Page 27 - Air Pollution

GRAP Stage-4 restrictions to come into force from Monday in Delhi-NCR

The Centre's air quality panel has announced stricter pollution control measures for the Delhi-NCR under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), effective from 8 am on Monday, including a ban on truck entry and a temporary halt on construction at public projects. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued the order as Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) worsened, reaching 441 at 4 pm and rising to 457 by 7 pm due to unfavourable weather conditions. According to the order, no trucks will be allowed into Delhi except for those carrying essential items or using clean fuel (LNG/CNG/BS-VI diesel/electric). Non-essential light commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will also be prohibited, except for EVs and CNG and BS-VI diesel ones. Delhi-registered BS-IV or older diesel medium and heavy goods vehicles are banned, except for those in essential services, the panel said. All construction activities, including highways, roads, flyovers, power lines, pipelines an

Delhi govt seizes over 2,200 overage vehicles to combat air pollution

The Delhi Transport Department has impounded 2,234 overage vehicles between October 1 and November 15 as part of an ongoing drive. The initiative, launched last month, aims to address the deteriorating air quality in the national capital. According to official data, the seized vehicles include 260 diesel four-wheelers that are over 10 years old, alongside 1,156 petrol two-wheelers and 818 petrol three and four-wheelers, all older than 15 years. The campaign, which is set to continue until December, is part of a broader effort to enforce environmental regulations and reduce vehicular emissions. In tandem with the crackdown, the Transport Department has rolled out an online portal to facilitate the scrapping, retrieval, or sale of seized vehicles. The platform is designed to streamline the process, providing owners with a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for managing overage vehicles. The Transport Department has also issued directives to Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facili

SC to hear plea seeking measures to curb air pollution in Delhi on Nov 18

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea seeking enforcement of measures to curb air pollution in the national capital. Delhi woke up to toxic air conditions on Sunday as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the "severe" category. The AQI stood at 429 at 9 am, according to the 'Sameer App', which provides hourly updates from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 417 at 4 pm on Saturday. As per the cause list of November 18 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih is slated to hear the plea. On November 14, the top court had agreed to urgently list the plea after it was told that Delhi should not become the most polluted city in the world due to the rising pollution. The bench had agreed to list the matter after senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who has been assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the matter, requested for urgent hearing looking at the ..

Delhi battles hazardous air as Grap III, vehicle bans come into effect

Experts have recommended limiting outdoor activities, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, senior citizens, and individuals with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions

News updates: Mob tries to storm CM N Biren Singh's home as Manipur protests escalate

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Air quality worsens in more areas of Delhi, over Rs 5.85 cr fine imposed

Delhi's air quality worsened further on Saturday, with many areas in the "severe" category, even as authorities intensified their action by imposing penalties of around Rs 5.85 crore on the first day of anti-pollution measures under the third stage of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The city's 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI), recorded at 4 pm daily, stood at 417, making it the worst in the country. On Friday, the AQI level was 396. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the "severe" category air poses risks to healthy individuals and severely impacts those with existing health conditions. Out of Delhi's 39 monitoring stations, data shared by the CPCB showed that all except for Sri Aurobindo Marg reported air quality in the "severe" category, with AQI levels above 400. Following Delhi, Jind in Haryana recorded the second-worst air quality with a reading of 394, while Bahadurgarh, also in the neighbouring state, ranked third with a reading of 388. An AQI betwee

Delhi traffic police slaps fines totalling Rs 1 cr for Grap-3 violations

Delhi Traffic Police has issued around 550 challans, imposing a total fine of over Rs one crore, to BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles on Friday on the first day of the ban on these vehicles under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) III in the national capital, officials said. According to police, they have also issued challans to 4,855 vehicles imposing a total of Rs 4.8 crore in fines for not having Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) in the national capital on Friday. A fine of Rs 10,000 is imposed on motorists for not having a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate. These challans get released from courts. Private BS III petrol and BS IV diesel vehicles were banned from roads with violations inviting a penalty of Rs 20,000. Diesel and petrol inter-state buses from the NCR cities to Delhi are also banned. A senior police officer said that they have issued a total of 293 challans for BS-III and BS-IV vehicles in the eastern, central and northern ranges of

Delhi gasps as air quality remains hazardous; govt tightens Grap III curbs

Delhi government enforces a ban on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers under Grap-III from Friday, violators will face fine up to Rs 20,000

COP29: Shanghai, Tokyo, NY spew most greenhouse gas of world cities

Cities in Asia and the United States emit the most heat-trapping gas that feeds climate change, with Shanghai the most polluting, according to new data that combines observations and artificial intelligence. Seven states or provinces spew more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases, all of them in China, except Texas, which ranks sixth, according to new data from an organisation co-founded by former US Vice President Al Gore and released Friday at the United Nations climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan. Nations at the talks are trying to set new targets to cut such emissions, and figure out how much rich nations will pay to help the world with that task. Using satellite and ground observations, supplemented by artificial intelligence to fill in gaps, Climate Trace sought to quantify heat-trapping carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, as well as other traditional air pollutants worldwide, including for the first time in more than 9,000 urban areas. Earth's total carbon ...

Truck drivers concerned over livelihood as GRAP-III now effective in Delhi

With the air quality index (AQI) in Delhi worsening and hovering in the severe category, the CAQM on Thursday ordered to invoke Stage III of the GRAP in Delhi NCR with effect from 8 am of November 15

Media spotlight on Delhi hides severe pollution in smaller Indian cities

Delhi grabs 80% of pollution coverage, while smaller cities like Hapur (AQI 361) and Meerut (AQI 377) face dangerous air but remain media blind spots, shows Wizikey report

106 additional buses, 60 extra trips by metros to combat pollution in Delhi

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said an additional 106 cluster buses would ply in the city while metro trains would make 60 extra trips in view of GRAP-3 measures imposed due to worsening air quality. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has imposed GRAP 3 measures as the national capital recorded the worst pollution levels in the country, with the air quality remaining in the "severe" category for two consecutive days. On Friday the city's air quality was in the severe category with an AQI of 411 at 9 am. Delhi Environment Minister, addressing a press conference said that the Air Quality Index (AQI), which has consistently crossed hazardous levels, led to the enforcement of GRAP-3. "We are working to make GRAP-3 more effective in Delhi," the minister said, adding that a meeting was held with officials from MCD, PWD, transport, DTC, metro, and education departments to review and implement urgent measures. As part of the action plan, the Delhi government

Online learning in Delhi schools up to Class 5 due to pollution: CM Atishi

All schools up to Class 5 in Delhi will switch to online learning till further directions in view of rising pollution levels in the city, Chief Minister Atishi said on Thursday. With pollution reaching alarming levels, the central pollution watchdog CAQM imposed restrictions under GRAP Stage III in Delhi-NCR earlier on Thursday. The national capital's air quality remained in the 'severe' category for a second consecutive day, prompting the authorities to impose the stringent anti-pollution measures. The restrictions will come into force from Friday. "Due to rising pollution levels, all primary schools in Delhi will be shifting to online classes, until further directions," Atishi, who also holds the education portfolio, said in a post on X. Measures under the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) announced by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) include shifting schools up to Class 5 to online mode. GRAP for the National Capital Region (NCR) is classifi

Closely monitoring Delhi pollution, strict measures to be taken: Gopal Rai

A day after Delhi's air quality plunged to the 'severe' category, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday said strict pollution control measures would be enforced if the conditions worsened. Rai also attributed the worsening air quality to a combination of calm winds and a drop in temperature that caused the pollutants to remain trapped in the air. The national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am remained in the 'severe' category, with a reading of 428. On Wednesday, Delhi reported the worst AQI in the country, with the air quality turning 'severe' for the first time this season. Rai said at a press conference that there had been a change in the weather pattern during the past two days. Wind speeds are expected to pick up between Friday and Saturday, reaching six to 12 kilometres per hour and that should help reduce pollution levels, he said. Regarding the implementation of pollution mitigation measures under GRAP III, the minister said it would not be imposed yet as the

Delhi air turns cancerous: What COP29 experts suggest on pollution crisis

With 'severe' pollution levels, Delhi is now the second most polluted city globally, behind Pakistan's Lahore, with an air quality index of 1,399

Delhi Airport issues advisory for passengers amid rising air pollution

A dense layer of smog enveloped the national capital as the pollution levels continued to rise, AQI level in Delhi at 8 am was 428, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Delhi AQI 'severe' for day 2; 10 flights diverted due to fog: Top updates

Despite alarming pollution levels, city officials have not yet activated Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which includes the closure of primary schools

Is your air safe? Google Maps rolls out live AQI updates in India

Google Maps now provides navigation along with key environmental insights, helping people make smarter choices about their health and outdoor plans

Dense fog in Delhi puts airport on alert; visibility reduced in Noida

Delhi AQI news: Anand Vihar, dubbed the pollution hotspot, remained one of the most impacted areas with an AQI of 399. In such conditions, all age groups are at heightened risk of respiratory illness

Toxic emissions from Okhla waste plant put millions at health risk: Report

An investigation by The New York Times reveals Delhi's Okhla waste-to-energy plant emits high levels of toxins like cadmium and arsenic, with illegal ash dumping in residential areas