Page 6 - Pollution

Delhi air quality worsens; Grap-II imposed in national capital: Updates

Delhi's air quality worsens as AQI reaches 317, prompting Grap-II measures to combat pollution and protect public health

Rise in respiratory disease cases due to air pollution, say experts

The central-run hospital Ram Manohar Lohia has also started running special OPD services for Air Pollution patients

TMC blames inaction of BJP-led Centre, Haryana govt for Delhi pollution

The BJP-led Union and Haryana governments are responsible for pollution in the national capital but blaming the AAP dispensation in Delhi, TMC leader Sagarika Ghose said on Monday, asking why the Centre was not working on a national plan to combat it. "It is the same story every year, pollution in Delhi increases in October, and the Union government blames it on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi. Why is the union government not working on a national plan after consulting all states so that pollution can be controlled? Where is this national plan on pollution?" Ghose told PTI. She said the BJP-led government is focused on fighting elections and targeting states ruled by non-NDA parties. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member accused the BJP dispensation in Haryana of not cooperating with the Delhi government. She held the Union and Haryana governments responsible for the increased level of air and water pollution in the national capital. "Why is the Haryana ...

Delhi's AQI improves to 'poor' category; political blame game erupts

A recent survey revealed that 36 per cent of the families in Delhi-NCR have one or more members experiencing pollution-related health problems

Watch: Toxic foam floats on Yamuna River in Delhi

Toxic foam was seen floating on the Yamuna River in the Kalindi Kunj area on Friday.

DPCC launches dust control portal for construction projects in Delhi

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has launched a "Dust Pollution Control Self-Assessment" portal mandating all construction and demolition projects in the national capital to register on it and upload regular dust control audits. In line with the directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on December 20, 2021, the DPCC now mandates that all construction and demolition (C&D) projects occupying a plot area of 500 square metre or more must register on a newly-developed web portal, the pollution control authority said in a notice. The portal is designed to facilitate online self-assessment and remote monitoring, ensuring that dust control measures are properly implemented across construction sites. It requires project proponents to conduct regular self-audits of dust control practices and submit fortnightly self-declarations, the notice said. Additionally, sites within the municipal areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) with plot sizes of 500

500 km of bad roads: Delhi govt's increasing pollution woes

A recent survey conducted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi indicates that nearly 500 km of roads are in dilapidated state, significantly adding to dust pollution

CAQM authorises action on stubble burning, polluting vehicles in Delhi-NCR

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in NCR and adjoining Areas has deputed 26 Central teams to the hotspot districts in Punjab and Haryana

Monitored wildlife populations plunged 73% in 50 years: WWF report

Monitored wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73 per cent in just 50 years from 1970 to 2020, primarily due to habitat loss, climate change, and pollution, according to a new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The 'Living Planet Report' 2024 also revealed sharp declines in three species of vultures in India, with populations dropping dramatically between 1992 and 2022. The white-rumped vulture population has declined by 67 per cent, the Indian vulture by 48 per cent, and the slender-billed vulture by 89 per cent. Globally, the steepest decline is reported in freshwater ecosystems (85 per cent), followed by terrestrial ecosystems (69 per cent) and marine ecosystems (56 per cent). Habitat loss and degradation, driven primarily by food systems, is the most commonly reported threat to wildlife populations worldwide, followed by overexploitation, invasive species, and disease, the report said. In India, some wildlife populations have stabilized and shown ..

Polluted waste from Florida's fertiliser industry in path of Milton's fury

As Hurricane Milton pummelled Florida's west coast with powerful winds and flooding rain, environmentalists worry it could scatter the polluted leftovers of the state's phosphate fertilizer mining industry and other hazardous waste across the peninsula and into vulnerable waterways. More than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive phosphogypsum waste is stored in stacks that resemble enormous ponds at risk for leaks during major storms. Florida has 25 such stacks, most concentrated around enormous phosphate mines and fertiliser processing plants in the central part of the state, and environmentalists say nearly all of them are in Milton's projected path. Placing vulnerable sites so close on major waterways that are at risk of damage from storms is a recipe for disaster, said Ragan Whitlock, a staff attorney at the environmental group Centre for Biological Diversity. These are ticking time bombs. Phosphogypsum, a solid waste byproduct from processing phosphate ore to make chemical ..

Faecal contamination in Yamuna soars to 1,959x over safe limit in Sept

Despite improved dissolved oxygen levels from August rains, faecal pollution in the Yamuna surged to 4.9M units in September, 1,959 times the safe limit, marking the worst contamination since 2022

India tops global plastic pollution with 9.3 mn tonnes; surpasses China, US

Each year, India burns around 5.8 million tonnes of plastic and releases an additional 3.5 million tonnes into the environment as waste, impacting land, air, and water

'Warrior Moms' urges health minister to act on air pollution, proposes plan

A collective of mothers from across India advocating for clean air on Saturday urged the Union Health Ministry to create "Low Emission Zones" around hospitals and issue advisories for doctors to consider a patient's exposure to air pollution when diagnosing illnesses. In a letter to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, the "Warrior Moms" also proposed the development of a "Health Action Plan" for each state to tackle pollution-related health issues. The letter coincided with the UN International Day of Blue Skies and Clean Air. The mothers called for an immediate update to India's Air Quality Index (AQI) standards, which have been delayed for over two years, along with the establishment of clear targets to reduce pollution levels. They urged the installation of real-time AQI monitoring systems in hospitals, schools, government buildings, and public spaces to ensure transparency and accountability. "Warrior Moms" also suggested that the ministry collaborate with other government bodies

Antibiotic production waste fuelling drug-resistant bacteria, warns WHO

In a first, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued norms on managing waste during antibiotic production

NMCG approves 9 projects worth Rs 265 cr to reduce pollution in Ganga

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved nine significant projects worth Rs 265 crore aimed at reducing pollution and enhancing the ecosystem of the Ganga river, according to an official statement. These projects were greenlit during the 56th executive committee meeting chaired by NMCG Director General Rajeev Kumar Mital in New Delhi. One of the projects involves the establishment of an eight kilolitres per day (KLD) capacity Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant in Dalmau of Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, it said. The plant will be supported by a 15 KW solar power Plant and a solar inverter. Valued at Rs 4.40 crore, the project operates on a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) model and includes five years of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) to ensure its long-term success. In Bulandshahr district's Gulaothi town, another project focuses on preventing pollution in the East Kali River, a tributary of the Ganga. This initiative, having a budget of Rs 50.98 crore, involves

Coast Guard gets Rs 2,500-crore vessel to fight pollution: Union minister

A Rs 2,500-crore pollution control vessel built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the Indian Coast Guard was launched on Thursday, with Union minister Sanjay Seth asserting that it would be an asset for the maritime security agency. The Union Minister of State for Defence launched the newly built Pollution Control Vessel, GSL Yard 1267, for the Indian Coast Guard in a ceremony held at Vasco in Goa. This ship is 72 per cent atmanirbhar' and has the capability to fight coastal pollution, Seth told reporters. The Union minister said the ship will be an asset for the Indian Coast Guard, which patrols our shores to keep them safe from unwanted elements. Seth said that during his last 85 days as minister of state for defence, he spent much time learning about our forces. After learning about our forces, I can say that the Indian defence sector is robust, he said. He called the launch of the pollution control vehicle a significant step forward in the efforts to protect the country's marine ...

Delhi Airport becomes 1st to achieve net zero carbon emission status

Delhi Airport's achievement of Level 5 certification underscores its leadership in sustainability and carbon management

Air pollution is a great equaliser

In 2019, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), as it is called, to fix the air quality of our cities

Rajasthan govt to form a three-member panel to control industrial pollution

The industry contributes around 24 per cent of the state's gross domestic product, lower than agriculture (27 per cent) and services (41 per cent) to the state's GDP besides other small sectors

Noida spent only 6% of NCAP funds for air pollution control, shows data

Noida, one of India's most polluted cities, has used only around 6 per cent of the Rs 21.95 crore it received under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) since 2019, according to government data. Data released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) showed that 19 out of the 131 cities covered under the NCAP have utilised less than 50 per cent of the funds allocated, and four have used below 25 per cent of the funds received as of May 3. Launched in 2019, the NCAP is India's first national effort to set clean air targets, aiming for a 20-30 per cent reduction in PM10 pollution by 2024, with 2017 as the base year. The revised target aims for a 40 per cent reduction by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base year. A total of 46 cities and urban agglomerations spent less than 75 percent of the money received under the programme, either directly from the environment ministry or through the 15th Finance Commission. Noida in Uttar Pradesh has utilised only Rs 1.43 cr