Page 18 - Air Pollution

Delhi air quality worsens to 'poor'; CAQM enforces Grap Stage I curbs

On April 2, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in Delhi-NCR after the city's AQI entered the 'poor' category

Delhi govt tightens pollution control measures; announces EV push

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced in the assembly on Wednesday that the Delhi government will introduce a new policy for issuing Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates to vehicles from other states, in a bid to tackle air pollution. The move comes in response to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report titled 'Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi', which flagged lapses in the national capital's pollution control mechanisms. Gupta also announced a significant expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Delhi, stating that by 2026, the city will have 48,000 charging points18,000 government-operated and 30,000 semi-private. Additionally, six new air quality monitoring centres will be set up to improve pollution tracking and enforcement. The chief minister further revealed plans to establish a new eco-park dedicated to processing electronic waste, aiming to curb air pollution caused by improper disposal of e-waste. "These steps are crucial in strengthening

Delhi air quality remains in 'moderate' category, AQI plunges to 136

Air quality across Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) improved, remaining in the 'moderate' or 'satisfactory' category

Pollution biggest challenge, transport sector key contributor: Gadkari

Pollution is India's biggest challenge and the transport sector is a major contributor, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday, stressing the urgent need to transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources. He said India's dependence on fossil fuels is both an economic burden as Rs 22 lakh crore is spent annually on fuel imports and an environmental hazard, making clean energy adoption crucial for the nation's progress. Speaking at the launch of an eco-friendly electric cycle in Thane, the Road Transport & Highways Minister said cycling needs to be promoted as a sustainable urban transport option in view of increasing urbanisation. Gadkari said the rapid growth of India's automobile sector has surpassed Japan to become the third-largest globally since 2014. He said by 2030, India will be the world leader in electric vehicle (EV) production, significantly impacting the global auto market. He credited the sharp decline in lithium-ion battery prices (now at USD 100 per

Delhi air remains 'moderate' for third day, AQI at 130 as temperature rises

Air quality across Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) improved, remaining in the 'moderate' category. Delhi's 24-hour average AQI stood at 138 at 4 pm on March 30.

India, others pledge to cut health impact of pollution by 2040 at WHO meet

India has pledged to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by 2040, aligning its actions with the National Clean Air Programme at the concluding session of the second World Health Organisation (WHO) conference on air pollution and health here. Speaking at the conference organised in Colombian city of Cartagena, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's Aakash Shrivastava said that the Indian government is committed to supporting the health sector and will promote cleaner cooking energy, particularly for vulnerable populations. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India, is committed to supporting the health sector with actions in alignment with the National Clean Air Programme to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by 2040. We will strengthen air pollution and noncommunicable disease surveillance, promote cleaner cooking energy, particularly for vulnerable populations, and support clinicians in protecting at-risk patients, Shrivastava said. However, a report presente

Delhi's air quality improves to 'moderate' as wind clears pollutants

AQI drops to 157 after days of 'poor' air; IMD forecasts clear skies, winds

Delhi air remains 'poor' for fourth day, AQI at 231 as temperature rises

Gurugram in Haryana reported an AQI of 274, while Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh recorded AQIs of 176 and 182, respectively

Delhi's air quality remains in 'poor' category, AQI plunges to 246

Air quality across Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) worsened, remaining in the 'poor' or 'moderate' category

Clean up: Air, water crises in Delhi demand better fund deployment

The 'Control of Pollution' scheme was launched in 2018 to monitor the three kinds of pollution across India, and is fully funded by the government

Delhi air remains in 'poor' category, AQI at 235 as temperature rises

Air quality across Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) worsened, remaining mostly in the 'poor' category after staying 'moderate' for the last few days

CAQM invokes Grap stage-I curbs as Delhi's air quality worsens to 'poor'

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in Delhi-NCR after the city's AQI fell into the 'poor' category on Monday

Delhi's air quality worsens but stays 'moderate' for sixth day, AQI at 183

After a CSE report earlier, cited the national capital's air as the 'dirtiest' among all mega cities, the Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, announced a major campaign to tackle air pollution

Delhi's air quality remains in 'moderate' category, AQI rises to 167

Air quality across Delhi-NCR remained in the or 'moderate' or 'poor' category. Delhi's 24-hour average AQI stood at 161 at 4 pm on March 22

Delhi's 'satisfactory' air was temporary, pollution crisis continues

Year after year, India cities are failing to breathe easily due to hazardous levels of pollutants

Delhi's air quality remains 'moderate' for fourth day, AQI rises to 150

Delhi's 24-hour average AQI stood at 156 at 4 pm, which is 'moderate', but Ghaziabad's AQI worsened to 266, remaining in the 'poor' category

Delhi's air quality remains in 'moderate' category, AQI rises to 150

Delhi's air quality worsened again after a brief period of relief, despite implementation of key measures aimed at reducing dust, traffic, and enhancing public transport

Haryana CM asks Centre for GST exemption on 10 agricultural implements

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has sought from the Centre an exemption in GST on ten agricultural implements used in crop residue management. He has written a letter in this regard to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. In his letter, Saini highlighted that farmers of Haryana play a crucial role in the nation's food reserves, with the state being a leader in the agricultural sector. However, in recent years, stubble burning has become a major issue, adversely impacting the health of the people, an official statement quoted him as saying in the letter. Given the seriousness of the issue, it is being closely monitored by the Supreme Court and the Air Quality Commission, it said. The chief minister said that Haryana's farmers are adopting advanced technologies and utilizing the latest agricultural implement for crop residue management. Over the past few years, both Government of India and the state government have

Delhi's AQI drops to 'moderate' as pollution control efforts continue

Delhi's air quality shifts to 'moderate' with an AQI of 130 as authorities ramp up pollution control measures and green initiatives to combat ongoing environmental challenges

Study projects loss in India's solar power potential due to air pollution

India's capacity to generate solar power could fall by 600-800 gigawatt-hour before mid-century due to air pollution and climate change, a study has projected. The researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, found that northern, western and southern power grids -- where most solar parks are currently located -- will experience significant challenges in maintaining performance due to climate change. Pollutants in the air can absorb and scatter sunlight, thereby lowering the intensity of the sun's radiation reaching the earth's surface. Further, generating solar power relies heavily on weather and climate, and is, therefore, vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The findings, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, "highlight the need for combined climate and pollution mitigation efforts to boost India's photovoltaic potential and secure a sustainable, resilient energy future". Despite being endowed with abundant solar resources -- India