAQM Sub-Committee, which convened on May 16 at 4:00 PM. The committee assessed the persistent poor air quality conditions in Delhi

Maharashtra may deny fuel to unfit vehicles to curb air pollution: Minister

The Maharashtra government is considering a policy to deny fuel at petrol pumps to unfit vehicles that contribute to air pollution, state Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Tuesday. During a review meeting with senior officials of the Motor Vehicles Department at Mantralaya, Sarnaik said a stringent policy in this regard will be in place soon. With the increase in the number of vehicles on roads, especially those running on conventional fuel, air pollution has risen at an alarming rate, he said in a release. Though every vehicle is required to possess a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, there are reports of fake or improperly obtained certificates, the minister said. "Only vehicles with valid certificates will be allowed to refuel. 'No PUC, no fuel' will be the guiding principle of the new policy," he said. Sarnaik also pointed out that technically unfit vehicles were responsible for the deteriorating Air Quality Index (AQI) in urban areas, and to address thi

We must phase out old vehicles faster to fight air pollution: VP Dhankhar

The Vice President called on using public transportation, which, he said, is the safest and fastest

Gurugram gasps for air as Bandhwari fire doused, but toxic fumes fill sky

A fire that broke out at the Bandhwari landfill site in Gurugram two days ago has been doused but the locals are grappling with the toxic fumes that have filled the sky. A local resident said the repeated fires in the garbage mountain in Bandhwari landfill site have caused more trouble for the people living nearby. The smoke generated from these fires makes them gasp for air, the resident said. According to officials, over 25 fire tenders were deployed to control the fire that broke out at the landfill site two days ago. It took firefighters 16 hours to completely douse the blaze, they said. However, it was not the lone incident in the area. In 2024, more than 70 fire incidents were reported in the Bandhwadi landfill site between March and June. Methane gas builds up under garbage in landfills due to the decomposition of organic waste in the absence of oxygen. When it comes in contact with air, it catches fire immediately, according to a Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) ...

How ground-level ozone is making Delhi's air more deadly for residents

Ground-level ozone breached safe limits daily across Delhi-NCR this summer, exposing millions to serious respiratory risks and worsening the city's air quality

Manjinder Sirsa orders crackdown on polluters amid worsening air in Delhi

Amid rising air pollution levels in the national capital, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday directed authorities to identify and take action against highly polluting industries, institutions and construction sites. Chairing an emergency review meeting with senior officials of the Environment Department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), he expressed concern over the rising Air Quality Index (AQI) levels. He issued strict instructions to officials to crack down on sources of pollution and ensure time-bound implementation of mitigation measures. Sirsa directed authorities to identify and take action against highly polluting industries, institutions, and construction sites, and suspend works at construction sites found violating dust control norms. According to a statement, the minister told officials to deploy water sprinklers and anti-smog guns at major construction sites and pollution hotspots. He also underlined the need for real-time air ..

PM10 levels in Mumbai unsafe not just in winter but in summer too: Study

The PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less) levels in the city have consistently breached the national safety threshold of 60 g/m not just during winter peaks, but even in the summer months, a four-year study has revealed. In 2024, Malad West recorded a sharp spike in PM10 levels, rising to 154.5 g/m , a nearly 50 per cent increase from the previous year. Shivaji Nagar, another critical hotspot, registered an alarming 211.0 g/m in 2023 before dropping to 102.2 g/m in 2024, still over 70 per cent above the national limit. Siddharth Nagar-Worli saw levels rise from 57.1 g/m in 2021 to 119.2 g/m in 2023 before slightly improving to 105.1 g/m in 2024, the study revealed. Other consistently polluted locations include Chakala-Andheri East, Kurla, Deonar, Vile Parle West, and Mazgaon, all of which remained above safe levels year after year. "PM10 levels in the city have consistently breached the national safety threshold of 60 g/m , not just during

Delhi govt to launch anti-pollution drive with tankers, border checks

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday said the government will roll out a comprehensive framework to tackle the rising pollution levels which will include deploying 1,000 water tankers with sprinklers, installing anti-smog guns in high-rise buildings and setting up CCTV cameras and LED screens at the city borders to prevent the entry of old vehicles. He said the roadmap will outline the city's strategy to fight pollution from 2025 to 2026. Sirsa said one of the key goals is to bring PM2.5 levels down. "We are installing water mist systems at various hotspots to clean the air and help particulate matter settle. This initiative has already shown success over a five-kilometre stretch in Dwarka," he said. The government is now expanding the project to 13 identified hotspots across the city. To intensify dust suppression, over 1,000 GPS-enabled water tankers with sprinklers will be deployed. "These tankers will move to areas with high pollution levels. Their route

Air pollution levels across India well above global standards: WHO official

Strategies like LPG subsidies and a switch to cleaner cooking fuels could help India become a leader in meeting this challenge, says Dr Maria Neira, director of environment and health at WHO

Emissions could be making rainfall more acidic over past 3 decades: Study

Air pollution could be making rainfall more acidic in cities such as Vishakhapatnam, Allahabad, Mohanbari (Assam), while dust from the Thar could be making rain more alkaline in Jodhpur, Pune and Srinagar, according to an analysis. The study by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, analysed the pH value -- which measures acidity or basicity -- of rainfall of ten cities in India. The data recorded at GAW stations from 1987 to 2021 were analysed. The findings are published by the IMD as a 'met monograph', a comprehensive analysis of a meteorological topic. The study suggests that atmospheric conditions and local emissions can affect the chemistry or pH of rainfall. Both acidic and alkaline rain can have toxic effects, affecting aquatic and plant life, even as the study's authors said "acid rain does not currently pose a major and immediate threat to our region". They attributed acidity in rain in Vizag to emissions

Anti-ageing millionaire Bryan Johnson raises alarm over India's pollution

Tech entrepreneur says breathing in India equates to smoking multiple cigarettes daily