Page 9 - Air Pollution

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

No major Indian city achieved safe air quality levels in a decade: Study

The study also shows that meteorology and geography are adding to the persistent winter smog, especially across the Indo-Gangetic region

Rahul Gandhi questions PM Modi's silence on Delhi's air pollution issue

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday demanded a detailed discussion in Parliament on the issue of air pollution in the national capital as he questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this "health emergency". He also demanded a strict, enforceable action plan to tackle air pollution and asked why the Modi government was not showing any urgency or accountability on the issue. Gandhi met a few mothers at his residence on the issue and shared a video of his conversation with them. "Every mother I meet tells me the same thing: her child is growing up breathing toxic air. They are exhausted, scared and angry. "Modi ji, India's children are choking in front of us. How can you stay silent? Why does your government show no urgency, no plan, no accountability?" he asked in a post on X. "India needs an immediate, detailed Parliament debate on air pollution and a strict, enforceable action plan to tackle this health emergency," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha ...

Mumbai civic body issues stop-work order to construction sites as AQI dips

Amid worsening AQI, the civic body has halted work at 53 construction sites and rolled out hundreds of AQI monitoring sensors across the city

Delhi's air quality turns 'severe' as 19 stations record AQI above 400

Pollution spikes across Delhi-NCR as residents struggle with toxic air; offline classes resume even as AQI crosses 400 at several stations

Volcanic ash from Ethiopia not to blame for Mumbai's poor AQI: High Court

The Bombay High Court on Thursday said authorities cannot blame ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia for air pollution in the metropolis and said the air quality index here has been poor much before that. A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad was urged to take up hearing into a bunch of pleas from the year 2023 on the issue of air pollution in the city. Senior counsels Darius Khambata and Janak Dwarkadas, appearing for the petitioners, said the AQI in the city has been consistently poor and above 300 this month. Additional government pleader Jyoti Chavan said air pollution has worsened due to the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia two days back. The court, however, discarded this and said air pollution has been bad much before the eruption of the volcano. "Even before this eruption, if one stepped out visibility was poor beyond 500 metres," the court said. The bench, while referring to the situation in Delhi, which is witnessing alarming

Delhi chokes on dense smog as AQI nears 400; GRAP III curbs revoked

Air quality slipped back to the 'very poor' range today with AQI readings close to 400, even as CAQM withdrew GRAP Stage 3 measures

Datanomics: India's clean-air mission struggles amid global funding gaps

The broader global funding picture is bit more complex. India receives the highest total air-quality funding globally, yet very little of it is for channelling into programmes where reducing pollution

CAQM revokes Grap III measures in Delhi-NCR as air quality improves

The pollution monitoring body said that measures under Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the revised GRAP, issued on November 21, will stay in force and be closely monitored to prevent any further worsening

Delhi's air stays toxic as 34 monitoring stations record 'very poor' AQI

Rohini, Anand Vihar and Bawana among worst-hit areas in the national capital as 34 out of 39 monitoring stations record 'very poor' air quality

Will Ethiopian volcanic ash further impact poor Delhi AQI? Expert explains

The ash cloud from Hayli Gubbi, a long-silent volcano that erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, entered India at around 10 pm on Monday

Delhi tops PM2.5 pollution list; 447 districts breach national norm: Report

Delhi ranked as the most polluted among 33 states and Union territories with an annual mean PM2.5 concentration of 101 micrograms per cubic metre, 2.5 times the Indian standard and 20 times the WHO guideline, according to a new satellite-based analysis. The report by the independent research organisation Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said Chandigarh recorded the second-highest annual average PM2.5 level at 70 micrograms per cubic metre during the study period from March 2024 to February 2025, followed by Haryana at 63 and Tripura at 62. Assam (60), Bihar (59), West Bengal (57), Punjab (56), Meghalaya (53) and Nagaland (52) also exceeded the national standard. Overall, 447 of the 749 districts (60 per cent) analysed breached the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for annual PM2.5 of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. The most polluted districts are heavily concentrated in a few states, the analysis showed. Delhi (11 districts) and Assam (11 districts) together

Delhi's air stays toxic; state govt orders offices to work at 50% capacity

Delhi tightens curbs amid 'severe' to 'very poor' air quality, ordering 50 per cent office attendance as the city tracks an Ethiopian volcanic ash cloud and its impact on AQI

Delhi air pollution protests: 15 held for pepper spray use, Hidma slogans

The protests came amid worsening air quality in the national capital, which has been covered in haze and grey skies for almost a month