India has slipped in the world air quality index to be the third most polluted country, ranking just behind Bangladesh and Pakistan with average PM2.5 levels at 54.4 micrograms, up from 53.3 last year
It was a chilly morning in the national capital on Thursday as the minimum temperature settled five notches below the season's average at 8.8 degrees Celsius, the Met office said. The city is likely to experience a partly cloudy sky during the day and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 25 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 75 per cent, the IMD bulletin said. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 179. 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".
The data also showed that the national capital did not see a single day with an AQI above 400 in February. An AQI of above 400 marks the 'severe' category
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has developed a 1.75 acre green cover in northwest Delhi's Wazirpur locality, a heavily industrialised region and among the top pollution hotspots in the capital, to mitigate the impact of the local sources of air pollution in the area. The civic body planted a total of 16,000 saplings of indigenous varieties on a vacant land that had turned into a garbage dumping point to develop a mini forest in the region using the Miyawaki technique, an official aware of the development told PTI. "The Horticulture department of the MCD in collaboration with an NGO converted the vacant land used for garbage dumping to create a mini forest in the area that will help in improving the air quality levels in the region. We have utilised 1 acre of land for plantation and the rest of the land is used to develop pedestal crossing, install swings, and benches," he said. Wazirpur is among the 13 identified pollution hotspots in the national capital that contribute to the
Panic gripped some parts of north and east Delhi when locals and commuters complained of eye irritation and suffocation on Saturday evening, officials said. Calls were made to the fire department about a "gas leak", but officials could not confirm finding any suspicious gas. Delhi Police said anti-riots mock drill exercise was conducted at Yamuna Khadar, which falls between some parts of east and north Delhi. An officer said it appeared that the smoke due to tear gas shell might have been behind the incident, but added that it was not yet verified. Sources said that Delhi Police has been preparing for a potential farmers agitation intended to be held on February 13. According to officials of Delhi Fire Service (DFS), a call of gas leak was received at 6.30 pm from near Geeta Colony flyover. Two fire tenders reached the spot and tried to locate the suspicious gas they could not find it. Farmer groups have announced a 'Delhi Chalo' march on February 13 to press the Centre for acce
From Tuesday onwards, schools in the national capital will resume normal timings as weather conditions improve
Flight and train services hit, zero visibility at IGI Airport; weather department predicts improvement after February 5
Delhi fog: According to IMD, the fog has intensified in the capital due to the western disturbances
Centre holds off on imposing stricter curbs on pollution as Delhi continues to grapple with 'very' poor to 'severe' air quality
The Centre on Friday decided to delay implementation of stricter measures to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR despite the 24-hour average AQI in Delhi breaching the 400-mark for the second time in three days. Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 409 at 4 pm, a level requiring authorities to invoke stricter curbs under Stage III of the Centre's Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to control air pollution. The CAQM sub-committee for operationalisation of GRAP convened an emergency meeting and took stock of the air quality situation, projected AQI and meteorological forecasts, a statement said. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), a dip in temperature and foggy weather allowed accumulation of pollutants in Delhi on Friday. Forecasts by the IMD and the IITM suggest an improvement in Delhi's air quality from Friday itself. It is expected to be in the 'very poor' category in the coming days, the ...
Amid worsening air quality, the Centre on Wednesday decided to hold off the implementation of stricter measures to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR as forecasts suggested that the situation may improve. Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Wednesday breached the 400 mark, a level requiring authorities to invoke stricter curbs under Stage 3 of the Centre's air pollution control plan called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). "CAQM Sub-Committee for operationalisation of GRAP met today and took stock of the air quality situation, and meteorological forecast and the projected air quality index by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology," a statement said. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) forecasts suggesting an improvement in the air quality, the Sub-Committee unanimously decided to watch the situation for a day or more, before invoking Stage 3 of GRAP. The .
The IMD's forecast for the week also suggests fog will prevail in Delhi, with the minimum temperature remaining below 10 degrees Celsius till the end of January
The air quality is expected to remain in the 'very poor' category for the rest of the week
Saroj, a 55-year-old construction worker residing near the Bakkarwala landfill site, embodies the challenges faced by informal sector workers amid the escalating air pollution crisis in Delhi. In the wake of frequent construction bans to combat air pollution, Saroj found herself periodically unemployed for the past three months, grappling to make ends meet. For people like her, whose primary income source is construction work, the shutdown presents a formidable financial setback. "There has been no stable construction work since October (Diwali) and we have been sitting at home for three months now. The contractor informs us that work will only resume in a few months when the air pollution situation improves," she said. Working in the construction industry, despite its polluting nature, has become an unavoidable necessity for these workers, exposing them to some of the most severe health repercussions. "Fever, cough and cold and stomach issues are very common for us living close t
Delhi air quality remains "very poor"; however, there is some improvement in parts of city
Foggy mornings, cold days, and cold wave conditions were expected to persist across the plains for at least the next two days
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Travellers in Delhi face delays as dense fog hits flight and rail operations amid severe air quality conditions
Travel advisory issued, schools asked to run between 9 am - 5 pm, and construction ban implemented in Delhi amid dense fog, dropping temperatures and rising air pollution
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