Page 40 - Delhi Air Quality

500 km of bad roads: Delhi govt's increasing pollution woes

A recent survey conducted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi indicates that nearly 500 km of roads are in dilapidated state, significantly adding to dust pollution

As Delhi air quality turns 'red', here's what is prohibited under Grap-I

The air pollution control measures, as outlined in the 27-point Grap-I action plan, came into effect across the National Capital Region starting at 8 am on October 15

Delhi's air quality turns 'poor', GRAP stage 1 restrictions implemented

Restrictions under the first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into force in the national capital on Tuesday as the air quality remained in the 'poor' category for the third consecutive day. Stage 1 of the GRAP, a set of winter-specific anti-pollution measures, focuses on controlling pollution through dust mitigation at construction sites, proper waste management, and regular road cleaning. It mandates strict checks on polluting vehicles, better traffic management and emission controls in industries, power plants and brick kilns. GRAP Stage 1 also bans the open burning of waste, limits the use of diesel generators and prohibits the use of coal or firewood in eateries. Air quality in Delhi has continued to remain in the 'poor' category, with a reading of 207 on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The city's AQI dipped to the 'poor' zone after Dussehra. The minimum temperature on Tuesday was recorded at 17.4 degrees Celsius, two notch

Delhi's air quality index hits 'poor' levels; Grap Stage-I enforced

Delhi and its neighbouring regions will begin enforcing a 27-point action plan aimed at curbing pollution and stabilising the city's declining air quality

Delhi minister urges Centre to expedite cloud seeding to curb air pollution

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has urged the centre to convene an urgent meeting with key stakeholders to expedite approvals for cloud seeding, an emergency measure aimed at reducing the anticipated winter pollution spike in the capital. In a letter sent to the Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav on Thursday, Rai highlighted the critical need for timely action before air pollution levels, particularly after Diwali, escalate to 'hazardous'. He stressed on the importance of coordinating with various agencies to secure the necessary clearances for effective deployment of cloud seeding technology. "We have already experienced a delay of approximately one month in the efforts for cloud seeding in Delhi, and with air quality likely to deteriorate to 'hazardous' levels by early November, I once again request you to immediately convene meetings with all relevant stakeholders, he wrote. The Delhi Government had explored cloud seeding as a pollution mitigation strategy last year

Stubble burning: From Ground Zero in Punjab, bad news for Delhi-NCR

Govts step up efforts, but farmers say policies unclear, assistance insufficient

CAQM revisits study: Vehicles, dust, industries lead Delhi-NCR pollution

In Delhi, road dust and transportation are the primary sources of PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants, while industrial emissions dominate in the NCR region

'Total non-compliance': SC raps CAQM over failing to curb Delhi's pollution

The Supreme Court had sought a comprehensive explanation from the CAQM regarding the actions it has taken to address stubble burning

CAQM revises GRAP, bans non-BS-VI buses in Delhi if AQI hits severe level

This restriction aims to reduce vehicular emissions, one of the major contributors to air pollution, especially during the winter months when smog levels rise significantly

Delhi breathes clean air for 128 days in first half of 2024: Report

The national capital breathed clean air for 128 days of the first half of 2024, according to a Delhi government report. The report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said that the "Good days' (good/satisfactory/moderate days together) during the January-July, 2024, period was 128. The number of 'good days' from August 1 to August 20 was 20, it said. The number of 'good days' referring to air quality, increased from 159 in 2018 to 206 in' 2023, it said. An air quality index (AQI) between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". The identified sources of air pollution are vehicular and industrial emissions, open burning and other combustion sources. The report cited various steps taken by the Delhi government to mitigate air pollution in the city. A total of 385 dedicated enforcement teams of the Transport Department and Traffic Police have been formed to

WFH, awareness campaigns to combat Delhi air pollution, says minister Rai

Policies for work from home and awareness campaigns are likely to be part of the Delhi government's Winter Action Plan to combat air pollution in the national capital, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday. Rai said during a press conference that the Delhi government held a meeting with environment experts and officials from various government departments to seek their opinions. "These inputs will play a crucial role in crafting an effective Winter Action Plan," Rai said. The minister also emphasised the need for a shift in human behaviour and said one could contribute to reducing air pollution by taking small measures such as turning off engines at traffic lights. "We are the ones using private vehicles, engaging in construction work and failing to turn off our vehicles at red lights. A change in our behaviour is essential to reduce pollution," Rai said. "Self awareness is important. Small steps by everyone will bring a big change," the minister said. Previously, ...

Delhi breathes easy after long as rains wash down pollutants. What next?

With the monsoon expected to last longer in 2024, at least well into September, there is a good possibility that the AQI will remain tolerable for the next few weeks

No letter received from Delhi on air pollution: Union environment ministry

The Union environment ministry clarified on Thursday that it had not recently received any communication from Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, seeking a discussion on air pollution. On Tuesday, Rai said he had sent a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, proposing a meeting to prepare a joint plan to combat air pollution. The ministry said the last letter it received from Rai was dated September 20, 2023, in which he requested a meeting with National Capital Region (NCR) states to discuss air quality management. In response, Yadav chaired a meeting with the environment ministers of the NCR states on October 20, 2023. "No letter has been received recently from the Hon'ble Environment Minister, GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi), on this subject," the ministry said in its statement. The ministry also said that its secretary chaired a meeting on July 25 to discuss the action plan for the next one year, including preparations for the coming

Delhi records cleanest air quality for Jan-Aug in six years, AQI hits 53

Delhi recorded its best AQI for any day between January 1 and August 8 from 2018 to 2024, with a reading of 53 at 4 pm on Thursday

Relief from prolonged humidity after parts of Delhi receive rainfall

Several parts of the national capital witnessed rain on Sunday, finding relief from prolonged humidity. The maximum temperature on Sunday was recorded as 37.1 degree Celsius, two notches above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department. The weather department has predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rain during the evening. The minimum temperature was 27.6 degree Celsius. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded in the "moderate" category with a reading of 109 at 6 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

7% of daily deaths in 10 Indian cities linked to PM2.5 pollution: Study

On average, 7.2 per cent of all daily deaths in 10 of the largest and most polluted cities in India, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, were linked to PM2.5 levels higher than World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe exposure, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Delhi was found to have the largest fraction of daily and yearly deaths attributable to PM2.5 air pollution, caused by particles sized 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. Sources of such pollution include vehicular and industrial emissions. Researchers said that daily exposure to PM2.5 pollution in Indian cities is linked with a higher risk of death, and locally created pollution could be possibly causing these deaths. The international team included researchers from Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi. They found that an increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre in the average of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) polluti

Delhi Govt to grow the city's green cover with plantation drive on July 11

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that two crore saplings were planted in the city in the last four years, against a target of five years set by the government. The tree plantation drive will be expanded with planting of 64 lakh more saplings of various species in the next one year, Rai said during a press conference here. The minister said the Delhi government and its various agencies will kick-start the initiative, which commences with the onset of the monsoon, from Narela on July 11. He emphasised the importance of residents' cooperation in supporting the Delhi government's efforts to increase the city's green cover and said that as part of this campaign, seven lakh saplings will be distributed among citizens free of cost. The first phase of the tree plantation campaign will cover 30 assembly constituencies and will run until August 9, Rai said. During this period, awareness will be raised among the public and free saplings will be distributed, he added. Rai

Uncomfortable decisions required to clean up Delhi's air: Sunita Narain

Cleaning up Delhi's air requires "uncomfortable and inconvenient" decisions, and it cannot be achieved by being nice to everyone, particularly the affluent residents who significantly contribute to the problem, leading environmentalist Sunita Narain has said. In an interaction with PTI editors, Narain said although central and state governments have taken several steps to control air pollution in the national capital, including banning coal and introducing BSVI fuel, erratic weather patterns due to climate change and the inadequate speed of addressing the crisis continue to exacerbate the problem. Narain, the Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, said the episodic burning of crop residue by farmers in winter is not the primary concern. Instead, the persistent and major sources of pollution within the city, including transport and industries, are more worrisome, she said. "My only request for the new government is to take some uncomfortable, inconvenient decisio

Airbrushed existence

Bad air is an equaliser, uncontained by physical borders and social boundaries, but dialogues around air pollution don't extend to everybody. They have blind spots

100,000 commuters fined for pollution certificate violations in Delhi

A total of 101,164 instances of Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) violations were recorded in the first four months of 2024, the Delhi Traffic Police said on Sunday. This is 30 per cent higher than the violations recorded last year, which stood at 78,169 challans, during the same period -- between January 1 and April 30, official data of the Delhi Traffic Police revealed. "We have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the top ten traffic circles, including Model Town, Karol Bagh, Najafgarh, Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh and Tilak Nagar, among others, with the highest number of challans issued in 2024," a senior police officer of the Delhi Traffic Police said. The officer said the spike in the violation also highlights the persistent challenge of vehicular pollution in the city, which is notorious for its alarming levels of air pollution. "This detailed examination has pinpointed regions where such traffic violations occur most frequently. By identifying these areas, targeted ...