Page 48 - Air Pollution

Delhi government launches summer action plan to combat air pollution

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched an action plan to combat air pollution during the summer months with a focus on controlling dust pollution. The Delhi government already has a winter action plan to curb air pollution. The winter plan focuses on stubble burning, firecracker pollution and industrial and vehicular emissions. The summer plan involves the participation of 30 government departments. The primary focus of the action plan is on dust pollution, which has been a major contributor to the city's worsening air quality, Kejriwal said during a press conference. "To tackle this, the government has procured 84 mechanical road sweeping machines, 609 water sprinklers and 185 mobile anti-smog guns. Additionally, 70 integrated road sweeping machines and 250 integrated water sprinklers are being procured to improve the situation further," he said. Patrolling teams have been set up to check dust pollution, open burning of garbage and dumping of waste in industrial .

Most pollution boards financially surplus but don't spend on infra: Study

11% of their total expenditure was on infrastructure and 2% was on research, development, and studies

Air Pollution Killing 1200 young people every year in Europe: EEA Report

Air Pollution causes 1200 premature deaths every year in Europe. The air pollution level in Europe is below the recommended level of the WHO

Air pollution, heat, ambient noise linked to lower sleep quality: Study

Air pollution, heat, and high levels of carbon dioxide and ambient noise may all adversely affect our ability to get a good night's sleep, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Sleep Health, is one of the first to measure multiple environmental variables in the bedroom and analyse their associations with sleep efficiencythe time spent sleeping relative to the time available for sleep. The researchers found that in a group of 62 participants tracked for two weeks with activity monitors and sleep logs, higher bedroom levels of air pollution (particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size or PM2.5), carbon dioxide, noise, and temperature were all linked independently to lower sleep efficiency. "These findings highlight the importance of the bedroom environment for high-quality sleep," said study lead author Mathias Basner, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, US. In addition to work and family obligations that compete with sleep for time, a quick

Govt implementing measures to promote public transport: Nitin Gadkari

The Minister expressed the view that about 40% of the total air pollution in the country is due to road traffic and it is necessary to promote public transport in the country

Gopal Rai asks depts to prepare action plans to curb summer air pollution

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday directed all departments concerned to prepare their respective action plans within a week to curb air pollution in the summer season. He said the government will focus on 16 areas including road dust, industrial pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, solid waste management, tree plantation and transplantation, open burning of garbage, city forests, urban farming, rejuvenation of water bodies and parks. Addressing a press conference here, Rai said based on data generated during a real-time source apportionment study, neighbouring states will be asked to take preventive action to curb pollution. The departments have been asked to submit their respective plans within a week. The Delhi government implemented a summer action plan to check air pollution for the first time last year. During its winter action plan, the government focuses on stubble management, dust pollution, vehicular emission, open burning of garbage, industrial ..

NASA sends powerful new instrument to space to track air pollution

"The TEMPO mission is about more than just studying pollution -- it's about improving life on Earth for all," NASA said

Biden is set to propose toughest-ever rules on car pollution to spur EVs

Limits on car pollution are key to helping the US meet its Paris Agreement commitment to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% from 2005 levels by the end of the decade

Air pollution linked to lower antibody response to Covid vaccine: Study

People exposed to higher levels of air pollution before the pandemic had lower antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines, according to a study. In particular, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon was associated with about a 10 per cent decrease in IgM and IgG antibody responses in people without prior infection, the researchers said. The findings, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, provide further evidence on the adverse effects of air pollution on the immune system. "Air pollution has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and diabetes," said Manolis Kogevinas from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). "Air pollutants have been shown to affect immune responses, so in this study we wished to determine whether air pollution also affects antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines," said Kogevinas. The team analysed data from 927 particip

Air pollution can affect your Covid-19 vaccine efficacy, says study

Air pollution can induce chronic inflammation, which has been associated with a negative effect on vaccine efficacy, the study said

Delhi Cabinet decides to buy mechanical sweepers, water sprinkling machines

The Delhi Cabinet decided on Tuesday to procure mechanical sweepers and water sprinkling machines to control dust pollution and to extend its power subsidy scheme for one year. The Cabinet, in a meeting, also decided to provide artificial limbs and other aides to physically disabled persons through a government agency. It approved the extension of term insurance and mediclaim under the Chief Minister Advocate Welfare Scheme, Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a press conference. It approved a proposal of the Environment department for purchasing 70 mechanical sweeping machines to remove dust on bigger roads maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD). It also decided to purchase 250 water sprinkling machines fitted with anti-smog guns, Bharadwaj said. A sum of Rs 2,388 crore will be spent on this in the next seven to 10 years and in the first year, the expenditure will be Rs 257 crore, he said. Atishi said the Cabinet decided to provide power subsidy to the .

AAP govt reduced pollution by 30% in last 8 years: Delhi CM Kejriwal

AAP govt reduced pollution by 30 per cent in 8 years, ensuring 24X7 power supply and less than 7% transmission losses, said Delhi CM Kejriwal in Assembly

TMSEp396: US Fed rate hike, Bisleri, air pollution, Credit Suisse AT1 bonds

How will US Fed policy outcome affect markets? What's happening with Bisleri? Why can't Indian cities curb air pollution? What happened to Credit Suisse's AT1 bonds? All answers here

Harder to breathe: Mumbai wheezes its way to becoming pollution capital

Financial capital sees spurt in respiratory ailments as La Niña and construction worsen air quality to historic lows

NGT forms panel to verify claim of air pollution around AIIMS Delhi

The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel to verify the allegations of severe air pollution in and around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. The NGT was hearing a plea which claimed that air pollution was jeopardising the health of the indoor as well as OPD patients, doctors and other staffers of AIIMS-Delhi. The petition claimed statutory and administrative authorities failed to control air pollution around AIIMS. "We are satisfied that the matter needs consideration and facts need to be verified by an independent expert committee... Accordingly, we constitute a seven-member joint committee to be headed by the member secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), deputy commissioner of police (Traffic), area divisional or district forest officer (DFO) and the municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD)," a bench comprising NGT chairperson Justice A K Goel said. The bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Ve

NGT forms committee to verify facts about air pollution around AIIMS, Delhi

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a seven-member joint committee to verify facts regarding air pollution around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, which jeopardizes the health of indoor as well as OPD patients and doctors and other staff of AIIMS.The bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel in an order passed on March 17, 2023, stated, "We are satisfied that the matter needs consideration. Facts need to be verified by an independent expert committee to consider further order.""Accordingly, we constitute a seven-member joint Committee to be headed by Member Secretary, CPCB with other members being DCP (Traffic), area DFO, MCD, DPCC and Director-AIIMS or his nominee and a nominee of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital," said the Tribunal."The Committee may consider the allegations noted, including traffic/parking status and deliberate upon plan for mitigation measures to control air pollution in the area such as ...

Need efforts from central, state to improve air quality: Bhupender Yadav

The Centre provided Rs 8,915 crore in the last four years to improve air quality in the 131 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said. Addressing a meeting of the National Apex Committee under NCAP on Wednesday, Yadav emphasised the need for coordinated action by central and state governments, Union territory administrations, urban local bodies and state pollution control boards to improve air quality. Yadav appreciated the performance of 95 cities which have improved air quality and 20 cities which met the national ambient air quality standards in the financial year 2021-22 under the programme, a statement said. He spoke on the significance of the airshed approach adopted in the Indo-Gangetic plains and stressed the need for regional cooperation to address the issue of air pollution. NCAP is a national-level strategy for a 20 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024, with 2017

Delhi's AQI falls to poor category, maximum temperature at 34 degrees: IMD

The air quality in Delhi slipped to "poor" category on Wednesday while the city's minimum temperature settled at 16.3 degrees Celsius, one notch above the season's average, according to an Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin. Partly cloudy sky is expected during the day and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 34 degrees Celsius, it forecast. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 202, which falls in the "poor"category. 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 relative humidity at 8.30 am was 86 per cent, the IMD bulletin said. The AQI of Delhi was recorded in the moderate (150) category around 9 am on Tuesday, showed data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

BMC constitutes 7-member committee to control Mumbai's air pollution

The decisions have come in the wake of G20 meetings, scheduled to be held in Mumbai at the end of March 2023

Kochi chokes on pollution as fumes from waste plant fire continues

High Court says city 'trapped in gas chamber'; IAF choppers spray water; schools shut for two days