Page 3 - Delhi Pollution

Delhi AQI update: Air quality worsens to 'severe'; smog disrupts visibility

Delhi recorded an average AQI above 400 as very dense fog and smog reduced visibility, disrupted flights and trains, and prompted safety advisories across the capital

Delhi exploring tie-up with IIT Kanpur to find pollution sources: Sirsa

The Delhi government is exploring a potential collaboration with IIT Kanpur to leverage Artificial Intelligence to identify pollution sources at a granular level and assess their impact, officials said on Sunday. The environment department is all set to deliberate on the roadmap for collaboration, institutional mechanisms and phased implementation, an official statement said. Speaking on the initiative, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "We are moving towards a model where decisions are driven by real-time data, source identification and measurable outcomes, not reactive measures." The proposed collaboration aims to strengthen Delhi's ability to identify pollution sources at a granular level, assess their impact, and enable targeted, timely interventions across sectors. The emphasis is on building systems that can monitor, analyse, forecast and guide action on a continuous basis, he said. A key pillar of this approach is dynamic source apportionment, which wil

Akums President Finance Rajkumar Bafna resigns citing Delhi pollution

The drugmaker said Bafna will step down on December 31, 2025, after citing Delhi's pollution levels in his resignation letter

Delhi's AQI 'very poor'; MeT issues 'orange' alert for dense fog on Monday

The national capital recorded air quality in the "very poor" category on Sunday with an overall Air Quality Index reading of 390, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The meteorological department has issued orange alert of very dense fog for Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures likely to hover around 22 and 7 degrees Celsius, respectively. According to data on the CPCB's Sameer App, 19 monitoring stations in Delhi reported air quality in the "severe" category with Anand Vihar recording highest AQI of 457, while the remaining recorded "very poor" levels. An AQI between 0 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", according to CPCB standards. The city recorded a low of 6.3 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees below the season's average, while the maximum temperature settled at 22.5 degrees Celsius, 2.1 notches above the seasonal average, the meteorological ...

Delhi air quality slips into 'severe' category amid dense fog and cold wave

Calm winds and dense fog trap pollutants as seven monitoring stations record 'severe' AQI and 24 of 39 in 'very poor' category

Delhi HC asks Centre to respond to plea seeking lower GST on air purifiers

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Centre to file a detailed response to a petition seeking lowering of goods and services tax on air purifiers in view of worsening air quality in the national capital. A vacation bench of Justices Vikas Mahajan and Vinod Kumar granted 10 days' time to the central government to file its reply to the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on January 9. The court was informed by the Centre's counsel that the meeting of GST Council has to take place physically only and it is not possible to convene the meeting through video conferencing. Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman, representing the Centre, sought time to file a detailed reply. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the central government to classify air purifiers as "medical devices" and reduce the goods and services tax (GST) to the five per cent slab. Air purifiers are currently taxed at 18 per cent. The petition by advoca

Continue pollution curbs as western disturbance may worsen weather: Sirsa

Even as GRAP 4 restrictions were lifted after a temporary improvement in air quality, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday urged residents to continue following pollution-control measures, warning that weather conditions may worsen again due to an approaching western disturbance. Addressing the media, Sirsa said weather conditions are likely to turn unfavourable, with increased chances of dense haze and fog, which could worsen pollution levels. "According to the weather department and past data, the impact of western disturbance will be visible in Delhi in the next couple of days. The weather will deteriorate again and there is a strong possibility of heavy haze," he said. The minister urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to follow pollution control measures despite the relaxation of restrictions. He appealed to the people not to take out vehicles without valid Pollution Under Control Certificates and to avoid unnecessary travel. "Even though the 50

Fog blankets Delhi as air quality slips to 'very poor' again; AQI at 305

Delhi's air quality deteriorated a day after Christmas, with 24 out of 39 monitoring stations reporting very poor AQI as fog returned to the national capital

Delhi breathes easier on Christmas as AQI dips below 300 after two weeks

On December 25, the AQI improved to 220, helped by strong winds, though forecasts warn of possible deterioration ahead

Grap IV restrictions lifted in Delhi-NCR as air quality improves

The CAQM, however, cautioned that winter weather conditions may not remain favourable, with forecasts indicating a possible rise in AQI levels due to slower wind speeds in the coming days

'I get infections in Delhi': Gadkari says transport causes 40% of pollution

Amid hazardous air quality in Delhi, Nitin Gadkari acknowledges the transport sector's 40% contribution to pollution, saying he develops infections after short stays in the capital

'Reduce GST on air purifiers': Delhi HC raps Centre over pollution crisis

The Delhi High Court criticised the Centre over its failure to tackle the city's air pollution and asked it to consider cutting the 18 per cent GST on air purifiers to provide relief to citizens

'11 years of neglect': Delhi L-G blames Kejriwal, AAP for pollution crisis

According to Delhi L-G VK Saxena, the 10-month-old BJP government is 'trying to do everything possible' to undo the 'wrongs' of the previous AAP government

Over 212K PUC certificates issued in 4 days in Delhi amid curbs: Sirsa

More than 2.12 lakh new PUC certificates were issued following the strict implementation of GRAP-IV measures over the past four days, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Monday. The minister also warned of stringent action against polluting industries and private offices flouting work-from-home directives. Speaking at a press conference, Sirsa noted that weather conditions are expected to improve by Tuesday as the impact of a western disturbance recedes. He said 2,12,332 new Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates were issued by late night on December 16. During the same period, approximately 10,000 vehicles failed the mandatory emission tests. Sirsa announced an intensified enforcement drive across the capital, saying polluting factories and industries will now be sealed without further notice. "Action will also be taken against industries that have not applied for the mandatory Online Consent Management (OCM)," he added. The minister warned private compan

Pollution settles in when wind stops and emissions persist: Bhupender Yadav

Bhupendra Yadav said that air quality has shown improvement on several days, but adverse meteorological conditions during December continue to pose challenges

Delhi air quality stays 'severe' as dense fog and cold wave intensify

Dense fog and a cold wave worsen Delhi's already severe air quality, with AQI crossing 400 in several areas; limited visibility disrupts flights

Delhi's air on verge of severe; AQI at 398 as thick haze shrouds capital

The sky remained shrouded in dull grey, while a thick haze descended upon the capital on Saturday, with the air quality on the brink of "severe". At 4 pm, Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 398 -- just two points shy of the threshold -- while several monitoring stations across the city reported readings in the 'severe' category. Meanwhile, hourly AQI readings from the CPCB's SAMEER app showed that air quality worsened during the evening hours, slipping into the severe category at 401, at 5 pm. Of the 40 monitoring stations across the city, 22 recorded air quality in the severe range, while 17 logged readings in the 'very poor' category. Chandni Chowk reported the worst air quality, with an AQI reading of 464, in the 'severe plus' category. With the sun largely obscured by clouds and suspended pollutants, visibility was greatly reduced. Amid prevailing cold-wave conditions, the average air quality in the capital deteriorated to 398 on Saturday, compare

100K PUC applications received in 3 days amid anti-pollution curbs in Delhi

More than one lakh vehicle owners applied for Pollution Under Control certificates in the last three days amid intensified enforcement against polluting vehicles in the national capital, Delhi Transport and Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Saturday. Singh said the BJP government is working on long-term and data-driven solutions to address air pollution in the national capital, asserting that transport-related emissions contribute around 20-25 per cent to Delhi's overall pollution. Singh said that in the last three days, a large number of people have come forward to obtain PUC certificates. Over one lakh people registered for PUC certificates during this period, including more than 40,000 on December 19 alone, he added. The minister said officials from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and police are deployed at petrol pumps with cameras used to monitor vehicles. First-time violators are issued warnings, while repeat offenders face challans, he said, adding tha

Delhi air quality worsens over weekend as all areas record AQI over 300

Dense fog and severe pollution continue to affect Delhi over the weekend, with 14 stations in the 'severe' category despite strict anti-pollution measures

'No PUCC, No Fuel' rule: Over 3,700 vehicles challaned in Delhi in 24 hours

Delhi fined over 3,700 vehicles and turned back hundreds at border points within 24 hours as the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule came into force to curb pollution amid severe air quality