Page 8 - Air Pollution

Drop in AQI levels across India lead to rise in respiratory drugs sales

Winter triggered ailments no longer just a seasonal fluctuation but an escalating public health trigger due to air pollution, say experts

Delhi's AQI remains 'very poor'; CM criticises anti-pollution protests

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta criticised recent protests over air pollution, questioning why similar demonstrations were absent during previous administrations

Penalty imposed on construction sites flouting pollution norms: Sirsa

The Delhi government has imposed more than Rs 7 crore in penalties on construction sites violating pollution norms this year, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Saturday. A total of 1,750 sites were inspected, 556 notices were issued and 48 units were ordered shut for violating pollution control norms, he said. In the last two days, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee officials carried out 230 road and garbage inspections, 110 by Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials, 36 by the Public Works Department, 32 by the Delhi Development Authority, 17 by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, and eight by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, resulting in a show-cause penalty of around Rs 1 crore, the minister said. He said the agencies issued 7.97 lakh Pollution Under Control challans this year, compared to 4.33 lakh challans in 2024. A total of 42,017 potholes were fixed this year, against 18,000 repaired a year ago. Sirsa said the number

'Pollution in Delhi nearly doubled in Nov, becoming 4th most polluted city'

Delhi's air pollution nearly doubled in November, pushing the national capital to the fourth spot among the most polluted cities in the country, according to a report. A report released by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) on Saturday highlighted that while the impact of stubble burning on Delhi's air quality was significantly lower compared to last year, pollution levels in the city remained severe. Delhi ranked as the fourth most polluted city in the country in November, recording a monthly average PM2.5 level of 215 micrograms per cubic metre -- nearly double its October average of 107 micrograms per cubic metre. The national capital witnessed 23 'very poor' days, six 'severe' days and one 'poor' day during the month. Despite the deteriorating air quality, the contribution of stubble burning averaged only 7 per cent in November, compared to 20 per cent last year. Peak stubble-burning contribution touched 22 per cent, significantly lower than the 38 per cent

Delhi chokes as air quality stays in 'very poor' band, with AQI at 330

A thick blanket of pollution hung over the capital on Saturday as Delhi's air quality stayed locked in the 'very poor' category, with the 24-hour average AQI settling at 330. Among the 40 monitoring stations, 31 stations remained in the 'very poor' levels in the evening, with Nehru Nagar reporting the highest AQI at 369, according to CPCB's Sameer App. Earlier, Delhi woke to another choking morning with the AQI at 335 at 9 am. A total of 36 stations were in the 'very poor' category, with Mundka recording the worst levels at 387. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'. According to the Decision Support System for Delhi's air quality management, transport within the city remained the highest local contributor at 14.8 per cent, followed by industries in Delhi and surrounding areas at 7.3 per cent, residential sources at

Air pollution a legacy problem we inherited, says Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

Calling the national capital's air pollution woes a legacy problem, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday assured that her government has been actively working for the past 10 months to address these issues. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Gupta highlighted that issues like pollution, garbage mountains, and broken roads were legacy issues and her government is working to tackle them through sustained efforts. She also referred to the clean-up of the Yamuna river as a "big project", stating that her administration is working daily to rejuvenate it. The rapid population growth in Delhi and the exponential increase in vehicles have contributed to rising pollution levels, Gupta pointed out, adding that several factors, including dust, vehicular emissions, and open burning, contribute to the pollution crisis. "It also matters what steps were taken by the previous government. Our government has taken all the steps needed to tackle pollution, which were not taken

Delhi's air quality remains 'very poor', temperature drop adds to woes

Delhi-NCR continues to be under dense smog with 35 of 39 monitoring stations recording 'very poor' AQI. Temperatures have also hit the lowest so far this year

Delhi air quality remains 'very poor' as govt steps up anti-pollution drive

Government ramps up mist spray units, intensifies dust and debris control, and urges citizens to report pollution issues via the MCD-311 app for faster action

Tourists flock to Rajasthan as Delhi chokes on post-Diwali pollution

Hotel occupancy is hovering between 70 and 80 per cent, out of which domestic tourists account for 95 per cent

Delhi air pollution toll: Over 200,000 emergency visits in past 3 years

Parliament data and an ICMR multi-city study show pollution spikes tracking a surge in Delhi breathing emergencies, with over 200,000 ER visits since 2022 and admissions rising

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