Page 24 - Air Pollution

Rai on late-night inspection, monitors implementation of Grap-4 in Delhi

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai conducted a late-night inspection in Delhi's border areas to review the enforcement of GRAP-4 anti-pollution measures and said 135 to 165 trucks violating the restrictions are being turned away daily. "Late tonight, visited the Narela/Singhu border and inspected the implementation of GRAP-4," Rai posted on X. Speaking at site, Rai said that complaints have been received about unauthorised vehicles being allowed entry at Delhi's borders. "Today, we received multiple complaints about unauthorised vehicles entering Delhi through various borders without being checked. That's why we came here to inspect the situation," Rai said. During the inspection late Friday night, Rai said that between 135 to 165 trucks are being turned away daily from November 18 at Delhi's borders for violating the restrictions imposed under Graded Response Action Plan-4. Only CNG, electric, and BS-VI compliant vehicles are allowed entry into the city, while all other trucks

SC mulls setting up panel to vet permission for felling trees in Delhi

The bench referred to Section 7(b) of the 1994 Act which says the tree authority shall be responsible for carrying out the census of existing trees and obtaining

Centre in SC opposes setting up ex judges panel to monitor stubble burning

The Centre on Friday opposed in the Supreme court a proposal to form a committee of former apex court judges to oversee the implementation of measures to curb stubble burning, a key contributor to Delhi-NCR's air pollution. The suggestion was put forth before a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, hearing a case related to the rising pollution in Delhi-NCR, by senior advocate and amicus curiae Aparajita Singh. She sought to leverage the expertise of judges as part of the proposed fact-finding committee. The amicus said the judges had previously dealt with air pollution and stubble burning issues. A bench headed by former Supreme Court's Justice Madan B Lokur had heard pleas related to pollution and the role of stubble burning as a contributing factor in the past. In 2020, a bench headed by the then CJI Justice S A Bobde set up a panel headed by Justice Lokur to deal with the issues relating to stubble burning. The order was later recalled. On Friday, the amic

Senior living homes, air purifiers, stocks: Top personal finance stories

This week we report about why you must invest in a senior living home and how premium air purifiers help at home

Delhi pollution: Police asks e-commerce platforms to stop firecrackers sale

directive comes in a bid to protect the health and well-being of citizens directly due to increasing pollution and to prevent sale of firecrackers through e-commerce platforms

Delhi air pollution: Centre announces staggered work timings for employees

The Centre on Thursday announced staggered working timings for its employees in view of the severe air pollution in Delhi, according to an order issued by the Union personnel ministry. Employees have also been asked to pool vehicles and use public transport to minimise vehicular pollution. "These measures may be adopted by ministries/departments/organisations as per their functional requirements ensuring that it should not have an adverse impact on efficiency and productivity in any manner," the order read. Given the severe-plus air pollution levels in Delhi, various ministries, departments and organisations of the central government are advised to adopt staggered timing in respect of offices located in the Delhi-National Capital Region, it said. The order said offices can be open from 9 am to 5.30 pm and 10 am to 6.30 pm. "The officers/staff using personal vehicles should be encouraged to pool vehicles and to use public transport to minimise the vehicular pollution," it added. A

Premium air purifiers that will bring relief as pollution crisis gets worse

Buy devices that can clean up large rooms and have filters to capture small particles

Every Delhi-NCR family hit by pollution-related health problems: Survey

A recent survey reveals that every household in the region has at least one member suffering from pollution-related health issues, including sore throat, asthma, and headaches

Updates: India, China agree to work to rebuild mutual trust in defence ministers meet

Latest news updates: Catch all the latest news developments from across the world here

Coal plants in India set to miss pollution goal as smog chokes Delhi

About three-quarters of the coal-fired generators near major cities are set to miss a year-end deadline to install equipment to curb sulfur-dioxide emissions

Delhi AQI in severe category; Rai announces work from home for govt staff

The AQI of Gurugram stood at 402 and it was 434 in Ghaziabad

Businesses gasp as Delhi's bad air chokes demand; air purifiers sales rise

Malls go empty, open-air markets also hit

The unwanted crown: 39 of world's 100 most polluted cities are from India

China ranks 2nd with 30 cities in S&P Global Mobility survey

Air pollution woes: Delhi hospitals see 50% jump in OPD visits, admissions

Jump in numbers comes as north Indian cities record AQI in excess of 350, Mumbai crosses 120

Delhi's traders face 20% loss as pollution, curbs deter consumers: Cait

Cait Secretary General Khandelwal urges govt to involve trade associations in policy-making, adopt electric trucks for logistics, and offer financial support to businesses

Is Delhi's AQI 500 or 1500? Here is why you find conflicting readings

Confused by Delhi's AQI readings of 500 and 1,500? Different scales and methods explain the gap. Here's why both figures capture a harsh reality

How China won its deadly smog battle. Is it possible for India too?

Over the years, Beijing's air quality improved significantly, dropping by 42.3 per cent between 2013 and 2021, a reduction attributed to stringent policies and enforcement

Decision on work-from-home, odd-even to be taken soon: Gopal Rai

A decision on implementing work-from-home measures and the odd-even scheme will be taken soon to tackle the city's worsening air quality, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday. Speaking to PTI, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, People, including children and senior citizens, are struggling to breathe and we deeply regret this situation. The air quality in the national capital has remained in the severe plus category since Sunday, with AQI readings consistently above 450. On the possibility of implementing work-from-home measures, Rai stated, We will take a decision on this soon." The minister added that the government has already imposed significant restrictions on vehicles under GRAP-IV. We are analyzing the impact of these measures. If the analysis shows a positive outcome, we will take further decisions accordingly, he said. Calling the current situation a medical emergency, Rai emphasised the need for collective action. This is a time of medical emergen

Delhi's air pollution takes centre stage at COP29, experts call for action

Delhi's hazardous air quality was a key focus at COP29, as experts warned about the health risks of air pollution and called for immediate global action. Aarti Khosla, Director of Climate Trends, sais that Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) had reached dangerous levels, with some areas recording particulate pollution above 1,000 microgram per cubic metre. Pollution comes from many sources like black carbon, ozone, burning fossil fuels, and farm fires. We need solutions that tackle all of these, she said. Khosla also explained that low wind speeds during the La Nia weather pattern are trapping pollutants in the air, making the situation worse. While we discuss major global issues, millions of people's health is at risk. We must act fast, she said. Courtney Howard, Vice-Chair of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, shared her experience from Canada, where wildfires forced the evacuation of 70 per cent of her population in 2023. This was expensive, even for a rich country like ours. ..

Health secy issues advisory as AQI worsens, SC enforces Grap IV in Delhi

The advisory includes recommendations for states and UTs to strengthen existing health systems and raise awareness among vulnerable groups and at-risk occupations