Page 7 - Air Pollution

Pollution being tackled as 'emergency' mission: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

The Chief Minister, on Wednesday, made it clear that government institutions showing laxity in pollution control will not be spared

No tampering possible in calculation, monitoring of air quality data: CPCB

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Wednesday rejected allegations of manipulation of air quality data and said the monitoring stations are automated and no human intervention is possible in calculation and monitoring. Delhi government has been accused of spraying water around air-quality monitoring stations to lower dire readings and even switching them off during key pollution periods - for instance, when firecrackers increased the pollution load during Diwali in October. "The monitoring and data collection is automated... the stations generate data every 15 minutes and AQI is calculated every hour, following which the average AQI is generated. These stations are not manual, and hence any kind of human intervention or manipulation is not possible," CPCB Chairman Vir Vikram Yadav told reporters here. Responding to a query about allegations of sprinkling of water around monitoring stations to manipulate air quality data, Yadav said, "The monitoring stations have been set u

Delhi-NCR industries ordered to install emission monitors or risk closure

Amid continuing hazardous air quality, the Centre on Wednesday ordered Delhi-NCR authorities to crack down on highly polluting industries that miss the December 31 deadline to install real-time emission monitoring systems and air pollution control devices. The central government also directed Delhi-NCR states to finalise their 2026 air pollution control plans within this month. The decisions were taken at a review meeting chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. Central Pollution Control Board Chairperson Vir Vikram Yadav said 2,254 highly polluting industries in Delhi-NCR have not yet installed and connected their Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) to the CPCB server. "Strict action, including closure, will be taken against industries that do not meet the December 31 deadline," he said. All medium and large red-category units in the food and food processing, textile and metal processing sectors in Delhi-NCR are mandated to install OCEMS for real-t

Delhi air quality turn 'severe' as AQI crosses 400 across multiple hotspots

Delhi's air quality slips into severe levels again, with most areas under smog. AQI readings above 400 at key hotspots signal serious health risks, while forecasts show little relief

Claims vs reality: Dust doesn't settle on Mumbai's clean-air drive

- On paper, machines are deployed daily but residents, workers and vendors say dust still hangs heavy in the air

How heavy metals in polluted air trigger fatigue, headaches and brain fog

Beyond PM2.5 and PM10, polluted air carries neurotoxic metals like lead, arsenic and cadmium that inflame the brain, disrupt energy pathways and trigger fatigue and fogginess on high-AQI days

Delhi air stays 'very poor' as over 30 stations record AQI above 300

City records average AQI of 333; falling temperatures, and lower wind speed hinder dispersion of pollutants

Mumbai gasps under a blanket of smog, BMC swings into pollution-war mode

The civic body said Mumbai's air quality has improved since November 26, supported by ongoing measures and wind speeds rising to 10-18 kilometres per hour

Govt needs to balance high growth with quality of life for citizens

As air quality worsens, balancing 8% GDP growth with cleaner air requires stricter enforcement and new policy focus

Mumbai enforces Grap-IV measures as AQI worsens: How it differs from Delhi

Mumbai enforces GRAP-IV curbs as air quality worsens in several areas; construction, industries checked, flying squads deployed

Air pollution: A four-point plan to help tackle the ever-growing menace

As a first step, the state, through the FCI or a new agency created for this purpose, should buy all the rice crop waste of North India at a remunerative price

Delhi-NCR records best Jan-Nov air quality in 8 years, excluding 2020

Officials said the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) continues to work with stakeholders across Delhi-NCR to enforce pollution control measures and improve air quality

Best of BS Opinion: Will a 25% rate cut make any meaningful difference?

Today's Best of BS Opinion looks at India's real GDP growth contrasts with weak nominal growth, persistent air pollution, confusion over AI , and uncertain labour-code implementation and more

Incidents of paddy stubble burning down sharply 13% in 2025, shows data

In Haryana, the number has come down by a similar percentage to just 659

A binding national plan is urgently needed to tackle air pollution

The key message from this 10-year study is that despite policy intervention and technological improvement, India's major cities continue to suffer major air-quality challenges

Road dust emerges as major pollutant in Delhi; 35 high-dust spots located

Road dust remains a major driver of particulate pollution in the capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said on Sunday after its flying squads inspected 321 road stretches across Delhi under Operation Clean Air. The inspections, carried out on Saturday, were meant to check how much dust had settled on the roads and whether cleaning, sweeping and dust-suppression measures by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) were working on the ground. Out of the 321 stretches checked, 35 showed high levels of visible dust, 61 had moderate dust, 94 recorded low dust and 131 had no visible dust. CAQM in a statement said the results highlight once again that road dust remains a major contributor to Delhi's particulate matter, especially in winter, and that regular mechanical sweeping, timely removal of collected dust, pavement upkeep, and water-sprinkling are essential. MCD had the largest number

After severe smog, Delhi's AQI slips to 'poor' but hotspots remain high

Shadipur recorded the highest pollution levels this morning at 336, followed by RK Puram at 308, both falling in the 'very poor' category

Delhi's AQI sees minor relief as winds improve, air remains 'very poor'

Even though Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' range on Saturday, pollution levels dipped marginally with the average AQI settling at 305 -- a slight improvement driven by favourable wind direction and speed, and the winding down of stubble burning in neighbouring regions. The air quality is expected to remain in the 'very poor' zone for the next few days. With wind speeds likely to remain on the higher side, the Air Quality Index (AQI) may not slip into the 'severe' category for at least the next two days, Mahesh Palawat, Vice President (Meteorology and Climate Change) at Skymet Weather, said. Meanwhile, Delhi continued to inhale 'unfit' air, with the average AQI recorded in the 'very poor' category for the 16th consecutive day. The capital's overall AQI settled at 305 on Saturday after logging 369 on Friday, 377 on Thursday, 327 on Wednesday, 352 on Tuesday, and 382 on Monday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). According to the CPCB, an AQI bet

Varsha Gaikwad hits out at Maha govt, says Mumbai becoming a 'gas chamber'

Former Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad on Saturday accused the state government of failing to address worsening air pollution in Mumbai, claiming that PM2.5 levels had reached the "hazardous" range, and the city was being turned into a "gas chamber". Speaking at a meeting organised by the Mumbai Congress on the issue of air quality, Gaikwad referred to a study by Harvard University, estimating that nearly 5,100 people in Mumbai die annually due to pollution. "These are not just numbers. These are families losing their loved ones," she said. She alleged that the "corrupt Mahayuti government" was following a "contractor-first, people-last model," and cited rampant construction without safeguards, violations of environmental norms, allocation of open spaces and eco-sensitive zones to favoured builders, and felling of trees as key factors contributing to rising pollution levels. The Congress leader said that the city is being "turned into a gas chamber in the na

Delhi's air remains 'very poor' for 15th day despite slight improvement

City records average AQI of 338; more foggy, stagnant conditions expected to hinder pollution dispersion