Air Quality

Delhi air quality dips to 'very poor' as IMD issues cold wave alert

Delhi's air quality worsened to the 'very poor' category as temperatures fell to near-freezing levels, with the IMD issuing a cold wave alert and pollution levels crossing 300 at several monitoring st

Delhi air quality remains remains 'poor' as temperatures dips below 4°C

Delhi battles very poor air quality with dense fog as minimum temperature falls below 4 degrees Celsius, raising health concerns for residents across the city

Air quality 'nationwide crisis', govt response ineffective: Congress

The Congress on Sunday cited a report to claim that air quality is a nation-wide, structural crisis for which the government response is "exceedingly ineffective and inadequate", as it demanded a thorough reform of the National Clear Air Programme. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the NCAP propagated as the National Clear Air Programme is actually another type of NCAP - "Notional Clear Air Programme". The former environment minister said a new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has now confirmed what was always India's "worst-kept secret that the air quality is a nation-wide, structural crisis for which the government response is exceedingly ineffective and inadequate". Using satellite data, the study found that nearly 44 per cent of Indian cities that is 1,787 out of 4,041 statutory towns assessed have chronic air pollution, with annual PM2.5 levels consistently exceeding the national standard over five years ...

Delhi air quality remains 'very poor' as dense fog disrupts air travel

Delhi reels under hazardous air quality as dense fog and cold wave conditions persist, reducing visibility, delaying flights and compounding daily hardships for residents across the city

CAQM conducts special inspection of industrial units in Naraina Cantonment

During the inspection drive, all locations mentioned in the complaint were visited, and every industrial unit found operational at the time of inspection was examined

Delhi AQI nears 300 as fog, cold wave blanket city; schools shut in Noida

Delhi's AQI neared 300 as dense fog and smog reduced visibility. Low winds and cold conditions worsened pollution, while IMD forecast continued cold day conditions

Air quality in Delhi improves slightly, but cold wave, fog continue

Delhi's air quality improved to an AQI of 248, but cold wave and dense fog continue to disrupt travel and daily life, with most pollution drifting in from neighbouring NCR districts

Delhi's AQI stays 'severe' as nearly 100 flights cancelled due to dense fog

Delhi's air quality remains severe as dense fog disrupts flight and train services on New Year's eve, causing delays, cancellations and poor visibility across the capital

Delhi weather today: Dense fog disrupts flights and trains in Delhi, IMD issues orange alert

Persistent dense fog across Delhi and large parts of north India has disrupted flight and train services. The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert, warning of continued low visib

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

Delhi's air quality remained in the severe category as dense fog, calm winds and falling temperatures trapped pollutants, prompting permanent Grap-4 curbs

Delhi's AQI improves to 349; govt announces fresh measures for pollution

Thick smog continues to engulf Delhi and adjoining regions. Govt unveils pollution control measures, including water body revival and DTC reforms

Delhi battles cold wave, dense fog as air quality remains 'very poor'

Delhi faces extreme air pollution as dense fog and a cold wave persist; AQI hits hazardous levels, with vehicular emissions and industry driving hazardous conditions

Clean air draws tourists to Himachal hills as AQI worsens in Delhi-NCR

Experts from the Himachal Pradesh Environment Science and Climate Change Centre have also highlighted the stark contrast in air quality between the plains and the hill state

Hazardous air grips Delhi, several areas slip into severe AQI levels

Delhi's air quality remained hazardous with the AQI in the very poor category. Several locations slipped into severe levels as Grap Stage IV curbs took effect amid dense fog and cold wave conditions

Rare smog surge hits Beijing after years of costly pollution clean-up

Beijing was shrouded in heavy smog on Thursday with AQI climbing to very unhealthy levels of 215, a rare spike in pollution in the Chinese capital after years of expensive cleaning up. China's national observatory on Wednesday issued a yellow alert for heavy fog in some parts of the country, saying that thick fog is expected to shroud parts of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, the Sichuan Basin and Chongqing on Thursday. The smog with polluted air quality is rare these days in Beijing, which used to witness very heavy pollution before the government initiated a series of steps, including closure and relocation of heavy polluting industries in 2016, spending billions of dollars. Officials say the city's switch to natural gas or electric public heating in winters from the coal-fired ones, spending over USD 1 billion, has helped reduce pollution levels. Beijing's efforts to tackle heavy pollution were in the news in recent days in the backdrop of New Delhi witness

'No PUC, No Fuel' rule may cause inconvenience, but necessary: Delhi CM

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said while the No PUC, No Fuel' rule may cause inconvenience to people, it is a collective moral responsibility to ensure that all vehicles are tested and certified for pollution. Speaking at a public event here, Gupta said no vehicle would be allowed to refuel in the city without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, stressing that strict enforcement is necessary to curb worsening air quality. "People are facing inconvenience, but every vehicle running in Delhi must operate without causing pollution. It is our collective moral responsibility to ensure our vehicles are PUC-certified," she said. She added that strengthening the public transport system is the most effective solution to tackle pollution, and appealed to people to avoid using private vehicles for solo travel. "Carpooling and public transport should be preferred. Improving the transport system is the key to improving air quality," she said. Gupta said the governm

Delhi AQI remains 'very poor'; govt announces BS-VI vehicle rules

Delhi's air stays 'very poor' with AQI above 300 in several areas; govt enforces BS-VI vehicle rules, checks, and bans on construction vehicles to curb pollution

Delhi wakes up to dense fog as AQI stays 'severe', flights disrupted

Visibility dropped sharply as dense fog and toxic air gripped Delhi, with AQI nearing 500. GRAP-IV curbs were enforced as flights, traffic and court hearings were affected

CAQM orders suspension of outdoor sports in Delhi-NCR amid rising pollution

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed Delhi and NCR state governments to ensure the immediate suspension of all outdoor physical sports activities, warning that continued conduct of such events amid poor air quality poses a "serious health risk to children". In a letter to the chief secretaries of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, the Commission said it was concerned that "some schools and institutions in Delhi-NCR were still holding outdoor sports activities" despite earlier directions issued in line with a Supreme Court order dated November 19. The CAQM said continuation of outdoor physical activities during periods of adverse air quality is "contrary to the spirit and intent of the apex court's observations and the Commission's instructions". The Commission had in a letter dated November 19 called for the "postponement of physical sports competitions scheduled during November and December". It directed the NCR state governments and

Mumbai's Bandra covered in haze as AQI hits 'moderate' level of 154

In other parts of Mumbai, AQI was recorded at Chembur (182), Kurla (126), Chakala-Andheri East-IITM (114), Mazgaon (91), Malad West (51), Ghatkopar (161) and Worli (106)