Page 5 - Pollution

'Politics on pollution': Atishi blames Centre as Delhi gasps for air

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi blamed farm fires in neighboring states - excluding Punjab, where her party also governs - for the capital's air crisis

Delhi chokes under toxic smog as AQI hits highest level this year

Delhi authorities directed all schools to move classes online and tightened restrictions on construction activities

Delhi bans BS-III petrol, BS-IV diesel four wheelers amid rising pollution

Violators will face prosecution under Section 194(1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, and a Rs 20,000 fine

Pak's Punjab govt uses artificial rain in cities to combat pollution

Pakistan's Punjab government on Friday declared smog a health crisis" and used artificial rain in several cities across the province in an effort to combat its hazardous levels, as millions reported breathing problems and other respiratory issues over the past month. This is the second time the Punjab government went for artificial rain. In December last year, the government had a successful cloud seeding experiment in Lahore. "The cloud seeding experiment conducted in Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang, and Gujar Khan cities of Punjab resulted in rainfall in Jhelum and Gujar Khan on Friday," the Punjab government said in a late night statement. It said it held a successful trial of artificial rain using local technology. "Cloud seeding was carried out at 2pm Friday and within hours, it rained in Jhelum and Gujar Khan. There is also a strong likelihood of rainfall in Lahore after this experiment. The artificial rainfall will significantly help reduce smog," it said. Earlier in the day, ...

Is your air safe? Google Maps rolls out live AQI updates in India

Google Maps now provides navigation along with key environmental insights, helping people make smarter choices about their health and outdoor plans

Fossil emissions to hit record this year, India's share to rise: Report

India's fossil fuel emissions are projected to rise by 4.6 per cent in 2024, while China could see a marginal rise of 0.2 per cent, according to new research by a group of international scientists. The report, unveiled during the UN climate conference or COP29 in Azerbaijan's Baku on Wednesday, stated that global carbon emissions from fossil fuels could reach 37.4 billion tonnes, an increase of 0.8 per cent from 2023 levels. Atmospheric CO2 levels are projected to reach 422.5 parts per million in 2024, which is set to become the warmest year on record. This is 2.8 parts per million higher than in 2023 and 52 per cent above pre-industrial levels. "The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly dramatic, yet we still see no sign that burning of fossil fuels has peaked," said Professor Pierre Friedlingstein of Exeter's Global Systems Institute, who led the study. According to a UN report released last month, India's greenhouse gas emissions surged by 6.1 per cent in 2023, ...

COP29: Rich nations try to shift pollution responsibility to India, China

But Global North is sidestepping their responsibilities and deflecting the core issue of historical pollution, participants said

UN climate talks to focus on money to help poor nations cut pollution

A complex international two-week-long game of climate change poker is convening. The stakes? Just the fate of an ever-warming world. Curbing and coping with climate change's worsening heat, floods, droughts and storms will cost trillions of dollars and poor nations just don't have it, numerous reports and experts calculate. As United Nations climate negotiations started Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, the chief issue is who must ante up to help poor nations and especially how much. The numbers are enormous. The floor in negotiations is the $100 billion a year that poor nations based on a categorization made in the 1990s now get as part of a 2009 agreement that was barely met. Several experts and poorer nations say the need is $1 trillion a year or more. It's a game with high stakes, said Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare, a physicist. Right now the fate of the planet depends very much on what we're able to pull off in the next five or 10 years. But this year's talks, known as COP29, wo

Mercedes improved pollution management at plant: Maharashtra govt

The clearance is a relief for the German carmaker, India's top luxury car seller, which announced plans in January to launch over a dozen models and invest $24 million in the country this year

Lahore's air apocalypse: Schools close, Pak officials call out India

On Sunday, Lahore topped the global list of cities with the most hazardous air, marking the second consecutive day of deteriorating air quality

Global efforts to curb methane fall short as emissions keep rising

Methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry, including coal mining, remain close to a record level set in 2019

Delhi's air deteriorate on Diwali eve, pollution level likely to go up

Delhi's air quality slipped into the "very poor" category on the eve of Diwali, with pollution levels expected to go up on Thursday, even as authorities said strict action will be taken against those violating the firecracker ban. The city's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 307 at 4 pm, up from 268 on Tuesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune said the air quality in the national capital is likely to be in the "very poor" category (AQI 300 to 400) on Thursday and Friday. The air quality may also reach the severe category on these two days in case of additional emissions from firecrackers and stubble or waste fires. According to the Decision Support System (DSS) for Air Quality Management, if stubble burning occurs at levels similar to the last five years, it could contribute 15-18 per cent to Delhi's pollution on these dates. This is exacerbated by winds from the northwest, which

Delhi, Mumbai record poor AQI levels in Oct; Kolkata remains an outlier

India's major cities face severe air quality issues, with Delhi's AQI exceeding 300 for two days; Kolkata is the only city below 100

Delhi's AQI woes: Why's Pakistan blamed for Delhi-NCR's pollution crisis?

Delhi's air quality remains dire, with an Air Quality Index of 328, despite ongoing pollution mitigation efforts like banning firecrackers and road watering

AAP blames Haryana industrial waste for Yamuna pollution, BJP fires backaap

Delhi is grappling with severe water shortage due to alarmingly high ammonia contamination in the Yamuna river, primarily attributed to industrial waste from Haryana, AAP alleged on Sunday. With the water treatment plants (WTPs) at Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi struggling to cope with the ammonia content in the Yamuna's raw water, supply in the national capital is being disrupted, it said. The Delhi Jal Board on Sunday announced water shortage till November 1 in several parts of the national capital due to the Yamuna's high ammonia content. "The raw water source of Delhi's 110 MGD (million gallons per day) Bhagirathi WTP and 140 MGD Sonia Vihar WTP is the Upper Ganga Canal, Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh. Due to scheduled annual maintenance across the Upper Ganga Canal by the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department from October 12 to 31, the canal was closed from Haridwar on October 12 midnight," it said. The WTPs are now dependent on the Yamuna as an alternative source of raw water till Octob

Human fertility at risk: How everyday pollution affects reproductive health

Environmental pollutants in air, water, and soil, once secondary to genetics, are now major contributors to reproductive health issues in men and women

Breathe at your own risk: How Delhi's air is taking a dangerous turn

Health experts warn that vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly, face heightened risk, raising serious concern over the long-term impacts of air pollution

Lahore declared the world's most polluted city as smog crisis deepens

Lahore's alarming pollution crisis is primarily driven by crop residue burning and industrial emissions

Delhi AQI crisis triggers Grap stage 2: What it means for the capital

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that Delhi's AQI will remain in the 'very poor' range over the coming days

Diwali firecrackers cause 875% spike in pollution, reveals new report

Indian states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, where pollution is already a significant issue, PM2.5 levels surge to dangerous levels on Diwali night