Page 8 - Delhi Pollution

Delhi's air quality turns 'severe' as 19 stations record AQI above 400

Pollution spikes across Delhi-NCR as residents struggle with toxic air; offline classes resume even as AQI crosses 400 at several stations

SC to hear plea on Delhi-NCR air pollution on Dec 3 amid health emergency

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on December 3 a plea concerning the deteriorating air quality in the DelhiNational Capital Region, saying the issue needed to be monitored on a regular basis. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the bench as an amicus curiae in the air pollution case, that there is an alarming situation in Delhi-NCR and it is a health emergency. What magic wand can a judicial forum exercise? I know this is hazardous for Delhi-NCR. We all know the problem. The issue is what is the solution. We need to identify reasons and the solutions can be given by the domain experts only. We hope and expect that long term solutions are found, the CJI said. Tell me what can we direct? We issue some directions and get to breathe clean air immediately ... .Then we have to see what the solutions can be in each region. Let us see what the government has ...

Delhi chokes on dense smog as AQI nears 400; GRAP III curbs revoked

Air quality slipped back to the 'very poor' range today with AQI readings close to 400, even as CAQM withdrew GRAP Stage 3 measures

Delhi's air stays toxic as 34 monitoring stations record 'very poor' AQI

Rohini, Anand Vihar and Bawana among worst-hit areas in the national capital as 34 out of 39 monitoring stations record 'very poor' air quality

Delhi tops PM2.5 pollution list; 447 districts breach national norm: Report

Delhi ranked as the most polluted among 33 states and Union territories with an annual mean PM2.5 concentration of 101 micrograms per cubic metre, 2.5 times the Indian standard and 20 times the WHO guideline, according to a new satellite-based analysis. The report by the independent research organisation Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air said Chandigarh recorded the second-highest annual average PM2.5 level at 70 micrograms per cubic metre during the study period from March 2024 to February 2025, followed by Haryana at 63 and Tripura at 62. Assam (60), Bihar (59), West Bengal (57), Punjab (56), Meghalaya (53) and Nagaland (52) also exceeded the national standard. Overall, 447 of the 749 districts (60 per cent) analysed breached the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for annual PM2.5 of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. The most polluted districts are heavily concentrated in a few states, the analysis showed. Delhi (11 districts) and Assam (11 districts) together

Delhi's air stays toxic; state govt orders offices to work at 50% capacity

Delhi tightens curbs amid 'severe' to 'very poor' air quality, ordering 50 per cent office attendance as the city tracks an Ethiopian volcanic ash cloud and its impact on AQI

As toxic air chokes Delhi, govt orders offices to operate at 50% capacity

Delhi air pollution: Amid severe pollution, Delhi orders govt and private offices to operate at half strength, directing all other employees to work from home

Delhi pollution protest turns violent at India Gate; pepper spray used

A demonstration demanding clean air in Delhi escalated into chaos at India Gate on Sunday, with police alleging that protesters used pepper spray on officers, blocked emergency routes

Delhi air pollution protests: 15 held for pepper spray use, Hidma slogans

The protests came amid worsening air quality in the national capital, which has been covered in haze and grey skies for almost a month

India Gate air protest turns chaotic as Delhi Police hit with pepper spray

A protest over Delhi's toxic air spiralled into chaos at India Gate as police alleged demonstrators used pepper spray and blocked traffic, leaving several personnel injured

Delhi chokes as AQI hits severe levels, fog worsens pollution across region

Delhi-NCR's air quality plunged into the severe zone on Monday, with fog trapping pollutants, 20 stations crossing 400, and authorities invoking Grap

Air pollution: Delhi goes for a soft battle against a tough enemy

Pollution grows unabated amid faulty policies and delays: Experts

Air quality in Delhi remains 'severe' with AQI over 400 at multiple sites

Air quality plunged across Delhi-NCR, with several zones breaching the 400 AQI threshold as foggy conditions and dipping temperatures intensified pollution on Sunday

Delhi govt advises private offices to allow 50% employees to work from home

The Delhi government on Saturday directed private offices to operate with 50 per cent on-site staff and to allow the remaining employees to work from home as a precautionary measure under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III. The advisory follows directions from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), officials said. Delhi's air quality remained 'very poor' for the ninth consecutive day on Saturday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 370, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. A total of 11 monitoring stations in Delhi logged readings in the 'severe' category. The government has asked private offices to operate with 50 per cent strength on site and to allow the remaining employees to work from home as a precautionary measure under the GRAP Stage III, an official statement said. They have also been asked to widely disseminate the advisory and ensure effective implementation across all branches. GRAP is a framework designed to tack

CAQM flags 29 pollution norm violations in enforcement drive in Sonipat

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) detected 29 violations of pollution-control norms, including five at construction and demolition (C&D) sites, during a large-scale enforcement drive in Haryana's Sonipat on Friday, according to a statement. Twenty flying squad teams were deployed across conforming and non-conforming industrial clusters as well as C&D sites in the district on November 21 as part of the CAQM's intensified on-ground monitoring during winter months, according to the official statement issued by the Union environment ministry. The drive was carried out with the support of the district administration, including deputy commissioners, duty magistrates and police personnel, to ensure "smooth operations", the ministry said. Of the 101 sites inspected, 55 were in non-conforming areas where 21 violations were flagged, including two at C&D sites. In conforming industrial zones, officials checked 46 units and found eight violations, including three ...

Delhi halts outdoor school activities as air quality stays in 'severe' zone

Delhi government has stopped all outdoor activities in schools as air quality stays in the 'severe' range; CAQM has asked schools to postpone sports events due to rising health risks for children

'Air too toxic to breathe': Parent's post questions Delhi's school calendar

With Delhi's AQI in the 'severe' range, a parent's LinkedIn post highlights how frequent pollution-related shutdowns are affecting children and suggests reworking school breaks

Delhi govt waging war on pollution, citizens must join effort: Sirsa

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Wednesday the government is waging a war against pollution and urged people to join its efforts to improve the city's air. He said 62 new pollution hotspots have been identified, and work is underway to address them. Solid waste, road dust, construction activity and traffic congestion are the main factors pushing Delhi's air quality index higher, Sirsa told reporters. "Sixty-two hotspots have been identified that contribute to pollution caused by garbage and dust. All Delhi government ministers, under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's instructions, are inspecting these hotspots," he said. He appealed to residents to support the drive to make Delhi free of garbage, dust, and pollution. "Delhi government is waging a war against pollution. This needs to be fought together, and I appeal to people to join in to make Delhi garbage, dust and pollution-free," he said. Sirsa inspected one of the hotspots in the Palam area along with the

PM2.5 poses new woes for Arthritis patients, NCR docs report spike in pain

As the national capital enters its harsh winter phase with plunging temperatures and thickening smog, physicians are sounding the alarm on a dual threat to joint health. Over the past two months, consultations for joint pain among patients with chronic arthritis have risen, although specific data quantifying the overall increase in joint cases across Delhi remains unavailable. A 2025 study published in the European Medical Journal found that long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases the risk of developing arthritis by 12 to 18 per cent, reinforcing concerns that poor air quality and cold weather together can significantly worsen joint pain and inflammation, according to orthopaedic specialists across the Delhi-NCR region. In many cases, the winter chill causes muscles around joints to tighten, blood flow to slow, and the tissues around the joint to contract. These factors are enough to worsen stiffness in patients and increase pain in patients with Osteoarthri

Delhi AQI tops 400 at multiple stations as winter smog sets in across NCR

Delhi's air quality plunged to 'severe' levels on Wednesday morning as smog thickened across NCR, with vehicles and stubble burning driving pollution and IMD forecasting foggy, colder mornings