Page 3 - Air Pollution

Delhi AQI today: Air quality improves slightly but remains 'poor'

A marginal dip in pollution levels was recorded across Delhi on Thursday morning, though air quality stayed in the poor category with smog lingering in several areas despite weather-related relief

Thar desert dust storms may be bringing disease-linked bacteria to Himalayas

Dust storms from western India can ferry disease-linked bacteria to the Eastern Himalayas, reshaping mountain air and raising public health concerns, a new Indian study shows

Delhi air quality worsens to 'poor' after brief respite; AQI at 256

Early morning fog sharply reduced visibility across the capital, slowing traffic, while flights at IGI Airport operated under low-visibility protocols as the AQI remained in the poor category

Planting bushes, mechanised sweeping urged to curb dust in cities: Minister

The government is encouraging mechanised sweeping and planting of bushes to control dust in cities, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. Responding to a supplementary during Question Hour, Union Environment minister Bhupender Yadav said to control dust pollution, a city-specific plan is prepared. Under the plan, "greening" is carried out based on the requirement of a particular city. He said bushes help control spread of dust. The way roads are being constructed at present, states are being encouraged to go for mechanised sweeping. "In NCR too, (municipal) corporations were encouraged for mechanised sweeping to control dust," he said.

Does pollution kill Indians? Inside the government's air death divide

One ministry says there's no proof air pollution kills Indians, another pegs the toll at 1.24 million deaths a year; as Delhi-NCR's air turns hazardous again, the contradiction is back in focus

Pollution now a national health emergency, govt must act: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said pollution is no longer just an environmental issue but a national health emergency, and asserted that Parliament must discuss it as well as the government must act. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also said that the Union Budget must put real resources behind real solutions. Gandhi said over the last few days, he has read thousands of messages from Indians about what pollution is doing to their lives. "What stood out was fear - fear for children, for parents, for tomorrow - felt by families in cities across India," Gandhi said in a Facebook post. "Pollution is no longer just an environmental issue, it is a national health emergency. Parliament must discuss it. The government must act. And this Budget must put real resources behind real solutions. Indians are not asking for reports or rhetoric. They are asking for clean air," he said. Gandhi last week had said that people are paying a heavy price for air pollution with their hea

Delhi air quality worsens to 'very poor' despite early morning showers

Air pollution in Delhi turned to 'very poor' on Sunday, with 27 stations recording AQI above 300 as light showers failed to clear smog; IMD forecasts hazy skies and cold day conditions for today

Delhi air quality worsens, remains 'poor'; IMD issues alert for rain, snow

Delhi recorded 'poor' air quality on Saturday morning as dense to very dense fog reduced visibility across north and central India, affecting several airports

Delhi air quality improves to 'poor' as rain forecast offers hope of relief

Air quality in Delhi showed marginal improvement on Friday, while IMD's forecast of rain and thunderstorms raised hopes of further respite from the serious winter pollution

Harsh words not enough, must see economic cost of air pollution: Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday orally observed that the impact of air pollution on the economy needed to be examined and just uttering "harsh words will not yield any results". During a hearing on the issue of air pollution, amicus curiae (friend of court) Darius Khambata cited former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief economist Gita Gopinath's recent comments in Davos that "pollution is a major economic threat to India than trade-related challenges". In 2023, the court had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of increasing air pollution and passed a slew of directions to civic bodies and other authorities to take steps to deal with the problem. During the previous hearing on January 23, a bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar had slammed civic authorities for their "belligerent disregard" of its orders to mitigate air pollution and warned of halting salaries of top municipal officials. When the matter was called on Tuesday, Amicus Darius Khambata, during his ...

People paying a heavy price for air pollution with their health: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that people are paying a heavy price for air pollution with their health and the country's economy, and that children and the elderly are bearing the brunt the most. In a post on his X account, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha urged people to speak up against air pollution. He also asked them to write to him, sharing their views on how it has affected crores of Indians. "We are paying a heavy price for air pollution -- with our health and with our economy. Crores of ordinary Indians bear this burden every day," Gandhi wrote. "Children and the elderly suffer the most. Livelihoods, especially of construction workers and daily wage earners, are severely impacted," he wrote. Noting that the crisis cannot be forgotten until next winter, the former Congress president said, "The first step towards change is to raise our voices." He further asked people to share the story of "how air pollution has affected you or your loved ones" at ...

Delhi air quality turns 'moderate' after 103 days, but relief may not last

After nearly three-and-a-half months -- 103 days to be exact -- Delhi's air quality on Saturday returned to the 'moderate' category, with the average AQI recorded at 192, as rainfall brought some respite from the prolonged spell of hazardous air. According to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the last time the capital recorded 'moderate' air quality was on October 13, 2025, when the Air Quality index (AQI) stood at 189. Between October 1 and October 13, Delhi witnessed nine days of 'moderate' air quality, before pollution levels deteriorated sharply. CREA's analysis showed that October 14, 2025, onwards, hazardous air pollution levels were recorded in the city, with 26 days of 'poor' AQI, 66 days of 'very poor' AQI, and 10 days of 'severe' readings. "Even Saturday's improvement to the 'moderate' range offers limited relief, as this category is known to cause breathing discomfort for people with lung disorders, asthma and heart disease," the ...

Delhi AQI improves to 'poor' category after light rain on Basant Panchami

Delhi's overall AQI improved slightly to 297 on Friday amid early morning rain, but most areas remained in the poor to very poor category as only limited respite came on Basant Panchami

Clean air on the go: Can wearable purifiers cut pollution exposure?

Wearable and convenient, personal air purifiers promise a clean-air bubble for urban Indians. But do these devices meaningfully reduce pollution exposure, or offer only limited relief?

'Pollution a bigger threat to India than tariffs': Gita Gopinath at Davos

Former IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath says pollution is a bigger risk to India's economy than tariffs, hurting productivity, raising health costs and affecting investor confidence

Delhi AQI stays 'very poor', but rain forecast gives hope of some relief

Overall AQI in Delhi on Thursday morning was 312, with several pollution hotspots; IMD has forecast rain this week which could wash away pollutants and provide temporary relief to residents

Doctors warn of rising health and financial risks as air quality worsens

Study of doctors flags growing concern over worsening air quality in Indian cities, linking high AQI levels to chronic illnesses, rising healthcare costs and poor financial preparedness among patients

SC asks Centre, Delhi govt to submit action plan on CAQM's AQI measures

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre, the Delhi government and other stakeholders to submit within four weeks their action plan on the central pollution watchdog's recommendations for long-term measures to improve the worsening Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi-NCR. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi took note of a status report filed by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). "The CAQM has recommended 15 long-term measures. CAQM has also identified the concerned agencies who are the competent ones to give effect to these long-term measures." "While in addition to the aforesaid measures by the CAQM, there might be some additional long-term measures required to be adopted. There can be no doubt that these long-term measures recommended by CAQM are required to be given effect with no delay. We therefore call upon the ...

Grap IV lifted in Delhi-NCR as air quality shows marginal improvement

CAQM revoked Stage IV actions under the revised GRAP after Delhi's AQI improved to 378. It said Stages I, II and III curbs will continue across the NCR

Delhi sees worst January air quality in 5 years; Grap stage IV curbs on

Despite a slight improvement on Tuesday, Delhi is witnessing its worst January air quality in five years, with Grap Stage IV restrictions continuing amid unfavourable weather and dense fog