Page 50 - Air Pollution

Bengal to plant trees at border to prevent air pollutants from other states

West Bengal Environment Minister Manas Bhunia said that air pollution in southern districts of the state was increasing due to stubble burning in neighbouring Jharkhand and Bihar. Addressing a press conference on Monday, he said the state government was planning to plant "tall trees" along the border to prevent smoke from stubble burning enter the state. Asked which species of trees will be planted and by when, Bhunia later told PTI, "We are discussing these with experts and it will be announced shortly." "We will hold a meeting to decide the mechanism," he added. West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) chairman Kalyan Rudra said a satellite-based mechanism to monitor the burning of stubble has been developed with assistance from IIT-Delhi. Bhunia also said sensors will be installed in state-run buses to measure air pollution on Kolkata roads Initially, the devices will be installed in buses of six-seven routes that crisscross the city, he said. "We will soon install sensors

Protesters refuse to stop demonstration in front of ethanol plant in Punjab

The protesters, who have been sitting on a dharna in front of the distillery and ethanol plant in Mansurwal village of this district for nearly five months, refused to lift the dharna on Saturday despite minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal reaching out to them. The Punjab minister for Rural Development and Panchayat assured the protesters on all the decisions which were agreed upon between their delegation and the government. Villagers with the support of some farmer unions have been holding the protest in front of the plant in Mansurwal village, seeking its closure while claiming that it was polluting underground water in several villages in the area, besides causing air pollution. The protest is being held under the banner of the Sanjha Zira Morcha since July 24. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Friday evening held a meeting with a delegation of agitators in Chandigarh to address their issues. While interacting with the protesters on Saturday, Dhaliwal assured them of protecting

Delhi wakes up to cold morning with min temp of 6 deg C, 'poor' AQI

Delhiites woke up to a cold Saturday morning as the minimum temperature in the city settled at six degrees Celsius, two notches below the season's average. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 91 per cent, according to the meteorological department. Delhi's air quality was recorded in the 'poor' category as the air quality index stood at 290 at 9.10 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'. The weatherman predicted mainly clear skies for the day with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 25 degrees Celsius.

Kejriwal govt hasn't issued orders to control air pollution yet: Delhi L-G

What makes this whole story sordid and extremely unacceptable is that Kejriwal and his Ministers remained busy with politicking, electioneering and pushing the unscientific and hazardous

Delhi records 6.4 degree Celsius temperature, air quality 'moderate'

Air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the 'moderate' category on Thursday, while the minimum temperature settled at 6.4 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season's average. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 25 degrees Celsius, according to an India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin. As per the data by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 196 (moderate 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 79 per cent, the IMD bulletin said.

To fight deadly smog, farmers are being encouraged to sell crop waste

Smoke from the burning of crop stubble lingers over most of north India for weeks during the cold months of November and December, with air quality deteriorating to hazardous levels in several areas

Delhi's AQI improves to 'moderate'; min temp settles at 8.9 degrees Celsius

Delhiites woke up to a chill in the air on Tuesday morning as the minimum temperature settled at 8.9 degrees Celsius, even as the the air quality in the national capital improved to 'moderate'. The minimum temperature on Monday was recorded at 8.4 degrees Celsius, a notch below the normal. The air quality index was recorded in the 'moderate' category, with the air quality index (AQI) standing at 195 at around 9 AM, data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed. The maximum temperature a day earlier had stood at 27.1 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season's average, while the air quality was recorded in the 'poor' category. The 24-hour AQI was recorded at 218 ('poor') at 4 PM for the city. 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 minimum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 8.9 degrees Celsius, according to data shared by the India

Air quality in Delhi remains in 'very poor' category with AQI at 301

As the mercury dropped in the national capital the smog levels increased

NGT seeks response from MoEFCC on pollution done by slaughterhouses

The National Green Tribunal has recently sought a response from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others while hearing a petition regarding the pollution caused by slaughterhouses. The petition claimed that slaughterhouses contributed immensely to pollution besides damaging the environment. It said whenever a new slaughterhouse was to be established, it was necessary to examine its impact on the environment according to the 2006 Environment Impact Assessment notification brought out to scrutinise all information about a project or activity and its potential adverse impacts on the ecology of a region. The petition argued that slaughterhouses and processing units must be brought within the ambit of the notification. A bench comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel said it was a "substantial question" related to environment. "Let respondents No. 1 (MoEF&CC)...file their response, if any, within one

Delhi faces another 'very poor' air day with AQI at 337, smog increases

As the mercury dropped in the national capital the smog levels also increased

No conclusive data to show correlation of death due to air pollution: Govt

There is no conclusive data available to establish a direct correlation of death or disease exclusively due to air pollution, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Lok Sabha on Friday. The minister, however, said air pollution is one of the many factors affecting respiratory ailments and associated diseases. Health is impacted by a number of factors which includes food habits, occupational habits, socio-economic status, medical history, immunity, heredity, etc., of the individuals apart from the environment, Pawar said in a written reply. "There is no conclusive data available to establish a direct correlation of death/disease exclusively due to air pollution. "While air pollution is known to be one of the aggravating factors for many respiratory ailments, specific information on the number of deaths exclusively due to air pollution is not available," Pawar said. Pawar listed several steps taken by the government to address air pollution issues such as Pradhan

Sri Lanka shuts schools as air quality deteriorates due to extreme weather

Schools across Sri Lanka were closed on Friday as health and environment officials said the air quality in most parts of the island nation was unhealthy partly due to extreme weather conditions. Polluted air from neighbouring India was aggravating the problem, authorities said, as a storm in the Bay of Bengal triggered heavy rains and winds across Sri Lanka in recent days. A haze hung over the capital, Colombo, and other parts of the country, with the level of fine particles in the air reaching unhealthy levels. The current pollution has arisen due to the combination of local air pollutants and transboundary air pollution, said the National Building Research Organisation, a state agency involved in environmental monitoring and risk management. This condition can be seen in all parts of Sri Lanka and it has a tendency to cause health problems, it added. Director General of Health Services Asela Gunawardena said the condition would continue for the next two weeks and he advised peop

Delhi faces another 'very poor' air day as mercury drops, AQI at 303

As the mercury dropped in the national capital the smog levels also increased

GRAP Stage III revoked in entire NCR with immediate effect

While the overall air quality over Delhi is likely to fluctuate between "Poor" to "Very Poor" category in coming days, authorities decided to revoke Stage-III of GRAP in the NCR with immediate effect

LIVE news: GRAP Stage III revoked in entire NCR with immediate effect

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Delhi air quality remains 'very poor'; AQI at 337 as smog blankets city

CAQM announced a temporary ban on construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR as part of its Graded Response Action Plan

Delhi's air quality shows marginal improvement, AQI stands at 363

A day after entering the "severe" category, Delhi's air quality showed a marginal improvement as it came under the "very poor category" on Monday morning. Delhi's air quality index (AQI) read 363 at 8.10 am. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered ''poor'', 301 and 400 ''very poor'', and 401 and 500 ''severe''. As pollution levels in the national capital shot up on Sunday, the Centre's air quality panel directed authorities in the Delhi-NCR to ban non-essential construction work in the region under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Delhi's 24-hour average AQI stood at 407 at 4 pm on Sunday. The city air quality was last classified in the "severe" category on November 4, when the AQI was 447. The minimum temperature on Monday was 7.6 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 95 per cent. The weather office has forecast mainly clear skies for the day with the maximum temperature likely to settle at 26 degrees Celsi

NGT panel to probe air pollution by Singrauli, Sonebhadra thermal plants

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a committee to submit a factual report regarding the issue of air pollution caused by the transportation of fly ash by various thermal power stations in Singrauli and Sonebhadra regions. Fly ash is a byproduct of coal-based power stations. The tribunal was hearing a petition which claimed that the authorities responsible for monitoring and supervising the transportation were not following the provisions of law and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. A bench comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel constituted a joint committee comprising representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, CPCB and the state pollution control boards. "The report shall highlight the compliance with the aforesaid provisions relating to the transportation of fly ash in accordance with Singrauli and Sonebhadra action plan to maintain the environmental quality of this ...

Delhi bans construction, demolition activities as air quality worsens

With pollution in the national capital turning severe on Sunday, the Centre's air quality panel directed authorities in the Delhi-NCR to ban non-essential construction work in the region under stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 407 at 4 pm on Sunday. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. The pollution level in Delhi entered the 'severe' category after November 4, when the AQI was 447. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had directed authorities on November 14 to revoke the curbs enforced in the Delhi-NCR under stage III of GRAP, including a ban on non-essential construction activities.

LIVE: Delhi bans construction, demolition activities as air quality worsens

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