Page 33 - Air Pollution

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

Most cities on path to achieve national clean air target; Varanasi leads

The government allocated Rs 9,631 crore to reduce the levels of particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller by 40 per cent in 131 cities by 2026 from the 2017 levels

Delhi AQI: City continues to grapple with very poor air quality, low temp

Delhi's temperature for the day is likely to linger at the lower end of the scale around 11 degrees Celsius

MCD undertakes 19 sealing actions following revocation of Grap-III

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has undertaken 37 demolition and 19 sealing actions in last two days after restrictions under anti-pollution measure GRAP-III were lifted, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. Demolition actions were suspended after the enforcement of Graded Response Action Plan-III in December last year and were revoked on Monday following visible improvement in Delhi's air quality. The MCD carried out an anti-encroachment and sealing drive from January 2 to January 3 in areas such as Bhatti, Mandi, Burari, Jaitpur, Jamia Nagar, Nangloi, Govindpuri, Mahabalipuram (Bhatti), Vasant Kunj, Kamla Nagar, and Model Town, the statement said. Over the last three months, 1,204 cases of unauthorised constructions have been registered. A total of 989 demolition, 322 sealing and 68 prosecution actions have been initiated and complaints lodged with police, the civic body said. According to the statement, six major actions against the illegal plotting/ ...

Delhi AQI continues to be very poor after Stage III of Grap norms revoked

Delhi pollution news today: The restrictions under the Stage-III of Grap norms were lifted in the capital on Monday as the AQI continues to remain below 400

Centre revokes restrictions set under Stage-III of Grap in Delhi-NCR

The Centre on Monday ordered the revocation of anti-pollution restrictions under Stage-III of GRAP in the entire Delhi-NCR with immediate effect. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, met on January 1 following improvement in air quality. The sub-committee of CAQM revoked the Stage-III of GRAP in view of the forecasts by the IMD/IITM for meteorological conditions and air quality index of Delhi, officials said. According to the forecast, the AQI of Delhi has been progressively improving and has been recorded as 346 at 4:O0 PM which is about 55 AQI points below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage-III actions (Delhi AQI 401-450) and there is a likelihood of sustaining the improvement in AQI. Furthermore, the forecast does not indicate any deterioration further and there is a likelihood of the AQI improving while remaining in Ve

Kolkata's air worsens on New Year's Day due to bursting of firecrackers

The air quality in Kolkata worsened on New Year's Day, mainly due to the bursting of firecrackers at midnight, an official of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) said. Immediately after the midnight celebrations, the air quality index (PM 2.5) turned 250 in some southern and northern parts of the city, with smog reminiscent of Kali Puja night. However, it dipped slightly on Monday morning but some places such as Ballygunge and Jadavpur still experienced poor quality air of AQI 281 till 1 pm, the official said. Air monitoring stations at Victoria Memorial recorded marginally better AQI at 199, followed by 161 at Rabindra Sarobar and 152 at Bidhannagar, he said. While an AQI of 200 and above is classified as 'poor', the readings between 100 and 199 are categorised as 'moderate', both causing breathing discomfort to people with lung and heart diseases. Bursting of firecrackers coupled with particulate matters hanging in the air in winter, plus more number of cars hitting

2023: NGT cracks whip to spur officials to strive for cleaner air, water

As large swathes of India gasped for breath, choking on air laden with contaminants, the National Green Tribunal grappled with a wide range of environmental issues, including pollution of the Ganga and quality and quantity of groundwater and air pollution in 2023. It went to the extent of imposing huge penalties on states like Delhi and Bihar for poor liquid and solid waste management. In February, the tribunal directed the Delhi government to pay Rs 2,232 crore as environmental compensation for improper management of solid and liquid waste, while in May it imposed a staggering Rs 4,000 crore compensation on Bihar. The green panel also passed orders to check over-exploitation of natural resources. It took suo motu (on its own) cognisance of industrial and environmental disasters, and awarded compensation to the victims. A highlight of the tribunal's directions involved restoring the pristine sanctity of rivers, many of which are venerated entities like the Ganga and Yamuna. Express

Delhi recorded the most polluted December in 2023 in the last five years

However, the government data showed that overall, 2023 had the best air quality since 2018, barring 2020 when the pollution was low owing to the country-wide lockdown