Page 4 - Air Pollution

AAP holds protest in Delhi Assembly premises over rising air pollution

The protest highlighted concerns over public health, particularly for children, the elderly, and people with respiratory issues, as Delhi continues to struggle with hazardous air quality

Delhi AQI eases to 'poor', yet smog continues to disrupt flights, travel

Delhi's air auality index eased to 260 on Monday, but fog and trapped pollutants kept much of Delhi in the 'poor' and 'very poor' category

65% of Delhi's air pollution in 2025 originated from outside the city: CREA

As much as 65 per cent of Delhi's air pollution in 2025 originated from outside the city, mainly from other NCR districts, while local sources accounted for the remaining 35 per cent, a study said. According to an analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), accessed by PTI, winter-period inputs from the Decision Support System indicated that pollution transported into the national capital outweighed emissions generated within the city during 2025. Winter-period source attribution figures showed that vehicular emissions accounted for nearly half of Delhi's local PM2.5 pollution, surpassing contributions from industry, construction and other combustion sources, even as transboundary pollution remained the dominant overall contributor. "Transboundary pollution from NCR districts and neighbouring states plays a major role in Delhi's air pollution. Delhi's geographical location also makes it vulnerable, as northerly and north-westerly winds carry polluted air from

Delhi AQI today: Air quality improves to 'poor'; Grap III curbs lifted

Air quality in Delhi improved slightly with AQI improving to 'poor' and prompting CAQM to ease some curbs. However, fog and low visibility are expected to cause some travel disruptions

Grap III restrictions lifted in Delhi-NCR as AQI level falls to 236

CAQM revokes Grap III curbs across Delhi-NCR after AQI improves to 'poor' levels, aided by strong winds. However, restrictions under Grap I and II will continue to remain in force across NCR

Delhi air quality improves to 'very poor'; many flights delayed due to fog

Second day of new year sees minor improvement in Delhi's air quality, but fog and pollution persist across most stations; AQI at 311

Delhi rings in New Year with 'very poor' air; IMD issues rain alert

Average AQI stood at 372 on January 1, with eight stations in the severe category and low visibility disrupting travel across the capital as the IMD issued a rain alert

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