Page 33 - Air Pollution

NGT seeks reasons for not enforcing GRAP in Delhi despite poor air quality

The National Green Tribunal has sought from the Centre's Commission for Air Quality Management the reasons for not implementing the Graded Response Action Plan curbs in the National Capital Region and the adjoining areas. Underlining that the Stage-I Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) curbs were not invoked despite the air quality reaching the 'poor' category from May 3 to 6, the NGT sought a fresh report from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The tribunal was hearing the matter regarding air pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) region. In an order passed on May 7, a bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said, "Air quality in Delhi in the last four days has dipped to poor category and it was 291 on May 5. But GRAP-I provisions have not been invoked till now." The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was 264 on May 3, 281 the next day and 247 on May 6. The bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarw

World's 'largest' vacuum designed to suck pollution out of air is now open

The vacuum is projected to remove 36,000 tons of carbon annually, equivalent to eliminating emissions from approximately 7,800 gas-powered cars for a year

Drop in annual PM2.5, PM10 levels between 2018 and 2023: Environment dept

The Delhi environmental department said there has been a decrease in the annual PM2.5 concentration, dropping from 128 micrograms per cubic metre in 2018 to 106 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023

Amid Houthi attacks, Red Sea diversions spew emissions equal to 9 mn cars

The additional fuel burned has led to approximately an extra 13.6 million tons of CO2 emissions over the past four months - equivalent to the pollution of about 9 million cars

Group of 2,500 Delhi-based RWAs unveil 24-point citizen wish list

A group representing over 2,500 RWAs in the national capital on Monday unveiled a 24-point citizen wish list ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, demanding a sustainable city with better solutions for its air pollution problems, civic issues and governance. The United Residents Joint Action (URJA), in its citizens' charter for the next government, has made nine finance-related obligations, seven fundamental commitments, five leadership commitments and three citizen participation demands, the resident welfare associations (RWAs) group said in a statement. "The URJA's mandate calls for a more liveable, breathable, sustainable city with better solutions for its air pollution problems, civic issues and governance. The charter presents the key challenges faced by citizens of Delhi and their needs along with solutions that will work and specific demands for action," it said. The needs and solutions for developing sustainable city and states with reduced air pollution levels include better waste

Air pollution-related terminologies awareness low among urban poor: Study

Awareness about air pollution-related terminologies such as air quality index and particulate matter is "significantly" low among the urban poor in Delhi-NCR, according to a survey. The study conducted from December 2023 to January 2024 covered 500 people in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) cities of Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurugram. For the survey, they were divided into two groups -- residents of informal settlements and slums, and formal middle-class settlements. "Awareness of air pollution-related terminology was significantly lower among the urban poor. Only 10 per cent of people were aware of air pollution terms like AQI (air quality index) and PM 2.5, while 71 per cent of middle-class settlements were aware," the survey "Saaf Saans" conducted by NGO Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group said. PM 2.5 levels are fine particles that have a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers, more than 100 times thinner than a human hair and remain suspended in the air fo

Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in air last year hit new peak again

The levels of the crucial heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere reached historic highs last year, growing at near-record fast paces, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Carbon dioxide, the most important and abundant of the greenhouse gases caused by humans, rose in 2023 by the third highest amount in 65 years of record keeping, NOAA announced Friday. Scientists are also worried about the rapid rise in atmospheric levels of methane, a shorter-lived but more potent heat-trapping gas. Both jumped 5.5 per cent over the past decade. The 2.8 parts per million increase in carbon dioxide airborne levels from January 2023 to December, wasn't as high as the jumps were in 2014 and 2015, but they were larger than every other year since 1959, when precise records started. Carbon dioxide's average level for 2023 was 419.3 parts per million, up 50 per cent from pre-industrial times. Last year's methane's jump of 11.1 parts per billion was lower than record annual

Emissions model for aviation fuel will be ready in very near future: EPA

The revisions were delayed from an initial March 1 timeline after disputes among agencies about the changes, sources told Reuters at the time

Southeast Asian countries consider ways to boost 'green financing'

Senior finance and central bank officials from Southeast Asia and major economies met Thursday in the scenic Laotian city of Luang Prabang to discuss ways to help the region build resilience against shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters brought on by climate change. The need for faster progress was dramatically apparent as the city and surrounding region were engulfed in heavy smoke from fires some set to clear forests for crops, some ignited by record high temperatures and tinder-dry conditions. The air quality index early Thursday was nearly 300, or very unhealthy. Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia have committed to seeking more sustainable ways to feed their people and power their economies. The question is where the money will come from to do that. Green finance is among several items on the agenda of the finance meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations related to countering the mounting impacts of global warming. The officials also were

These are the top 10 most polluted capital cities in the world

Amid growing concerns about worsening air quality, a report by the Swiss organisation IQAir identified Delhi as the most polluted capital city in the world for the fourth consecutive time.

AQI: Delhi world's most polluted capital, Begusarai most polluted city

India has slipped in the world air quality index to be the third most polluted country, ranking just behind Bangladesh and Pakistan with average PM2.5 levels at 54.4 micrograms, up from 53.3 last year

India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan had world's worst air pollution in 2023

Some of places most affected were in the Middle East, Africa and Central and South Asia. Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso ranked as five countries with the most polluted air

CPCB directs producers to procure EPR certificates for tyre disposal

The Central Pollution Control Board has asked all producers to fulfil their assigned EPR obligations for fiscal years 2023 and 2024

'Foreigners wary of pollution when considering setting base in India'

Air pollution is the primary concern for foreigners considering establishing a permanent base in India, with the issue entangled in the political blame game, a German Embassy official said on Thursday. Addressing a symposium on air pollution here, Hendrik Selle, the head of the Department for Economic and Global Affairs at the German Embassy, said that air pollution affects not only people's health but also the economy. "Air pollution, in India for example, is one of the primary factors for those abroad who consider establishing a permanent representation in the country...(They) say this is something we cannot run the risk of doing," he said. "So, it is indeed a very important concern and a multifactor problem, one that is far too often caught up in political blame game. The brick kiln worker attributes it to vehicular pollution, the stubble-burning farmer blames it on farmers in another state...which is not what we need. We need political action both nationally and internationally,

Delhi's air quality improves from 'poor' to 'moderate', AQI at 180

Delhi's air quality on Monday improved from "poor" to "moderate" and the maximum temperature settled at 21 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season's average. The 24-hour air quality index (AQI) read 180. On Sunday, the AQI was recorded at 282, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. The 24-hour AQI on Saturday was 193. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". The humidity levels fluctuated between 98 per cent and 61 per cent during the day, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It has forecast mainly clear sky for Tuesday with moderate fog in the morning, while the minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to settle at around 9 and 20 degrees Celsius, respectively. February has seen four days of rainfall while last year, there was no rainfall recorded in this month. The capital received 29.9 mm rainfall in

MCD to set up 100 debris collection points across Delhi to curb pollution

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is in the process of establishing 100 debris collection points in the national capital to mitigate pollution, officials said on Saturday. While 35 of them are already operational in various zones, locations have been identified for another 49, the MCD said in a statement. According to reports, construction activity is a major contributor to air pollution in Delhi. "To address this issue, the MCD, in collaboration with A-PAG and C&D (construction and demolition) plant concessionaires, has established debris collection points across the Delhi region," the statement said. In the initial phase, the MCD conducted a pilot project in 10 wards of the West zone, establishing three dedicated collection sites. This initiative yielded "remarkable results", showing a significant reduction of 46 per cent in illegal dumping of debris, the statement said. Expanding on this, the MCD is currently in the process of establishing nearly 100 collection points, .

Centre holds off stricter curbson pollution as Delhi AQI crosses 400-mark

Amid worsening air quality, the Centre on Wednesday decided to hold off the implementation of stricter measures to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR as forecasts suggested that the situation may improve. Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Wednesday breached the 400 mark, a level requiring authorities to invoke stricter curbs under Stage 3 of the Centre's air pollution control plan called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). "CAQM Sub-Committee for operationalisation of GRAP met today and took stock of the air quality situation, and meteorological forecast and the projected air quality index by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology," a statement said. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) forecasts suggesting an improvement in the air quality, the Sub-Committee unanimously decided to watch the situation for a day or more, before invoking Stage 3 of GRAP. The .

Delhi pollution crisis: Informal sector workers grapple with job loss

Saroj, a 55-year-old construction worker residing near the Bakkarwala landfill site, embodies the challenges faced by informal sector workers amid the escalating air pollution crisis in Delhi. In the wake of frequent construction bans to combat air pollution, Saroj found herself periodically unemployed for the past three months, grappling to make ends meet. For people like her, whose primary income source is construction work, the shutdown presents a formidable financial setback. "There has been no stable construction work since October (Diwali) and we have been sitting at home for three months now. The contractor informs us that work will only resume in a few months when the air pollution situation improves," she said. Working in the construction industry, despite its polluting nature, has become an unavoidable necessity for these workers, exposing them to some of the most severe health repercussions. "Fever, cough and cold and stomach issues are very common for us living close t

India tops global indoor pollution with average annual PM2.5 levels: Study

India has topped a global indoor air pollution chart with the highest average annual PM2.5 levels followed by China, Turkey, UAE and South Korea, according to a study. Moreover, on the list of cities with highest average annual PM2.5 levels, national capital Delhi was on the top amongst the studied cities, followed by Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Busan, a Dyson statement said. The Dyson Global Connected Air Quality Data project analyses more than half a trillion data points, to understand user behaviours and compare indoor and outdoor air quality. The national sample size for India is 37,013 connected Dyson air purifiers. "India recorded the highest average annual PM2.5 levels, followed by China, Turkey, UAE, and South Korea, while in terms of indoor average VOCs, India ranked 7th among the top 10," said the report for which the data were collected from Dyson Purifiers connected to its app. It further said: "Moreover, Delhi topped the list of PM2.5 levels, amongst the studied .

Delhi air quality remains 'severe'; cold waves and fog reduce visibility

Travellers in Delhi face delays as dense fog hits flight and rail operations amid severe air quality conditions