Page 45 - Air Pollution

Delhi's air quality turns 'poor', minimum temperature at 20.9 degree C

The air quality in the national capital on Saturday was in the 'poor' category, and the minimum temperature settled at 20.9 degree Celsius, a notch below the season's average, officials said. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was recorded at 231 at 9 am. 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'. On Friday, the Centre's air quality panel directed authorities in the National Capital Region to enforce a ban on coal usage in hotels and restaurants, and to take punitive measures against polluting industries and thermal power plants as the air quality in Delhi plunged into the 'poor' category. This action comes as part of the government's pollution control plan known as the 'Graded Response Action Plan' (GRAP) which is implemented in Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution during the winter season. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a

Some plants may worsen air pollution on a warming planet, shows study

On a warming planet, plants like oaks and poplars will emit more of a compound that exacerbates poor air quality, contributing to problematic particulate matter and low-atmosphere ozone, a study shows. The same compound, called isoprene, can also improve the quality of clean air while making plants more resistant to stressors including insects and high temperatures. "Do we want plants to make more isoprene so they're more resilient, or do we want them making less so it's not making air pollution worse? What's the right balance?" said Tom Sharkey, a professor at Michigan State University in the US. "Those are really the fundamental questions driving this work. The more we understand, the more effectively we can answer them," Sharkey said. Isoprene from plants is the second-highest emitted hydrocarbon on Earth, only behind methane emissions from human activity. Yet most people have never heard of it, the researchers said. Isoprene interacts with nitrogen oxide compounds found in air

Hotspots, anti-smog guns: MCD draws up winter plan to mitigate pollution

Focus on hotspots action against open burning of garbage and deployment of anti-smog guns at construction and demolition sites are among the measures planned by the MCD as part of its winter action plan to mitigate pollution, officials said on Thursday. In a statement, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi also said it has constituted a dust control and management cell (DCMC) as part of the plan. The civic body has geared up to combat air pollution in upcoming winter season, and working in this direction, a winter action plan 2023-24 has been prepared, it said. Under this, the MCD has planned various initiatives. According to the plan, it has been decided that strict vigilance will be ensured to stop open burning of garbage and its dumping. Monitoring will be strengthened to stop use of coal or firewood in hotels and open eateries, it said. The statement said the MCD has identified 13 pollution hotspots -- Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, R K Puram, Okhla, Jahangir Puri, An

Delhi most polluted city in past year, Mizoram sustains cleanest air: Study

Although its air quality improved marginally, Delhi remained the most polluted city in the year ending September 30, with a PM2.5 concentration of 100.1 micrograms per cubic metre, which is three times the government's safe limit, according to a new analysis. The analysis conducted by independent think tank Climate Trends and tech firm Respirer Living Sciences, that manufactures real-time IoT-based air quality monitoring devices, showed that Aizawl and Mizoram have India's cleanest air with a PM2.5 level of only 11.1 micrograms per cubic metre. Four more cities from the National Capital Region -- Faridabad (89 micrograms per cubic metre), Noida (79.1 micrograms per cubic metre), Ghaziabad (78.3 micrograms per cubic metre) and Meerut (76.9 micrograms per cubic metre) -- also feature among the top 10 most polluted cities. The report is based on the analysis of the government's PM2.5 data from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023, and focuses on the cities covered under the National

India, Nepal neglected in int'l funding to tackle air pollution: Report

State of Global Aiir Quality Funding 2023--has been published by the UK-based Clear Air Fund in partnership with the Climate Policy Initiative

Delhi's 'Green War Room' to combat air pollution begins operations

The Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday launched the 'Green war room' which is set up in Delhi to curb the persisting problem of air pollution in the city

Nanoparticle emissions from vehicles in Delhi pose health risks: Study

Delhi has been experiencing hazardous levels of nanoparticles in urban air, especially in the roadside environment, directly related to vehicular engine exhaust, raising pubic health concerns, according to a study. Nanoparticles are minuscule particles, often measuring between 10 to 1000 nanometers (nm) in diameter, making them invisible to the naked eye. These particles are more dangerous to human health due to their much smaller size compared to PM 2.5 or PM 10. Being 600 times smaller than a human hair, they can penetrate deep into our lungs, bloodstream, and even the brain. The study, published in the journal Urban Climate, was conducted on Bawana Road in northwest Delhi, connecting Delhi to Rohtak in Haryana. The monitoring location is surrounded by educational institutions, households, and commercial areas where the dominant source of pollution is vehicular, the researchers said. Other sources include biomass burning, fuel used for residential heating in winter, and firework

Delhi 'Green War Room' to combat pollution will function from October 3

The Delhi government's control centre to monitor air pollution and redress complaints -- 'Green War Room' -- will start functioning round-the-clock from October 3, officials said on Monday. Launched in 2020, the Green War Room has state-of-the-art air quality monitoring equipment and a team of experts, including scientists and data analysts, which keeps an eye on all sources contributing to Delhi's air pollution and helps the city administration implement its action plan. Though the Green War Room functions round-the-year, the 24X7 monitoring will start Tuesday onwards, an official said. The Delhi government on Friday launched a 15-point action plan to mitigate air pollution in the capital during the winter season, with a strong emphasis on addressing dust pollution, vehicular emissions and the open burning of garbage. During a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that separate and specific action plans have been designed for each of the 13 air pollution hotsp

Centre's action plan to check air pollution in Delhi takes effect

The Graded Response Action Plan -- a set of anti-air pollution measures implemented in Delhi-NCR during the winter -- came into effect on Sunday. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), an autonomous body tasked with improving the air quality in Delhi and its adjoining areas, made crucial changes to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) last year and again in July. The new changes include strict restrictions on the plying of overage vehicles and a complete ban on the use of coal and firewood in eateries, restaurants and hotels when the Air Quality Index (AQI) breaches the 200-mark. BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers will be immediately banned in Delhi and Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar if the AQI crosses the 400-mark. The CAQM, a statutory body formed under an Act in 2021, amended the GRAP in 2022 to ensure proactive implementation of anti-air pollution steps based on forecasts up to three days in advance. Earlier, the authorities would

NHRC raises concern over 'tardy progress' towards zero stubble-burning aim

The NHRC on Friday expressed serious concern over the "tardy progress" towards achieving zero stubble burning to reduce air pollution, with its chairperson saying the time has come to "fix responsibility of officers from the top to bottom". National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra said this while chairing the full Commission follow-up hearing through video conference on the matter of Delhi air pollution, which the rights panel had taken up suo motu last year on the basis of media reports, officials said. Expressing serious concern over the tardy progress towards achieving zero stubble-burning to reduce air pollution, the NHRC chief said the time has come to "fix responsibility of officers from the top to bottom". He said, "We have to rise to the situation as millions are choking due to air pollution and cannot allow it to be so perpetually". "The poor farmers cannot be blamed solely for stubble burning some of them do not have the financi

Exposure to air pollution linked to increased stroke risk within 5 days

Short-term exposure to air pollution may be linked to an increased risk of stroke, according to a study. The meta analysis, published recently in the the journal Neurology, defined short-term exposure as occurring within five days of the stroke. A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death. Signs of a stroke can range from mild weakness to paralysis or numbness on one side of the face or body. "Previous research has established a connection between long-term exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of stroke," said study author Ahmad Toubasi, from the University of Jordan in Amman. "However, the correlation between short-term exposure to air pollution and stroke had been less clear. For our study, instead of looking at weeks or months of exposure, we looked at just five days and found a link between short-term exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of stroke," Toubasi said. The analysis involved a review of 110 studies that included

Delhi implementing comprehensive strategy to tackle pollution: Centre

Delhi is implementing a comprehensive strategy to tackle air pollution with a focus on reducing dust pollution and emissions from transport and firecrackers, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Wednesday. Delhi currently boasts a fleet of 7,041 buses, including 4,088 Delhi Transport Corporation buses and 2,953 cluster buses. These include 456 e-buses and 94 mini electric buses. To bolster public transport and reduce individual vehicle emissions, the city plans to add 850 more buses by September 2023 and an additional 650 by March 2024, the Centre's air quality panel said. As of September 23, Delhi has 943 operational Pollution Under Control certification stations and a staggering 33.56 lakh PUC certificates have been issued. In a bid to promote eco-friendly mobility, Delhi has seen a surge in the registration of electric vehicles with more than 2.38 lakh EVs registered as of September 22, the CAQM said in a statement. The city currently has 3,100 charging ...

Strict action against agencies violating dust control norms in Delhi: Rai

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday said strict action will be taken against agencies found violating dust control norms in the national capital. The minister held a meeting with officials of government and private construction agencies and instructed them to follow the city government's guidelines to prevent dust pollution during the winter season. "All agencies engaged in construction work were instructed to follow 14-point guidelines to control dust pollution," he said in a post on X. It is mandatory to install anti-smog guns at construction and demolition sites larger than 5,000 square metres, he said. All construction agencies have to provide on-site training to workers regarding the guidelines, he added. The guidelines include erecting dust/wind-breaking walls of appropriate height around construction sites and covering scaffolding with tarpaulin or green netting. All vehicles, including those transporting construction material and debris, must be cleaned and the

J'khand to restrict setting up of coke units in Dhanbad to combat pollution

In a bid to improve the air quality of Jharkhand's Dhanbad district, no new hard or soft coke units will be allowed there from October 1, a state pollution board official said on Sunday. The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) issued an order in this regard early this week. "This is a temporary restriction, which will remain in force till the Air Quality Index (AQI) falls within the permission limit prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board in Dhanbad district," JSPCB member secretary YK Das told PTI. However, this order will not impact the existing hard or soft coke units of the district. "They will be operating as usual by following the compliance guideline," he said. According to the order issued by the JSPCB, "The applications seeking Consent to Establish (CTE), which will be received till September 30, will be reviewed. If any error was found in them, the applications will be cancelled and no further action will be taken on those applications." According t

Delhi CM to release govt's 'Winter Action Plan' on Oct 1 to curb pollution

"To control pollution during winter the government has decided to prepare a Winter Action Plan. We had a discussion with experts and a joint meeting was held today," said Rai

Kejriwal to announce Delhi's winter action plan on Oct 1 to check pollution

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will announce the winter action plan on October 1 to check pollution in the capital, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday. Addressing a press conference after holding a meeting with 28 departments, Rai said that 13 hotspots have been identified in Delhi and a special plan will be made for them. "We held a meeting with 28 departments today and all have been directed to give their winter actions plans by September 25. There are 13 such hotspots that have been identified and special plan will be made for them," Rai said. He further stated that 13 teams have been formed for the 13 hotspots and 15 points have been listed that the government will work on. "The 15 points that we will focus on are - hotspots, stubble pollution, vehicular pollution, open garbage burning, industrial pollution, green war room, realtime apportionment study, complete ban on firecrackers, tree plantation, urban farming, eco waste park, public awareness, communicati

Sydney blanketed by smoke for a 4th day due to hazard reduction burning

Sydney was blanketed under thick wood smoke for a fourth consecutive day on Thursday due to hazard reduction burns in preparation for the wildfire season. Australia's most populous city after Melbourne has recorded some of the world's worst air quality readings since the controlled burning of fuel loads in the surrounding landscapes began on Sunday. Fire authorities have only carried out 14% of planned hazard reduction burns across New South Wales state as of this week and are attempting to catch up before what is forecast to be a hot and dry Southern Hemisphere summer. New South Wales Rural Fire Service Inspector Ben Shepherd said the burns were suspended on Thursday and Friday because of excessive pollution levels and that Sydney's air was expected to clear soon. It's mostly due to the smoke, Shepherd said of the postponements. For the next 48 hours, we'll give this smoke a chance to clear without fire agencies adding additional smoke to it, Shepherd added. Rain had prevented .

Reports of extra 10% GST on diesel cars false, says Union Minister Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari said that it is essential to clarify that there is no such proposal currently under active consideration by the government

MCD deploys water sprinklers to control pollution during G20 Summit

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Saturday said that anti-smog guns and water sprinklers have been deployed to control pollution in the national capital, where the G20 Summit is underway. The MCD is putting main emphasis on roads around G20 summit. Municipal corporation of Delhi has deployed 20 anti-smog guns at pollution hotspots to control pollution. The anti smog guns have been deployed at sanitary landfill sites situated at Bhalaswa, Ghazipur and Okhla and pollution hotspot at Anand Vihar, an MCD official said. The two-day G20 Summit began on Saturday. The MCD said that 15 anti-smog guns have also been deployed at high-rise buildings, Civil Lines, Green Park zonal building and Tilak Nagar Colony hospital. Municipal corporation of Delhi has pressed 253 water sprinklers, which includes 30 truck mounted anti-smog guns which sprinkle roads with an average of 9-10 km of road length per day per machine which translates to approximately 2,000 km per day," the MCD official ..

Delhi: Gopal Rai holds meeting on winter action plan to fight air pollution

Gopal Rai further said that the Government will organize an "Environmental Experts Meet" regarding the Winter Action Plan at the Delhi Secretariat on September 12