Page 32 - Air Pollution

Air pollution in Indian cities raises death risk across age groups: Study

In Indian districts, air pollution exceeding national standards have been shown to increase death risk across all age groups -- by 86 per cent in newborns, 100-120 per cent in children under five years of age and 13 per cent in adults, according to a study. A team of researchers, including those at the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, looked at fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution levels across over 700 districts. Data for analysis was taken from the National Family and Health Survey (fifth round) and the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). In households not having a separate kitchen, the study found higher chances of deaths among newborns and adults. Among newborns and children aged under five, the chances "appeared to be almost two-fold and more than two-fold higher, respectively, in the districts of India where the PM2.5 concentration is up to the NAAQS level," the authors said in the study published in the journal GeoHealth. Analysing the

No letter received from Delhi on air pollution: Union environment ministry

The Union environment ministry clarified on Thursday that it had not recently received any communication from Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, seeking a discussion on air pollution. On Tuesday, Rai said he had sent a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, proposing a meeting to prepare a joint plan to combat air pollution. The ministry said the last letter it received from Rai was dated September 20, 2023, in which he requested a meeting with National Capital Region (NCR) states to discuss air quality management. In response, Yadav chaired a meeting with the environment ministers of the NCR states on October 20, 2023. "No letter has been received recently from the Hon'ble Environment Minister, GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi), on this subject," the ministry said in its statement. The ministry also said that its secretary chaired a meeting on July 25 to discuss the action plan for the next one year, including preparations for the coming

CAQM issues advisory to curb open waste burning, cites poor GRAP compliance

The Centre's air quality panel has issued a new advisory to curb the open burning of municipal solid waste and biomass, including wood, dried leaves and other organic matter, in Delhi, stating that despite previous advisories, compliance with the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-II has been "far from satisfactory". In a bid to address the worsening air quality in Delhi during the winter months, the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas issued an advisory and directed the additional chief secretary of the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner to ensure that resident welfare associations (RWAs) provide electric heaters to their security staff and other service workers. This measure is intended to prevent them from resorting to open burning of biomass for warmth, which is a common practice during the winter months. The commission highlighted that despite previous advisories, ...

Air pollution is a great equaliser

In 2019, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), as it is called, to fix the air quality of our cities

Congress slams govt over rapidly deteriorating air quality across nation

The Congress on Thursday slammed the Centre over the issue of "deteriorating air quality", alleging that this government denies there is a real problem, underfunds programmes targeted at mitigating pollution and fails to utilise the resources that it allocates. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that among the lesser-known tragedies of "the non-biological PM's reign is the rapidly deteriorating air quality nationally" and the policy chaos that has characterised the government's response to it. In the last five years, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has left more than 75 percent of the Environment Protection Charge (EPC) and Environmental Compensation (EC) funds unspent, the former environment minister said on X. In total, Rs 665.75 crores have been left unutilised, he claimed. "Earlier this week in the Rajya Sabha, a Union Minister of State claimed that 'There are no conclusive data available in the country to establish direct correlat

600 PUC centres in Delhi shut due to AAP govt's internal churn: Congress

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav Sunday alleged that 600 PUC centres, which check vehicles for their emission levels, have closed due to the AAP government's "internal churn", and lakhs of vehicles are plying on the road without pollution clearance certificates. He said the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party should emulate the governance model of the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress dispensation to eradicate air pollution from the city, he said. "Due to the Kejriwal government's internal churn, 600 PUC (Pollution Under Control) centres have been closed -- lakhs of vehicles ply on roads without getting pollution clearance certificates in the Capital," Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav said. Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association (DPDA) has been demanding the government revise the rates for Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates in the national capital. It recently shut down nearly 600 PUC centres functioning at petrol pumps, saying the hike announced recently was not commensurate with ...

Nation's air pollution crisis result of policy failure: Congress slams govt

Accusing the Modi government of "poor policy-making" in dealing with air pollution, the Congress on Sunday demanded that the forthcoming Union Budget must provide a path forward to resourcing and equipping India's local bodies, state governments, and the Centre in tackling this "grave public health crisis". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said earlier this month, a study revealed that 7.2 per cent of all deaths in India are associated with air pollution -- about 34,000 deaths each year in just 10 cities. A new study by the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi has evaluated the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) and brought to light the policy chaos that has resulted in this public health crisis, he said in a statement. "The current budget of the NCAP, including the 15th Finance Commission's grants, is about Rs 10,500 crore -- spread across 131 cities! The programme is therefore desperately underfunded -- and yet, and of this meagre amount, onl

Most lung cancer patients in India are non-smokers, study reveals

A recent study highlights the role of poor air quantity in India and genetic diversity in rapidly increasing cases of lung cancer

33,000 lives lost annually due to pollution in these 10 Indian cities

A report published in Lancet Planetary Health claims that over 7 per cent of all deaths, approximately 33,000 each year, in 10 Indian cities can be attributed to air pollution levels

Air pollution kills 33,000 in Indian cities annually, Delhi tops list

According to Lancet Planetary Health, almost 33,000 deaths in 10 Indian cities yearly can be attributed to air pollution levels that are below India's national clean air threshold

Air pollution kills 33,000 every year even in 'clean' Indian cities: Lancet

The researchers looked at 3.6 million deaths between 2008 and 2019 across the sample areas, and overlapped them with a detailed map of the distribution of PM 2.5

7% of daily deaths in 10 Indian cities linked to PM2.5 pollution: Study

On average, 7.2 per cent of all daily deaths in 10 of the largest and most polluted cities in India, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, were linked to PM2.5 levels higher than World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe exposure, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Delhi was found to have the largest fraction of daily and yearly deaths attributable to PM2.5 air pollution, caused by particles sized 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. Sources of such pollution include vehicular and industrial emissions. Researchers said that daily exposure to PM2.5 pollution in Indian cities is linked with a higher risk of death, and locally created pollution could be possibly causing these deaths. The international team included researchers from Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi. They found that an increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre in the average of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) polluti

Uber launches EV service, Uber Green, in Kolkata to curb emissions

Uber on Thursday announced the launch of its flagship electric vehicle service, Uber Green, in Kolkata, marking a step towards eco-friendly urban transportation. Uber becomes the second ride-hailing service provider to offer electric vehicles in the city, following Snap E, another brand operating with an all-EV fleet. "Enhancing the air quality in Kolkata is a shared duty we all must embrace. I commend Uber for introducing 'Uber Green' in Kolkata, a significant step towards reducing carbon emissions in our city," West Bengal Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty said. "This service allows residents to book zero-emission rides with ease through the Uber app, promoting sustainable travel across the city, including routes to and from Kolkata international airport," Uber said in a statement. The company did not disclose details on the number of vehicles under Uber Green or its expansion plans for the city. The company has committed to becoming a zero-emissions mobility platform by 2

Global fossil fuel use, emissions hit records in 2023, says report

Overall global primary energy consumption hit an all-time high of 620 Exajoules (EJ), the report said

Air pollution: Toxic air kills 464 children daily in India, 2,000 worldwide

Air pollution is now the second major cause of child mortality around the world. The State of Global Air report indicates about half a million child deaths in 2021 linked to indoor air pollution

EU Commission plan may exempt long-haul flights from new emissions rules

The EU is developing plans to require airlines to track and report their contribution to climate change from January 2025

Uncomfortable decisions required to clean up Delhi's air: Sunita Narain

Cleaning up Delhi's air requires "uncomfortable and inconvenient" decisions, and it cannot be achieved by being nice to everyone, particularly the affluent residents who significantly contribute to the problem, leading environmentalist Sunita Narain has said. In an interaction with PTI editors, Narain said although central and state governments have taken several steps to control air pollution in the national capital, including banning coal and introducing BSVI fuel, erratic weather patterns due to climate change and the inadequate speed of addressing the crisis continue to exacerbate the problem. Narain, the Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, said the episodic burning of crop residue by farmers in winter is not the primary concern. Instead, the persistent and major sources of pollution within the city, including transport and industries, are more worrisome, she said. "My only request for the new government is to take some uncomfortable, inconvenient decisio

Airbrushed existence

Bad air is an equaliser, uncontained by physical borders and social boundaries, but dialogues around air pollution don't extend to everybody. They have blind spots

Haryana govt to launch Rs 10,000 crore project to combat air pollution

Haryana Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad on Monday said the state government will soon roll out a Rs 10,000-crore project funded by the World Bank to address air pollution. The Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development will be implemented in the state in a phased manner with the first phase being implemented in the districts falling in the National Capital Region (NCR) and replication in entire state later, he said. The announcement was made in a meeting of the governing committee of Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development held under the chairmanship of the chief secretary here on Monday, according to an official statement. Prasad said this ten-year comprehensive project would be funded by the World Bank. Underlining the significance of the project, Prasad emphasised the need of collective efforts by all stakeholders to eliminate the problem of air pollution. It was informed by the officials in the meeting that the project has three focus areas aimed at ...

Air pollution: Delhi's AQI turns 'poor'; experts cite unfavourable weather

The national capital's air quality dipped to the 'poor' category on Wednesday due to unfavourable meteorological conditions and stubble burning and forest fires in neighbouring states, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said. The city's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) rose to 243 by 4 pm, prompting the CAQM, a statutory body tasked by the Centre with planning and implementing air pollution reduction strategies in Delhi-NCR, to convene a review meeting with experts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. The 24-hour average AQI noted on Sunday was 183 in the 'moderate' category, after which the index entered the 'poor' category with a reading of 227 on Monday and 234 on Tuesday. At the review meeting, the experts told the CAQM panel that the wind direction and speed are rapidly changing due to high convection rate and completely dry conditions, along with high temperatures, are leading to continued suspension