Page 9 - Air Pollution

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

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