Pollution

Claims vs reality: Dust doesn't settle on Mumbai's clean-air drive

- On paper, machines are deployed daily but residents, workers and vendors say dust still hangs heavy in the air

A binding national plan is urgently needed to tackle air pollution

The key message from this 10-year study is that despite policy intervention and technological improvement, India's major cities continue to suffer major air-quality challenges

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

Mercury pollution in marine mammals continues to rise, finds new study

Large amounts of mercury from past coal burning, industry and mining are already present in the oceans

Climate adaptation explained: What it means and why it is essential

The UN has warned that the world has missed its target to keep global warming in line with 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels

Explained: What breathing air at AQI 400 does to your lungs, heart and brain

When the Air Quality Index crosses 400, the air turns into a slow poison. You can’t see it. You can’t smell it. But every breath starts working against your body.

Delhi AQI: When Delhi’s citizens took to the streets for clean air and were detained | Air pollution

As Delhi’s toxic air chokes millions, hundreds gathered at India Gate demanding what should be a basic human right: clean air.

7 in 10 Delhi residents lack confidence in govt's ability to enforce Grap

Many respondents claim that government readings are often lower than private air-quality monitors, leading to delayed or inadequate implementation of GRAP measures

NGT orders to ensure installation of OCEMS in GPIs in UP, Bihar, Delhi

The National Green Tribunal has directed the CPCB and SPCBs to ensure the installation of Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems in Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs).

Satellite hunt for 'superpollutant' receives $100 million new funding

The Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative, being announced Thursday as world leaders gather in Brazil for a summit ahead of the COP30 climate conference, aims to maintain an increasing focus on methane

OPD flooded with patients: Delhi doctors sound alarm over rising pollution

According to Doctors, many people are currently suffering from various respiratory conditions, including throat irritation, rhinitis, a runny nose, itchy eyes, and severe chest congestion

Several air monitoring stations not working: SC seeks CAQM report

The CAQM's lawyer said that the Central Pollution Control Board has the data and will file the relevant report, while CAQM has already submitted one on preventive actions

Delhi govt steps up pollution drive; Sirsa reviews measures at Anand Vihar

The Delhi government has stepped up its winter action plan to tackle pollution across the city, with enhanced monitoring and on-ground action at 13 identified pollution hotspots. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday inspected the Anand Vihar area, one of the city's most polluted zones, to review ongoing dust control, traffic management and road repair measures, an official statement said. Sirsa also visited the Delhi Pollution Control Committee's (DPCC) Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station near the Anand Vihar Metro Station. During the inspection, he directed officials to deploy additional traffic personnel to decongest roads, ensure buses halt only at designated bays, and operate movable anti-smog guns and mist sprayers during peak hours. The minister took note of a long-pending patch of unpaved road at the entrance of the Anand Vihar bus terminal, which, he said, had been neglected for years due to the presence of trees. Calling it "a classic examp

Delhi to bar entry of non-BS-VI compliant vehicles registered outside city

All commercial goods vehicles registered outside Delhi that are not BS-VI compliant will be prohibited from entering the national capital from November 1, in line with the CAQM's directions. The BS-VI compliant vehicles meet stricter emission standards are expected to curtail pollution. A public notice issued by the transport department said BS-IV commercial goods vehicles will be permitted to enter Delhi only for a limited period, up to October 31, 2026, as a transitional measure. There will, however, be no restrictions on the entry of commercial goods vehicles registered in Delhi, BS-VI compliant diesel vehicles, BS-IV compliant diesel vehicles till October 31, 2026, or those running on CNG, LNG, or electricity. The notice added that restrictions under various stages of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on commercial goods vehicles will continue to apply during the period a particular stage is in force. In a meeting held on October 17, Commission for Air Quality Management

Humans have internal lunar clock but light pollution is disrupting it

Just as the circadian rhythm keeps time with the 24-hour rotation of the Earth, many organisms also track the slower rhythm of the Moon

Uttarakhand to impose green tax on 'out-of-state' vehicles from Dec

Green tax will be collected from vehicles coming to Uttarakhand from outside states from December, officials said. According to officials, the decision aims at controlling pollution, protecting the environment, and promoting cleanliness in the state. The collection of this tax will begin in December. State Additional Transport Commissioner Sanat Kumar Singh said Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras installed along the state's borders will capture the registration numbers of incoming vehicles. He said 16 cameras were already installed in the border areas, and their number has now been increased to 37. The transport department has appointed a vendor company to collect the green tax, Singh said. The data captured by the cameras will be sent to the vendor through software, which will then separate information related to Uttarakhand-registered, government, and two-wheeler vehicles, and send them to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) database, he added. He infor

Delhi AQI remains 'very poor' 2 days after Diwali, other metros fare better

Delhi's AQI was recorded at 335 as of 9 am on Wednesday, placing it in the 'very poor' zone, according to the data by Central Pollution Control Board

GRAP Stage 2 curbs kick in across NCR as Delhi's air turns 'very poor'

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR as the city's air quality slipped into the "very poor" category, with the AQI crossing 300 mark. The move came after the Sub-Committee on GRAP on Saturday reviewed the worsening pollution levels and forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), which warned of further deterioration in the coming days. "The AQI of Delhi has shown an increasing trend since morning and has been recorded as 296 at 4 pm and 302 at 7 pm," the CAQM said, directing authorities to implement all Stage II measures with immediate effect, in addition to Stage I actions already in force since October 14. The Centre's air quality panel also asked all implementing agencies to keep strict vigil, particularly on dust mitigation and to ensure compliance with targeted timelines laid down under the comprehensive policy to curb a

CPCB pulls up Uttarakhand board over violations at 3 waste treatment plants

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has pulled up the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board over continued violations by three common effluent treatment plants in Haridwar, Pantnagar and Sitarganj, and directed it to take immediate action, including levying environmental compensation. In an order issued on Tuesday, the CPCB said the plants, located in industrial areas developed by the State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIIDCUL), were meeting neither the inlet effluent quality standards nor the treated effluent quality norms. The central board's inspection revealed that all three plants -- Haridwar of 9 MLD (million litres per day) capacity, Pantnagar (4 MLD) and Sitarganj (4 MLD) -- were consistently non-compliant with treated effluent quality standards for key parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and heavy metals like iron, chromium and nickel. Common effluent treatment plants (CETPs)

NCAP directs Delhi, Noida to improve pollution control fund utilisation

A central panel monitoring the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has directed the municipal corporations of Delhi and Noida, which are lagging in pollution control fund utilisation, to take immediate corrective measures. The decision was taken at the 18th meeting of the Implementation Committee (IC) under NCAP, held on August 21 and chaired by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) chairman, to review and oversee the programme's implementation. The committee said that "all implementing agencies must accelerate fund utilisation, ensuring that it is not below 75 per cent in any city", according to the minutes of the meeting published recently. Launched in 2019, NCAP is India's first national initiative to set clean air targets, aiming for a 40 per cent reduction in particulate pollution by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base year. Of the cities covered under NCAP, 82 receive direct funding from the Union environment ministry, while 48 cities and urban agglomerations with population