Page 3 - Air Pollution

Why India doesn't move against CO2's close cousin as methane tracking lags

India is the world's third-largest emitter of methane but lacks clear policy direction and mechanisms to track and mitigate the gas, which is far more potent than carbon dioxide in global warming

Fixing India's air is achievable, but only with coordinated action

From vehicular pollution to construction dust, coordinated solutions exist. What's needed now is the will to act

Delhi Assembly to reconvene on Jan 5; air pollution, CAG reports in focus

The Delhi Legislative Assembly will re-convene on January 5, with the four-day session focussing on the pollution crisis in the national capital and scrutiny of three CAG reports, Minister Kapil Mishra said on Tuesday. The Art, Culture and Tourism minister said the government will table a proposal on pollution and table three CAG reports one each on corruption in 'Sheeshmahal,' the functioning of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and Delhi government-run universities. The term 'Sheeshmahal' was coined by the BJP to point out the alleged opulence of the 6, Flagstaff Road residence of the ex-Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. "There is a very detailed report on the functioning of DJB till the year 2022, it has all the details of all the irregularities which caused the sewage system of the city to collapse," Mishra said at a press conference. "The CAG report on the irregularities in the functioning of universities governed by the Delhi government will be tabled, and all the corruption wh

Delhi air quality stays 'severe' in most parts amid red alert for dense fog

Delhi experiences severe winter smog affecting visibility, travel, and daily life; IMD says conditions to remain same until January 1

Dense fog likely from 8 pm in Delhi-NCR; IMD issues cold day warning

The forecast comes after the national capital woke up to dense fog and smog on Monday morning, which disrupted air traffic, slowed vehicular movement and pushed air quality into the 'severe' category

Delhi AQI update: Air quality worsens to 'severe'; smog disrupts visibility

Delhi recorded an average AQI above 400 as very dense fog and smog reduced visibility, disrupted flights and trains, and prompted safety advisories across the capital

Delhi exploring tie-up with IIT Kanpur to find pollution sources: Sirsa

The Delhi government is exploring a potential collaboration with IIT Kanpur to leverage Artificial Intelligence to identify pollution sources at a granular level and assess their impact, officials said on Sunday. The environment department is all set to deliberate on the roadmap for collaboration, institutional mechanisms and phased implementation, an official statement said. Speaking on the initiative, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "We are moving towards a model where decisions are driven by real-time data, source identification and measurable outcomes, not reactive measures." The proposed collaboration aims to strengthen Delhi's ability to identify pollution sources at a granular level, assess their impact, and enable targeted, timely interventions across sectors. The emphasis is on building systems that can monitor, analyse, forecast and guide action on a continuous basis, he said. A key pillar of this approach is dynamic source apportionment, which wil

Delhi govt makes 2 restrictions under Grap-4 permanent to tackle pollution

Sirsa also referred to weather conditions, saying that authorities are closely monitoring developments due to the possibility of adverse weather

Toxic air hurting mental health, raises ADHD risk, warn health experts

As Delhi continues to breathe toxic air, experts have warned that this is not only sabotaging the physical health but also the mental well-being, increasing the likelihood of children having lower IQ levels, memory disturbances, and a higher likelihood of developing ADHD. Pointing at research-based evidence, medical practitioners said that toxic air is leading to depression, increased anxiety, poor memory and disrupted cognitive development, while prolonged exposure is associated with increased risks of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Dr Anchal Miglani, a psychiatrist at Emoneeds, which provides care to people struggling with mental health problems, said that while respiratory, cardiovascular, and allergic conditions dominate public attention, the psychiatric impact of air pollution is equally alarming. Researches indicate a clear link between pollution and rising cognitive and neurotic disorders, with children, the geriatric population, and

Delhi air quality slips into 'severe' category amid dense fog and cold wave

Calm winds and dense fog trap pollutants as seven monitoring stations record 'severe' AQI and 24 of 39 in 'very poor' category

'Will open Pandora's Box': Centre on plea to cut GST on air purifiers

The court was hearing a petition that asked for lowering GST on air purifiers amid Delhi's worsening air quality index

Air pollution in India biggest health crisis since Covid, warn doctors

Air pollution is arguably the biggest public health crisis India has faced since the pandemic and will continue to worsen each year unless urgent action is taken, a UK-based Indian-origin pulmonologist warned, noting that a looming tsunami of airway disease remains largely underdiagnosed and untreated. Speaking to PTI, multiple senior doctors practising in the UK asserted that a vast, hidden burden of undiagnosed airway disease is "building beneath the surface" and its incoming wave will exact a heavy, lasting toll on Indian citizens and its healthcare system. They linked the global rise in cardiovascular diseases over the past decade to increasing exposure to toxic emissions from urban transport, including automobiles and aircraft, particularly in cities across India, the UK and beyond, rather than obesity alone. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday admitted that nearly 40 per cent of the pollution in Delhi is caused by the transport sector due to dependence on fossil

EVs help, but Delhi's air pollution problem needs more than adoption

It is equally important to recognise that Delhi is part of a shared air basin across the NCR. Policies for just Delhi can deliver limited gains

Delhi's air quality improves to AQI 234; forecast shows decline ahead

The capital breathed slightly easier for the second consecutive day, with the air quality improving to the 'poor' category and an AQI of 234 recorded on Thursday. Transport emissions and pollution from neighbouring cities continued to contribute significantly to the capital's air pollution load, according to official data. Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 234 at 4 pm, remaining in the 'poor' category, compared to 271 recorded at the same time a day earlier, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This marked a significant improvement from the 'severe' AQI of 412 recorded at 4 pm on Tuesday. Out of the 40 functional air quality monitoring stations in the city, 10 recorded moderate AQI levels below 200, including Lodhi Road, IIT Delhi, Indira Gandhi International Airport and Aya Nagar, while 27 stations remained in the poor category. Two stations -- Jahangirpuri and Bawana -- recorded very poor air quality with AQI readings above 300. As per

‘Not doing enough’: What did Delhi HC tell Centre over pollution crisis? | Delhi aqi | Delhi smog

The Delhi High Court has pulled up the Centre over worsening air pollution in the national capital and asked it to consider reducing the 18% GST on air purifiers.

Delhi records highest annual avg of NO2 levels since 2018; ITO worst hit

ITO, known for heavy congestion and long waits at traffic signals, recorded the highest annual mean level at 69 µg/m³. Other hotspots included IGI Airport's Terminal 3, Anand Vihar, and Shadipur

Delhi breathes easier on Christmas as AQI dips below 300 after two weeks

On December 25, the AQI improved to 220, helped by strong winds, though forecasts warn of possible deterioration ahead

Grap IV restrictions lifted in Delhi-NCR as air quality improves

The CAQM, however, cautioned that winter weather conditions may not remain favourable, with forecasts indicating a possible rise in AQI levels due to slower wind speeds in the coming days

2025: The year the world wobbled, and India adjusted to crises and change

With the trade deal with the US pending and President Trump keeping matters on hold, opportunity in a time of crisis appears to be the way forward

Delhi, Noida AQI levels rise to 'severe', cross 400 at multiple locations

The air quality forecast failed as Delhi's AQI slipped into the 'severe' category above 400, with the national capital and neighbouring Noida recording the worst air quality in the country. A grey haze enveloped the capital on Tuesday as the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 412 in the severe category at 4 pm, deteriorating sharply from 373 in the very poor category at the same time a day earlier, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Out of the 40 functional monitoring stations in the city, five recorded severe-plus AQI levels above 450, including Nehru Nagar (465), Mundka (457), Chandni Chowk (453), Okhla (452) and Jahangirpuri, while 26 stations remained in the severe category. The remaining stations reported very poor air quality, as per CPCB's SAMEER app. Delhi recorded the second-worst air quality in the country with an AQI of 412, after neighbouring Noida, which registered an AQI of 426. These were the only two cities among 230 ...