Page 11 - Delhi Pollution

Sirsa blames Punjab farm fires for Delhi smog, says AAP politicising air

Addressing a press conference, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa shared videos purportedly showing stubble burning in Punjab

SC chose right to burn crackers over right to live, breathe: Amitabh Kant

Kant's remarks came a day after India celebrated Diwali, and the national capital witnessed the bursting of crackers in full frenzy, and it woke up to a thick layer of toxic air

After Grap II invoked in Delhi, Congress slams govt over rising pollution

The pollution will increase after today because the government has no interest in controlling the pollution, said Congress leader Rashid Alvi

Delhi breathes 'very poor' air on Diwali morning; Stage II curbs imposed

Delhi-NCR records 'very poor' air quality with AQI above 300 on Diwali; CM Rekha Gupta urges citizens to use only green crackers in the city

Delhi records minimum temperature of 20.6 degrees Celsius, AQI rises to 284

Delhi on Sunday recorded a minimum temperature of 20.6 degrees Celsius, 2.2 notches above the seasonal average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Relative humidity stood at 71 per cent at 8.30 am. The IMD has forecast mainly clear skies during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 33 degrees Celsius. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the 'poor' category, with a reading of 284 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. Out of the 38 monitoring stations in Delhi, 12 reported air quality in the 'very poor' category. Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 430. Wazirpur recorded an AQI of 364, Vivek Vihar 351, Dwarka 335, RK Puram 323, Siri Fort, Dilshad Garden and Jahangirpuri 318, Punjabi Bagh 313, Nehru Nagar 310, Ashok Vihar 305 and Bawana 304, CPCB

Delhi's AQI hits 211; CAQM implements Grap Stage-I pollution curbs

The CAQM said that Delhi recorded an AQI of 211 (poor) on Tuesday, which is expected to remain in the same category in the coming days

Delhi's air pollution forecasts miss PM2.5 levels by up to 35%, says CEEW

Delhi's Air Quality Early Warning System underpredicts PM2.5 levels by 30-35% due to outdated emission inventories, highlighting need for regular updates to improve forecasts and decision-making

Delhi posts best Jan-Sep air quality since 2018, AQI averages 164 this year

The environment ministry said Delhi's average AQI dropped to 164 in Jan-Sep 2025, with no 'severe' days recorded, while PM2.5 and PM10 levels fell to their lowest since 2018, excluding 2020

Delhi govt orders installation of anti-smog guns in high-rises by Nov 29

The Delhi government has mandated that all private and government buildings with a height of G+5 floors and above must install anti-smog guns by November 29. This directive aims to tackle the issue of air pollution in Delhi, especially during the winter months when harmful particulate matter such as PM10 and PM2.5 increases significantly, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told PTI. According to the public notice by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), all commercial complexes, shopping malls, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and other high-rise structures with a built-up area exceeding 3,000 square metres are required to deploy anti-smog guns. However, residential houses, societies, and complexes are exempt from this mandate. The number of anti-smog guns required will vary depending on the built-up area of each building. A minimum of three guns is mandated for properties with a built-up area of less than 10,000 square metres. Buildings wit

Fighting air pollution will take more than masks and symbolic fixes

The human cost is staggering. If India were to bring its pollution levels down to WHO norms, life expectancy will increase for everyone

Delhi govt to test emission retrofits in 30 end-of-life official vehicles

The Delhi government will soon conduct trials by fitting catalytic converter-based retrofit emission control devices in up to 30 government-owned BS-IV and older heavy vehicles, potentially offering a cheaper and cleaner alternative to scrapping. In a first-of-its-kind move aimed at cutting toxic emissions from older diesel vehicles, the Delhi government decided to conduct a pilot project following a presentation by a clean-tech firm at a meeting which was chaired by the Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on August 11. The company claimed its retrofit technology could reduce particulate matter and other harmful emissions by more than 70 per cent. The trial comes in the wake of the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) directive banning the entry of non-BS-VI commercial goods vehicles into Delhi from November 1, with limited exemptions for essential services until October 31, 2026. Officials said while the order is crucial for reducing pollution, it poses challenges

SC grants interim relief to Delhi owners of end-of-life petrol, diesel cars

The apex court passed the order while hearing the Delhi government's plea seeking review of the ban on 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in the national capital

Delhi govt urges Supreme Court to review 2018 order banning older vehicles

Citing stricter emissions norms and cleaner fuels, the Delhi government says the 2018 vehicle ban lacks a scientific basis and causes unnecessary hardship

Low-pollution industries will get nod to operate in 20 days: DPCC

The statement highlights that Industries that will benefit include small factories, packing units, and service centres that cause minimal environmental harm and do not require pollution control system

Delhi declares war on air pollution with full-year ban on firecrackers

DPCC imposes year-round firecracker ban in Delhi; police halt online sales, warn of legal action; DRI seizes ₹35 crore worth of smuggled Chinese fireworks in crackdown

Delhi kicks off ban on fuel sale to old vehicles amid high security

The ban on supply of fuel to old vehicles kicked off in Delhi on Tuesday amid high security. The Delhi government has installed Automatic Number Plate reader cameras (ANPR) at nearly 350 petrol pumps across the national capital for detection of such vehicles. The transport department has chalked out a detailed deployment plan involving personnel from its organisation, Delhi Police, Traffic Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Multiple teams of transport department, traffic police and local police have been deployed at different petrol pumps in South Delhi. The drive began from 6 am on Tuesday, enforcing the prohibition of fuel sale to petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. At Chirag Delhi's Dhingra petrol pump, the Transport Enforcement and Delhi Traffic Police teams were seen stationed since early morning. "We are here from 6 am to ensure that no old vehicle is allowed to refuel. Petrol pumps have been directed to deny fuel t

Smog, Yamuna pollution biggest environment issues in Delhi: SC judge

Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Karol on Thursday said smog and Yamuna River pollution were the biggest environmental issues in the national capital. The judge was speaking at the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) Climate Change Conference and Awards 2025 when he emphasised on environmental protection. Each citizen, he said, was responsible to protect the environment and the onus wasn't just on the judiciary, the executive and the legislature. "We have to make sure that the environment, be it in any form, has to be protected. I would also say this, that over the years we have developed certain principles, and the public trust doctrine is one such doctrine which we must always keep in mind," Justice Karol said. He continued, "But I would say this, if you were to see our report card in the last 75 years, or since the 1980s, what have we done? Have we done enough to protect the environment? My view is that a lot needs to be done, at all levels. And I would borrow an expression, th

CAQM mandates only CNG, electric vehicles for e-commerce fleets in NCR

From January 2026, no petrol or diesel vehicles can be added to aggregator fleets in NCR, with CAQM pushing for faster transition to clean mobility options

Only clean fuel buses allowed in Delhi from November 2026, says CAQM

CAQM's announcement comes a day after CM Rekha Gupta unveiled Delhi's 25-point Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025, which includes electric buses, e-autos, and ANPR cameras

'Only BS6, CNG or EV commercial vehicles allowed in Delhi from Nov 1'

CM Rekha Gupta said that the national capital would witness its first artificial rain 'very soon' with the help of cloud seeding techniques