Page 28 - Delhi Pollution

DPCC chairman stopped study to ascertain pollution sources in Delhi: Rai

The Delhi government's first-of-its-kind study to determine pollution sources in the national capital has been halted unilaterally on the orders of Delhi Pollution Control Committee Chairman (DPCC) Ashwani Kumar, alleged city Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday. In a press conference, Rai said the Delhi Cabinet had approved the study proposal in July 2021 and signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur in October 2022. "The estimated cost was over Rs 12 crore. The Delhi government had released Rs 10 lakh to IIT Kanpur for the procurement of necessary equipment," he said. The minister claimed that Ashwani Kumar, who took up the role of DPCC chairman in December, made a file note earlier this year, expressing concerns about the "substantial expenses associated with the study". Following several meetings with IIT Kanpur scientists, Kumar issued orders on October 18 to stop the release of the remaining funds to IIT Kanpur, effectively cancelling the study, Rai said. "It's very unfortunate t

'Red light on Gaadi off' campaign returns in Delhi from Thursday: Gopal Rai

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said the city government will re-launch the "Red Light on Gaadi Off" campaign from October 26 to curb vehicular pollution in the national capital. Last year, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena had put the campaign on hold, questioning its effectiveness. Addressing a press conference here, Rai said a recent data analysis shows a decrease in PM10 pollution and a rise in PM2.5 concentration due to biomass burning and vehicular emissions. "Considering this, we have decided to reintroduce the 'Red Light on Gaadi Off' campaign to reduce vehicular pollution, starting October 26," he said. Rai noted that in the previous years, civil defence volunteers were involved in the campaign. This year, the campaign will involve the general public. The "Red Light on Gaadi Off" campaign, first launched on October 16, 2020, aims to decrease vehicular pollution in Delhi by encouraging drivers to turn off their vehicles while waiting at traffic lights. A 20

Overall air quality improves in Delhi on Wednesday morning but still poor

Delhi air quality: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday said that the second phase of Grap has been implemented in Delhi to reduce the effect of increased pollution

Bike taxi operators fear new Delhi policy will double vehicle cost

Though the main goal of the policy is to curtail air pollution by promoting electric vehicles (EVs), there are some apprehensions

Air quality in Delhi 'very poor', 2nd phase of GRAP implemented: Gopal Rai

The capital's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 313 on Sunday, deteriorating from 248 on Saturday

Delhi's air quality continues to be "very poor", Mumbai's slightly better

Delhi pollution: The overall air quality in the national capital deteriorated from the 'poor' category to the 'very poor' category on Sunday afternoon, with the AQI at 302

Limit number of vehicles per family to curb air pollution, say experts

Rise in air pollution is linked to growing respiratory ailments in India, experts have said and urged the government to bring a policy limiting the number of cars per family and restricting the number of vehicles plying on roads at a time. On the sidelines of the 25th National Conference on Pulmonary Diseases (NAPCON-2023), organised by the Indian Chest Society here, Dr Rakesh K Chawla, the chairman of Pulmonology and Critical Care at Jaipur Golden Hospital, said air pollution has short-term as well as long-term effects on health. "The immediate effects are in the form of irritation in the eyes and throat. Also, there is an increase in the severity of asthma attacks," said Dr Chawla, who is also the organising chairman of NAPCON-2023. The conference was organised to discuss air pollution and diseases caused by it as well as the advancements in the field of pulmonology. Dr Chawla said the long-term effects of air pollution include respiratory diseases and lung cancer, and the worst

Illegal dyeing units in Delhi: NGT seeks report within 5 weeks from DPCC

The National Green Tribunal has sought a "fresh report" within five weeks from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee regarding the illegal operation of several dyeing units in the national capital. The tribunal was hearing a petition, which alleged that dyeing units in Bindapur, Matiala, Ranhola, Khyala, Meethapur, Badarpur, Mukundpur and Kirar are violating provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. A bench of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted the report of an earlier panel and said most of the dyeing units were not inspected on the plea that they were found to be locked. The bench noted the Delhi Pollution Control Committee counsel's submission that inspection teams visited 50 of the total 70 dyeing units. However, as several of these factories were found to be locked, these required re-inspection. The tribunal, in an order passed on October 4, noted that the committee's counsel had sought f

Hotspots, anti-smog guns: MCD draws up winter plan to mitigate pollution

Focus on hotspots action against open burning of garbage and deployment of anti-smog guns at construction and demolition sites are among the measures planned by the MCD as part of its winter action plan to mitigate pollution, officials said on Thursday. In a statement, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi also said it has constituted a dust control and management cell (DCMC) as part of the plan. The civic body has geared up to combat air pollution in upcoming winter season, and working in this direction, a winter action plan 2023-24 has been prepared, it said. Under this, the MCD has planned various initiatives. According to the plan, it has been decided that strict vigilance will be ensured to stop open burning of garbage and its dumping. Monitoring will be strengthened to stop use of coal or firewood in hotels and open eateries, it said. The statement said the MCD has identified 13 pollution hotspots -- Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, R K Puram, Okhla, Jahangir Puri, An

Indo-Gangetic plain continues to battle pollution despite NCAP: Report

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been deployed in Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution, but the problem persists

Delhi most polluted city in past year, Mizoram sustains cleanest air: Study

Although its air quality improved marginally, Delhi remained the most polluted city in the year ending September 30, with a PM2.5 concentration of 100.1 micrograms per cubic metre, which is three times the government's safe limit, according to a new analysis. The analysis conducted by independent think tank Climate Trends and tech firm Respirer Living Sciences, that manufactures real-time IoT-based air quality monitoring devices, showed that Aizawl and Mizoram have India's cleanest air with a PM2.5 level of only 11.1 micrograms per cubic metre. Four more cities from the National Capital Region -- Faridabad (89 micrograms per cubic metre), Noida (79.1 micrograms per cubic metre), Ghaziabad (78.3 micrograms per cubic metre) and Meerut (76.9 micrograms per cubic metre) -- also feature among the top 10 most polluted cities. The report is based on the analysis of the government's PM2.5 data from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023, and focuses on the cities covered under the National

Nanoparticle emissions from vehicles in Delhi pose health risks: Study

Delhi has been experiencing hazardous levels of nanoparticles in urban air, especially in the roadside environment, directly related to vehicular engine exhaust, raising pubic health concerns, according to a study. Nanoparticles are minuscule particles, often measuring between 10 to 1000 nanometers (nm) in diameter, making them invisible to the naked eye. These particles are more dangerous to human health due to their much smaller size compared to PM 2.5 or PM 10. Being 600 times smaller than a human hair, they can penetrate deep into our lungs, bloodstream, and even the brain. The study, published in the journal Urban Climate, was conducted on Bawana Road in northwest Delhi, connecting Delhi to Rohtak in Haryana. The monitoring location is surrounded by educational institutions, households, and commercial areas where the dominant source of pollution is vehicular, the researchers said. Other sources include biomass burning, fuel used for residential heating in winter, and firework

Centre's action plan to check air pollution in Delhi takes effect

The Graded Response Action Plan -- a set of anti-air pollution measures implemented in Delhi-NCR during the winter -- came into effect on Sunday. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), an autonomous body tasked with improving the air quality in Delhi and its adjoining areas, made crucial changes to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) last year and again in July. The new changes include strict restrictions on the plying of overage vehicles and a complete ban on the use of coal and firewood in eateries, restaurants and hotels when the Air Quality Index (AQI) breaches the 200-mark. BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers will be immediately banned in Delhi and Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar if the AQI crosses the 400-mark. The CAQM, a statutory body formed under an Act in 2021, amended the GRAP in 2022 to ensure proactive implementation of anti-air pollution steps based on forecasts up to three days in advance. Earlier, the authorities would

CM Arvind Kejriwal introduces winter plan to curb pollution in Delhi

Kejriwal said the Pusa bio decomposer that prevents stubble burning will be sprayed on 5,000 hectares of farmland this year

Delhi CM to release govt's 'Winter Action Plan' on Oct 1 to curb pollution

"To control pollution during winter the government has decided to prepare a Winter Action Plan. We had a discussion with experts and a joint meeting was held today," said Rai

Delhi govt bans firecrackers for 3rd year in a row, SC refuses to interfere

The Supreme Court refused to interfere in Delhi government's decision to ban firecrackers. Delhi Government banned bursting, sale, storage and even manufacturing of firecrackers in the Capital city

Delhi residents on track to lose 11.9 years of life to pollution: Study

Delhi has emerged as the world's most polluted city in a new study which has also found that its residents are on track to lose 11.9 years of life if the current levels of pollution persist. The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) released by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago also showed that all of India's 1.3 billion people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the 5 g/m3 limit set by World Health Organization (WHO). It also found that 67.4 per cent of the country's population lives in areas that exceed the country's own national air quality standard of 40 g/m3. The study said fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) shortens an average Indian's life expectancy by 5.3 years, relative to what it would be if the 5 g/m3 pollution limit set by (WHO) was met. The AQLI said that Delhi is the most polluted city in the world with its 18 million residents on track to lose 11.9 years of life expectancy on average relative to the WHO limit

Yamuna shows signs of improvement with dip in biochemical oxygen demand

The BOD levels in the Najafgarh drain here have reduced by 33 per cent compared to last year, improving the overall health of the Yamuna river, according to Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) data. The drain accounts for around 70 per cent of the wastewater being discharged into the Yamuna. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), an important parameter to assess water quality, is the amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic material present in a water body. A BOD level of less than 3 milligrams per litre is considered good. The DPCC data was shared during a high-level committee meeting headed by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Friday. According to a statement from the LG secretariat, a month-wise comparison of the DPCC data shows a "consistent improvement" in the water quality of the Najafgarh drain and the Yamuna. The DPCC data showed the BOD level in the Najafgarh drain this January was 53 mg/l, an improvement from 80 mg/l recorded in January las

Delhi, Haryana officials to coordinate over Yamuna clean-up: L-G office

Officials of Delhi and neighbouring Haryana will coordinate among themselves to enhance the impact of the efforts being made at the government level for cleaning and rejuvenating the Yamuna river, according to a statement. The statement from the Delhi lieutenant general's office said officials of the two states on Thursday attended the meeting of a high-level committee set up by the National Green Tribunal for the rejuvenation of the river. The meeting came following several rounds of discussions between Delhi L-G VK Saxena and Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar. Saxena who chaired Thursday's meeting described the rejuvenation of the Yamuna as a national mission and asked officials of the two states to proactively cooperate to achieve the goal. It was decided that Haryana officials will attend the meetings of the high-level committee and carry out directions in coordination with their Delhi counterparts, the statement said. The meeting saw discussions being held on various aspects

Delhi govt to plant 5.2 mn trees and shrubs in mega drive beginning Feb 26

The Delhi government will plant 52 lakh trees and shrubs in the city during its mega plantation drive beginning February 26. The city government usually starts the drive in the monsoon, but the large number of trees demanded an early start, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said at a press conference here. He also asked all agencies concerned to get a third-party audit of the tree plantation done in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The minister said the AAP government will also set up a panel to conduct site suitability analysis before taking up the plantation exercise to improve survival rate of the saplings. Rai said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will launch the plantation drive from a location near Shastri Park. "A total of 52 lakh trees, including 25 lakh shrubs, will be planted in Delhi this year. The Delhi forest department will plant 12 trees and 6 lakh shrubs this year," he said, A total of 47 lakh trees and shrubs were planted last year as against the target of 42 lakh.