karthikc
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Delhi will always face this issue due to temperature inversion because of its geographical location. It is not suitable to be a capital city
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Contact the PP Team
India pollution and extreme heat discussion
- Thread starter Gabbar Singh
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Delhi Pollution Dips But Ban On These Vehicles To Continue Till Sunday
New Delhi: Movement of ** III petrol and ** IV diesel vehicles in Delhi will remain banned till November 13, while trucks will be allowed to enter the national capital, according to officials.
As the city's air quality improved, the Delhi government on Monday also decided to reopen primary classes from November 9 and revoke the order that asked 50 per cent of its staff to work from home.
"**-III petrol and **-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi will remain banned under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)," Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said at a press conference on Monday.
The transport department, in an order, said the vehicles found in violation of the rule will be prosecuted under the Motor Vehicles Act, which could invite a fine of ₹ 20,000.
Vehicles deployed for emergency services, and government and election-related work do not come under the ban's purview.
"As per the directions provided under Stage III of revised GRAP, there will be a restriction to ply **- III petrol and **- IV diesel light motor vehicles (four-wheelers) in the jurisdiction of NCT of Delhi. The above directions will remain enforced till November 13 or downward revision in GRAP stage, whichever is earlier. The restrictions will continue beyond November 13, if CAQM (Centre for Air Quality Management) orders GRAP-III and above restrictions," the order read.
"If any **-III petrol and **-IV diesel LMV is found running on roads, it will be prosecuted under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988," it further stated.
The department, in another order, said there will be no ban on the entry of trucks into Delhi and Delhi-registered diesel operated medium goods and heavy goods vehicles.
In a related development, LocalCircles, a community social media platform, conducted a survey which received responses from over 9,000 owners of **-IV diesel cars.
According to the survey, a section of the car owners expressed displeasure at the CAQM move. Nearly 11 per cent of them said they will violate the ban and face the consequences, while 25 per cent said they will switch to public transport. Another 49 per cent diesel car owners said they had access to vehicles which did not come under the ban and will use those instead.
NDTV
New Delhi: Movement of ** III petrol and ** IV diesel vehicles in Delhi will remain banned till November 13, while trucks will be allowed to enter the national capital, according to officials.
As the city's air quality improved, the Delhi government on Monday also decided to reopen primary classes from November 9 and revoke the order that asked 50 per cent of its staff to work from home.
"**-III petrol and **-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi will remain banned under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)," Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said at a press conference on Monday.
The transport department, in an order, said the vehicles found in violation of the rule will be prosecuted under the Motor Vehicles Act, which could invite a fine of ₹ 20,000.
Vehicles deployed for emergency services, and government and election-related work do not come under the ban's purview.
"As per the directions provided under Stage III of revised GRAP, there will be a restriction to ply **- III petrol and **- IV diesel light motor vehicles (four-wheelers) in the jurisdiction of NCT of Delhi. The above directions will remain enforced till November 13 or downward revision in GRAP stage, whichever is earlier. The restrictions will continue beyond November 13, if CAQM (Centre for Air Quality Management) orders GRAP-III and above restrictions," the order read.
"If any **-III petrol and **-IV diesel LMV is found running on roads, it will be prosecuted under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988," it further stated.
The department, in another order, said there will be no ban on the entry of trucks into Delhi and Delhi-registered diesel operated medium goods and heavy goods vehicles.
In a related development, LocalCircles, a community social media platform, conducted a survey which received responses from over 9,000 owners of **-IV diesel cars.
According to the survey, a section of the car owners expressed displeasure at the CAQM move. Nearly 11 per cent of them said they will violate the ban and face the consequences, while 25 per cent said they will switch to public transport. Another 49 per cent diesel car owners said they had access to vehicles which did not come under the ban and will use those instead.
NDTV
Use Anti-Smog Guns At Construction Sites: Air Quality Commission To Delhi
New Delhi:
The Centre's air quality panel has asked pollution control boards in Delhi-NCR to ensure deployment of anti-smog guns at construction and demolition sites in view of poor air quality in Delhi, an official statement said on Monday.
The Commission for Air Quality Management has also recommended other measures, such as the use of wind brokers, dust barrier screens, covering of construction material and its debris, and proper disposal of construction wastes, including transportation in covered vehicles, at these sites, it said.
The panel noted that these sites are a major and consistent source of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
The panel said, "At least one anti-smog gun necessary for a total construction area between 5,000 to 10,000 square metre. Two anti-smog guns for area between 10,001 to 15,000 square metre."
"For construction area between 15,001 to 20,000 square metre, at least three anti-smog guns are necessary. At least five anti-smog guns should be deployed for a total construction area above 20,000 square metres," the statement from CAQM said.
It has directed the pollution boards of of NCR and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to ensure continuous use of anti-smog guns at these sites.
NDTV
New Delhi:
The Centre's air quality panel has asked pollution control boards in Delhi-NCR to ensure deployment of anti-smog guns at construction and demolition sites in view of poor air quality in Delhi, an official statement said on Monday.
The Commission for Air Quality Management has also recommended other measures, such as the use of wind brokers, dust barrier screens, covering of construction material and its debris, and proper disposal of construction wastes, including transportation in covered vehicles, at these sites, it said.
The panel noted that these sites are a major and consistent source of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
The panel said, "At least one anti-smog gun necessary for a total construction area between 5,000 to 10,000 square metre. Two anti-smog guns for area between 10,001 to 15,000 square metre."
"For construction area between 15,001 to 20,000 square metre, at least three anti-smog guns are necessary. At least five anti-smog guns should be deployed for a total construction area above 20,000 square metres," the statement from CAQM said.
It has directed the pollution boards of of NCR and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to ensure continuous use of anti-smog guns at these sites.
NDTV
Stage 3 Pollution-Control Curbs Lifted In Delhi As Air Quality Improves
New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) today directed the authorities to revoke the curbs enforced in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) under stage three of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect.
This means construction and demolition activities can resume in the region. However, user agencies need to strictly follow dust-control norms.
The CAQM noted that Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) today (294) was about 100 points below the threshold for invoking GRAP stage three actions.
"The improvement in AQI is likely to sustain and the forecast does not indicate any steep degradation in the overall air quality in Delhi-NCR in the next few days.
"The sub-committee, accordingly, hereby decides to revoke with immediate effect its order dated October 29 for invoking actions under Stage-III (severe air quality) of GRAP," the centre's air quality panel said in an order.
All construction and demolition work, except for essential projects, was banned in Delhi-NCR under the third stage of GRAP. Brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers were also not allowed to operate.
Curbs under stages one and two of GRAP, however, will remain in force.
NDTV
New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) today directed the authorities to revoke the curbs enforced in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) under stage three of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect.
This means construction and demolition activities can resume in the region. However, user agencies need to strictly follow dust-control norms.
The CAQM noted that Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) today (294) was about 100 points below the threshold for invoking GRAP stage three actions.
"The improvement in AQI is likely to sustain and the forecast does not indicate any steep degradation in the overall air quality in Delhi-NCR in the next few days.
"The sub-committee, accordingly, hereby decides to revoke with immediate effect its order dated October 29 for invoking actions under Stage-III (severe air quality) of GRAP," the centre's air quality panel said in an order.
All construction and demolition work, except for essential projects, was banned in Delhi-NCR under the third stage of GRAP. Brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers were also not allowed to operate.
Curbs under stages one and two of GRAP, however, will remain in force.
NDTV
Delhi Records Season's Lowest Temperature At 9.6 Degrees
New Delhi: The air quality continued to be in the "poor" quality in Delhi on Friday, while the maximum temperature settled two notches below the normal at 25.9 degrees Celsius.
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 289, which falls in the poor category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. The sky was clear throughout the day.
The national capital has recorded its coldest morning of this season with a minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below the normal, according to the India Meteorological Department. The relative humidity oscillated between 93 per cent and 36 per cent, the IMD noted.
The weather office has predicted partly cloudy sky with mist in the morning.
The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 26 and 9 degrees celsius respectively, the IMD reported.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
NDTV
New Delhi: The air quality continued to be in the "poor" quality in Delhi on Friday, while the maximum temperature settled two notches below the normal at 25.9 degrees Celsius.
The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 289, which falls in the poor category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. The sky was clear throughout the day.
The national capital has recorded its coldest morning of this season with a minimum temperature of 9.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below the normal, according to the India Meteorological Department. The relative humidity oscillated between 93 per cent and 36 per cent, the IMD noted.
The weather office has predicted partly cloudy sky with mist in the morning.
The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 26 and 9 degrees celsius respectively, the IMD reported.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
NDTV
Delhi's Minimum Temperature At 8.3 Degrees, Air Quality Remains Very Poor
New Delhi: Air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the "very poor" category on Saturday, while the maximum temperature settled a notch above the season's average at 26.4 degrees Celsius, the Met office said.
Delhi residents woke up to a cold morning on Saturday as the minimum temperature settled at 8.4 degrees Celsius, one notch below the season's average, according to an India Meteorological Department (IMD).
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday stood at 370 (very poor).
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
The AQI in the national capital had slipped to the "very poor" category on November 26. The air quality levels have remained above the 300-mark since then.
The relative humidity at 5.30 pm was 73 per cent, the IMD said.
NDTV
New Delhi: Air quality in the national capital continued to remain in the "very poor" category on Saturday, while the maximum temperature settled a notch above the season's average at 26.4 degrees Celsius, the Met office said.
Delhi residents woke up to a cold morning on Saturday as the minimum temperature settled at 8.4 degrees Celsius, one notch below the season's average, according to an India Meteorological Department (IMD).
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday stood at 370 (very poor).
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
The AQI in the national capital had slipped to the "very poor" category on November 26. The air quality levels have remained above the 300-mark since then.
The relative humidity at 5.30 pm was 73 per cent, the IMD said.
NDTV
Delhi Bans Construction, Demolition Activities As Air Quality Worsens
<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/kByOd9o" data-context="false" ><a href="//imgur.com/a/kByOd9o"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
New Delhi: In an attempt to keep rising air pollution under control, authorities in Delhi have issued fresh restrictions on construction work and demolition activities.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Centre's air quality panel, has directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to ban all non-essential construction work in the region under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 407 at 4 pm today.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
The pollution level in Delhi had entered the 'severe' category after November 4, when the AQI was 447, following which, the CAQM had directed the authorities to impose a ban on all construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except in essential projects.
Later, on November 14, the CAQM directed authorities to revoke the curbs enforced in Delhi-NCR under Stage III of GRAP, including a ban on non-essential construction activities.
However, in view of worsening air quality over the last few days, this ban has now been reintroduced.
NDTV
<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/kByOd9o" data-context="false" ><a href="//imgur.com/a/kByOd9o"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
New Delhi: In an attempt to keep rising air pollution under control, authorities in Delhi have issued fresh restrictions on construction work and demolition activities.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Centre's air quality panel, has directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to ban all non-essential construction work in the region under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 407 at 4 pm today.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
The pollution level in Delhi had entered the 'severe' category after November 4, when the AQI was 447, following which, the CAQM had directed the authorities to impose a ban on all construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR, except in essential projects.
Later, on November 14, the CAQM directed authorities to revoke the curbs enforced in Delhi-NCR under Stage III of GRAP, including a ban on non-essential construction activities.
However, in view of worsening air quality over the last few days, this ban has now been reintroduced.
NDTV
Mumbai's Air Quality "Very Poor", Worse Than Smog-Filled Delhi, Says Data
Air quality in the country's financial hub of Mumbai on Thursday was worse than smog-filled national capital New Delhi, raising concerns of long-term health risks to people living in the country's two highly populated cities.
Mumbai's air quality was "very poor" and is expected to remain the same for the next two or three days, government data showed.
Residents were advised to stay indoors and avoid long walks, according to a central government website that charts air quality in cities.
Several infrastructure projects and emissions from nearby refineries were the possible reasons, said a government official who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to talk to the media.
"It is going to get worse in Mumbai because there are no restrictions on construction activity. The roads are all dug up because of the metro and vehicular traffic is crawling, leading to more pollution," environmentalist Debi Goenka said.
India's capital New Delhi and its suburbs endure poor air every winter as colder, heavier air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from the burning of crop stubble in the nearby states of Punjab and Haryana.
Mumbai has so far not suffered poor air quality for prolonged periods, but Goenka, an executive trustee of non-profit Conservation Action Trust focused on urban ecological issues, said the city's air quality was likely to worsen due to infrastructure expansion.
NDTV
Air quality in the country's financial hub of Mumbai on Thursday was worse than smog-filled national capital New Delhi, raising concerns of long-term health risks to people living in the country's two highly populated cities.
Mumbai's air quality was "very poor" and is expected to remain the same for the next two or three days, government data showed.
Residents were advised to stay indoors and avoid long walks, according to a central government website that charts air quality in cities.
Several infrastructure projects and emissions from nearby refineries were the possible reasons, said a government official who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to talk to the media.
"It is going to get worse in Mumbai because there are no restrictions on construction activity. The roads are all dug up because of the metro and vehicular traffic is crawling, leading to more pollution," environmentalist Debi Goenka said.
India's capital New Delhi and its suburbs endure poor air every winter as colder, heavier air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from the burning of crop stubble in the nearby states of Punjab and Haryana.
Mumbai has so far not suffered poor air quality for prolonged periods, but Goenka, an executive trustee of non-profit Conservation Action Trust focused on urban ecological issues, said the city's air quality was likely to worsen due to infrastructure expansion.
NDTV
Why Delhi Struggles With Poor Air Quality Every Winter
A smoky haze hangs over the northern plains and New Delhi, every year as winter sets in, raising fears for the health of many millions of people as the government orders fixes that do little to clear the air.
In recent days, the Air Quality Index in the capital with a population of 20 million people, where few use air purifiers, has risen above 350 on a scale of 500, near "very poor" levels, according to the SAFAR monitoring agency.
Anything above 60 is considered unhealthy.
The index measures levels of airborne PM2.5 particles that can be carried deep into the lungs, causing deadly diseases including cancer and cardiac problems.
The rainy season usually ends in September and come October, the air quality starts deteriorating as cooler temperatures and a drop in the wind trap pollutants in the atmosphere for longer.
The pollution gets worse in November, exacerbated by the burning of crop stubble in Punjab and Haryana.
Farmers in these bread-basket states are at the forefront of the adoption of mechanised farming, and are increasingly using harvesters to bring in the rice crop.
But unlike with manual harvesting, the machines leave stubble and paddy straw in the field.
Farmers, with only a short window to prepare their fields for winter crops, burn off the stubble and straw, sending sooty smoke drifting from the land and accounting for about a quarter of north India's air pollution, experts say.
New Delhi generates much of its own pollution so things get no better in December, when the stubble burning is largely over.
The capital's nearly 10 million vehicles, more than the those of Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata combined, churn out exhaust fumes while industrial emissions, dust from construction sites and smoke from household fires adds to the murky mix.
The rapidly expanding city is losing the few patches of oxygen-producing forest it had around it and illegal miners are grinding down a range of nearby hills to feed the construction industry with gravel, and removing a natural barrier to dust from the Thar Desert.
When the smog gets too bad, authorities ban construction work and close schools to protect children but they acknowledge they just don't have the resources to clamp down effectively on illegal industries and to enforce emission rules.
The Supreme Court has rebuked officials for their failure to clear the air and has asked the Delhi government, its neighbouring states and the central government to work together to improve it.
Matters are further worsened by the lack of cooperation between Prime Minister Modi's central government and the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.
It's nature that brings some improvement with warmer weather ending the atmospheric conditions that trap the smog before the return of the rains in around June.
NDTV
A smoky haze hangs over the northern plains and New Delhi, every year as winter sets in, raising fears for the health of many millions of people as the government orders fixes that do little to clear the air.
In recent days, the Air Quality Index in the capital with a population of 20 million people, where few use air purifiers, has risen above 350 on a scale of 500, near "very poor" levels, according to the SAFAR monitoring agency.
Anything above 60 is considered unhealthy.
The index measures levels of airborne PM2.5 particles that can be carried deep into the lungs, causing deadly diseases including cancer and cardiac problems.
The rainy season usually ends in September and come October, the air quality starts deteriorating as cooler temperatures and a drop in the wind trap pollutants in the atmosphere for longer.
The pollution gets worse in November, exacerbated by the burning of crop stubble in Punjab and Haryana.
Farmers in these bread-basket states are at the forefront of the adoption of mechanised farming, and are increasingly using harvesters to bring in the rice crop.
But unlike with manual harvesting, the machines leave stubble and paddy straw in the field.
Farmers, with only a short window to prepare their fields for winter crops, burn off the stubble and straw, sending sooty smoke drifting from the land and accounting for about a quarter of north India's air pollution, experts say.
New Delhi generates much of its own pollution so things get no better in December, when the stubble burning is largely over.
The capital's nearly 10 million vehicles, more than the those of Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata combined, churn out exhaust fumes while industrial emissions, dust from construction sites and smoke from household fires adds to the murky mix.
The rapidly expanding city is losing the few patches of oxygen-producing forest it had around it and illegal miners are grinding down a range of nearby hills to feed the construction industry with gravel, and removing a natural barrier to dust from the Thar Desert.
When the smog gets too bad, authorities ban construction work and close schools to protect children but they acknowledge they just don't have the resources to clamp down effectively on illegal industries and to enforce emission rules.
The Supreme Court has rebuked officials for their failure to clear the air and has asked the Delhi government, its neighbouring states and the central government to work together to improve it.
Matters are further worsened by the lack of cooperation between Prime Minister Modi's central government and the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.
It's nature that brings some improvement with warmer weather ending the atmospheric conditions that trap the smog before the return of the rains in around June.
NDTV
daytrader
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100 Flights Disrupted At Delhi Airport Due To Thick Fog
Poor visibility affecting the northern parts of the country over the past few days, once again disrupted flight movement today.
As many as 100 flights have been disrupted in Delhi alone as it continues to reel under severe cold conditions with a thick layer of fog blanketing the city again on Wednesday.
"Due to bad weather (fog) for three days, over 100 flights are reported delayed from and to Delhi airport, some have also been diverted to the nearest airport," a Delhi airport official told ANI.
Even as the congestion at the airport in New Delhi was being tackled amid a busy yearend holiday season, the problems of air travellers increased once more with dense fog covering most parts of north India.
...
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mas...north-india-3643900#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll
Poor visibility affecting the northern parts of the country over the past few days, once again disrupted flight movement today.
As many as 100 flights have been disrupted in Delhi alone as it continues to reel under severe cold conditions with a thick layer of fog blanketing the city again on Wednesday.
"Due to bad weather (fog) for three days, over 100 flights are reported delayed from and to Delhi airport, some have also been diverted to the nearest airport," a Delhi airport official told ANI.
Even as the congestion at the airport in New Delhi was being tackled amid a busy yearend holiday season, the problems of air travellers increased once more with dense fog covering most parts of north India.
...
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mas...north-india-3643900#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll
Delhi Air Quality Likely To Improve In 3 Days, But Will Remain "Very Poor"
Delhi's air quality remained severe for a second consecutive day on Tuesday due to unfavourable meteorological conditions though pollution levels are likely to ameliorate in the coming days, forecasting agencies said.
The city's air quality index had deteriorated to the "severe" category on Monday after a gap of around two months, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to direct all NCR states to implement anti-pollution curbs with greater vigour.
Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 407 at 4 pm on Tuesday. It was 434 on Monday and 371 on Sunday. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
The Delhi government on Monday imposed a temporary ban on **-III petrol and **-IV diesel four-wheelers in the national capital in view of the worsening air quality.
The CAQM had on Friday implemented curbs under stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan including a ban on private construction and demolition work.
NDTV
Delhi's air quality remained severe for a second consecutive day on Tuesday due to unfavourable meteorological conditions though pollution levels are likely to ameliorate in the coming days, forecasting agencies said.
The city's air quality index had deteriorated to the "severe" category on Monday after a gap of around two months, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to direct all NCR states to implement anti-pollution curbs with greater vigour.
Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) stood at 407 at 4 pm on Tuesday. It was 434 on Monday and 371 on Sunday. An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
The Delhi government on Monday imposed a temporary ban on **-III petrol and **-IV diesel four-wheelers in the national capital in view of the worsening air quality.
The CAQM had on Friday implemented curbs under stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan including a ban on private construction and demolition work.
NDTV
Non-Veg Sale Banned Within 10 Km Of Bangalore Aero India Show Venue
The Bengaluru civic body on Friday ordered closure of meat stalls, non-vegetarian hotels and restaurants from January 30 till February 20, in view of the Aero India Show.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in its public notice said that there will be prohibition on serving and sale of non-vegetarian dishes within 10 km of the Yelahanka Air Force Station.
The Aero India Show will be conducted from February 13 to 17.
The BBMP said, "It is to the notice of general public and proprietors of meat stalls, non-vegetarian hotels and restaurants for closure of all meat/chicken/fish shops and prohibition of serving/sale of non-vegetarian dishes within 10 km radius of Air Force Station, Yelahanka from January 30 to February 20".
Any violation of this will attract punishment under the BBMP Act-2020 and the rule 91 of the Indian Aircraft Rules 1937, it said.
According to the BBMP officials, the decision was taken as the non-veg food littered in public places attract lots of scavenger birds, especially kites, which can cause mid air mishaps.
Aero India in its website stated that a total of 731 exhibitors have registered -- 633 Indian and 98 foreign -- for the airshow.
According to officials, Aero India has carved a niche for itself globally as one of the premier aerospace exhibitions with 13 successful editions organised in Bengaluru since 1996.
NDTV
The Bengaluru civic body on Friday ordered closure of meat stalls, non-vegetarian hotels and restaurants from January 30 till February 20, in view of the Aero India Show.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in its public notice said that there will be prohibition on serving and sale of non-vegetarian dishes within 10 km of the Yelahanka Air Force Station.
The Aero India Show will be conducted from February 13 to 17.
The BBMP said, "It is to the notice of general public and proprietors of meat stalls, non-vegetarian hotels and restaurants for closure of all meat/chicken/fish shops and prohibition of serving/sale of non-vegetarian dishes within 10 km radius of Air Force Station, Yelahanka from January 30 to February 20".
Any violation of this will attract punishment under the BBMP Act-2020 and the rule 91 of the Indian Aircraft Rules 1937, it said.
According to the BBMP officials, the decision was taken as the non-veg food littered in public places attract lots of scavenger birds, especially kites, which can cause mid air mishaps.
Aero India in its website stated that a total of 731 exhibitors have registered -- 633 Indian and 98 foreign -- for the airshow.
According to officials, Aero India has carved a niche for itself globally as one of the premier aerospace exhibitions with 13 successful editions organised in Bengaluru since 1996.
NDTV
Delhi Air Quality 'Poor', Likely To Deteriorate From Tomorrow
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi today dropped to the 'poor' category after being in the 'moderate' on Republic Day.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the conditions are expected to worsen further to the 'very poor' in the next few days.
The PM 2.5 pollutants in the National Capital's air stood at 276 on Friday morning. However, PM 10 is at 157, which is considered to be moderate.
The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.
The pollution levels in the national capital are likely to go down to 303 on Saturday and fall in the 'very poor' category, according to SAFAR.
According to the advisory issued by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should reduce longer or heavy exertion and outdoor activity.
The ministry has advised people to stop their outdoor activities early in the morning and after sunset and has asked people to use N-95 or P-100 face masks to avoid the rising pollution in the city.
NDTV
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi today dropped to the 'poor' category after being in the 'moderate' on Republic Day.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the conditions are expected to worsen further to the 'very poor' in the next few days.
The PM 2.5 pollutants in the National Capital's air stood at 276 on Friday morning. However, PM 10 is at 157, which is considered to be moderate.
The Air Quality Index from 0 to 100 is considered as good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe.
The pollution levels in the national capital are likely to go down to 303 on Saturday and fall in the 'very poor' category, according to SAFAR.
According to the advisory issued by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should reduce longer or heavy exertion and outdoor activity.
The ministry has advised people to stop their outdoor activities early in the morning and after sunset and has asked people to use N-95 or P-100 face masks to avoid the rising pollution in the city.
NDTV
pillionrider
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Happens for every air show here. The last one I went, there was still some bird and I swear, I saw this army guy shooting it down 
jeetu
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Air pollution this year feels far less severe in Delhi in comparison to last year. Which is pretty surprising as there was barely any rain in last few months. Night sky was far darker yesterday as compared on pink few day back.
daytrader
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Visibility, Air Quality Drops In Delhi As Dust Storms Sweep Delhi
Over the past four days, Delhi witnessed maximum temperatures soaring above the 40-degree Celsius mark, intensifying the hot weather conditions.
Strong winds swept across Delhi on Tuesday morning, raising dust and affecting air quality as well as reducing visibility to 1,000 metres, the India Meteorological Department said.
Meteorologists have attributed the dusty conditions to a combination of intense heat in northwest India over the past five days, parched soil due to the absence of rainfall and strong winds that have persisted since midnight.
The wind speed was 30-35 kmph in the early hours. It will come down during the day, allowing the dust to settle down, Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre said.
"Dust concentration has gone up multiple times. The PM10 concentration rose from 140 micrograms per cubic metre at 4 am to 775 micrograms per cubic metre at 8 am. It is mainly because of strong gusty winds prevailing over the area. Dust will settle down soon," said V K Soni, the head of the IMD's Environment Monitoring and Research Centre.
Over the past four days, Delhi witnessed maximum temperatures soaring above the 40-degree Celsius mark, intensifying the hot weather conditions.
A partly cloudy sky and very light rain towards the evening may provide marginal relief, the IMD said.
NDTV
Over the past four days, Delhi witnessed maximum temperatures soaring above the 40-degree Celsius mark, intensifying the hot weather conditions.
Strong winds swept across Delhi on Tuesday morning, raising dust and affecting air quality as well as reducing visibility to 1,000 metres, the India Meteorological Department said.
Meteorologists have attributed the dusty conditions to a combination of intense heat in northwest India over the past five days, parched soil due to the absence of rainfall and strong winds that have persisted since midnight.
The wind speed was 30-35 kmph in the early hours. It will come down during the day, allowing the dust to settle down, Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre said.
"Dust concentration has gone up multiple times. The PM10 concentration rose from 140 micrograms per cubic metre at 4 am to 775 micrograms per cubic metre at 8 am. It is mainly because of strong gusty winds prevailing over the area. Dust will settle down soon," said V K Soni, the head of the IMD's Environment Monitoring and Research Centre.
Over the past four days, Delhi witnessed maximum temperatures soaring above the 40-degree Celsius mark, intensifying the hot weather conditions.
A partly cloudy sky and very light rain towards the evening may provide marginal relief, the IMD said.
NDTV
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At least 34 people have died in the past two days as a large swath of the north Indian state Uttar Pradesh swelters under severe heat, officials said Saturday, prompting doctors to advise residents over 60 to stay indoors during the daytime.
The dead were all over 60 years old and had preexisting health conditions that may have been exacerbated by the intense heat. The fatalities occurred in Ballia district, some 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh.
Twenty-three deaths were reported Thursday and another 11 died Friday, Ballia’s Chief Medical Officer Jayant Kumar said.
“All the individuals were suffering from some ailments and their conditions worsened due to the extreme heat,” Kumar told The Associated Press on Saturday. He said most of the deaths were because of heart attack, brain stroke and diarrhea.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...p&cvid=be440778f4ec44fc8dc8da708077491f&ei=43
The dead were all over 60 years old and had preexisting health conditions that may have been exacerbated by the intense heat. The fatalities occurred in Ballia district, some 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh.
Twenty-three deaths were reported Thursday and another 11 died Friday, Ballia’s Chief Medical Officer Jayant Kumar said.
“All the individuals were suffering from some ailments and their conditions worsened due to the extreme heat,” Kumar told The Associated Press on Saturday. He said most of the deaths were because of heart attack, brain stroke and diarrhea.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...p&cvid=be440778f4ec44fc8dc8da708077491f&ei=43
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LUCKNOW, India (AP) — At least 96 people died in two of India's most populous states over the last several days, officials said Sunday, with swaths of the country reeling from a sweltering heatwave.
The deaths happened in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar where authorities warned residents over 60 and others suffering various maladies to stay indoors during the daytime.
All the fatalities in Uttar Pradesh, totaling 54, were reported in Ballia district, some 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital. Authorities found out most of those who passed away were over 60 years old and had preexisting health conditions, which may have been exacerbated by the intense heat.
S. K. Yadav, a medical officer in Ballia, said in the past three days, some 300 patients were admitted to the district hospital for various ailments aggravated by heat.
Due to the gravity of the situation, authorities canceled leave applications of medical personnel in Ballia and provided additional hospital beds in the emergency ward to accommodate the influx of patients.
Officials said most of the admitted patients are aged 60 and above, exhibiting symptoms of high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties and heart-related issues.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...p&cvid=add76cf900b5424f90e37333b512b6bb&ei=10
R.S. Pathak, a resident of Ballia who lost his father on Saturday, said that he witnessed an increased flow of patients at the hospital’s emergency ward while attending to his father.
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The deaths happened in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar where authorities warned residents over 60 and others suffering various maladies to stay indoors during the daytime.
All the fatalities in Uttar Pradesh, totaling 54, were reported in Ballia district, some 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital. Authorities found out most of those who passed away were over 60 years old and had preexisting health conditions, which may have been exacerbated by the intense heat.
S. K. Yadav, a medical officer in Ballia, said in the past three days, some 300 patients were admitted to the district hospital for various ailments aggravated by heat.
Due to the gravity of the situation, authorities canceled leave applications of medical personnel in Ballia and provided additional hospital beds in the emergency ward to accommodate the influx of patients.
Officials said most of the admitted patients are aged 60 and above, exhibiting symptoms of high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties and heart-related issues.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...p&cvid=add76cf900b5424f90e37333b512b6bb&ei=10
R.S. Pathak, a resident of Ballia who lost his father on Saturday, said that he witnessed an increased flow of patients at the hospital’s emergency ward while attending to his father.
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jeetu
PPCL Hall of Famer
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Regarding Delhi , very unexpected May and first half of June this year. Very few days of vicious heat in in May-June period. Its still very hot by European standard though. Unexpected rains since mid May pretty much neutralizing chances of typical "44-45 Centigrade" majority days of June's heat.
Curiously in April every weather agency was predicting "EL-Nino" with high heat and low chances of rain. In few days Summer solstice (June 21) will happen after which days will get shorter.
Curiously in April every weather agency was predicting "EL-Nino" with high heat and low chances of rain. In few days Summer solstice (June 21) will happen after which days will get shorter.
daytrader
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Rohit Sharma's take on the issue
[Reporter:]
I just wanted to ask you, you spoke about the pollution in Mumbai. Do you think that is a cause of concern? And also do you think the culture that is there in Mumbai, future generations could be affected by that? Because it is prevalent in Mumbai as well as Delhi.
[Rohit Sharma:]
I mean, in an ideal world, you don't want a situation like this, but I'm pretty sure the concerned people are taking the necessary steps to avoid these kind of situation. It's not ideal, everyone knows that. But obviously, looking at our future generation, your kids, my kids, obviously, it's quite important that they get to live without any fear. So, yeah, every time I get to speak outside of cricket, if we are not discussing cricket, I always talk about this, that you know we have to look after our future generation.
[Reporter:]
I just wanted to ask you, you spoke about the pollution in Mumbai. Do you think that is a cause of concern? And also do you think the culture that is there in Mumbai, future generations could be affected by that? Because it is prevalent in Mumbai as well as Delhi.
[Rohit Sharma:]
I mean, in an ideal world, you don't want a situation like this, but I'm pretty sure the concerned people are taking the necessary steps to avoid these kind of situation. It's not ideal, everyone knows that. But obviously, looking at our future generation, your kids, my kids, obviously, it's quite important that they get to live without any fear. So, yeah, every time I get to speak outside of cricket, if we are not discussing cricket, I always talk about this, that you know we have to look after our future generation.
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Delhi pollution: No school, no play for city's children
Mum, can I please play for a bit longer?"
That is the refrain that six-year-old Vanraj's mother, Pakhi Khanna, is bracing herself to deal with for the next couple of days in the Indian capital Delhi. The 38-year-old has cut her son's outdoor playtime to 30 minutes from two hours; his classes have shifted online this week, and football coaching has been called off.
Vanraj is among thousands of schoolchildren in Delhi whose schedules have abruptly changed due to air pollution rising to alarming levels. Over the past few days, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) - which measures the level of PM 2.5 or fine particulate matter in the air - has consistently crossed the 450 mark, nearly 10 times the acceptable limit. Breathing this toxic air is akin to smoking 25-30 cigarettes a day, according to lung specialists.
Things are so bad that Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai has asked all schools to remain shut until Friday, with offline classes only for high schoolers. This isn't the first time that air pollution has disrupted learning in Delhi - it has been happening every winter over the past four-five years.
"In fact, the number of days schools are shut due to air pollution has been increasing. Now, classes are disrupted for at least five-six days at a stretch," says Shariq Ahmad, principal of a government school in Kalkaji in south Delhi.
Parents and experts are concerned about the effect of these abrupt breaks in learning and daily routines on children, especially when schedules had just got back to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deepa, who works as a domestic help and uses only one name, says that the online model of learning doesn't work for her sons. Abhishek, 12, in the seventh grade, and Prasanna, 10, in the fifth grade, study in a government school.
Since Friday, the school has asked children to study at home, with teachers emailing photos of worksheets to be completed in the morning. But Deepa's family doesn't own a laptop - the children can only access their schoolwork after their mother, who cooks and cleans in many houses, returns home in the afternoon and gives them her mobile phone.
She says that her sons struggle to understand the lessons without help from teachers.
"I worry that this will affect their performance in the exams next month," Deepa says. "I would prefer it if my children wore masks and went to school," she adds.
But Delhi's pollution levels are so high that even masks offer little protection.
Anant Mehra and his wife have completely stopped outdoor playtime for their three-year-old daughter, Mira. On the one hand, they're relieved that her nursery classes have shifted online, but on the other, they say that it's exasperating to get a three-year-old to sit in front of a computer for hours.
Mr Mehra also says that being homebound is making Mira restless and irritable. "She misses her friends; she misses the play-based learning she does in school," he says. He and his wife - who have a hybrid working model - have built their schedule around Mira's nursery hours, so her being at home has an impact on their work day as well.
"Stopping classes abruptly like this is just not sustainable, for schools, students or parents," Mr Mehra says. "The government needs to do something to reduce the pollution, and soon."
While Mira and Vanraj know that they are being stopped from going outside due to "bad air", both of them don't fully understand the dangers of breathing toxic air. For them, air pollution is a recurring hindrance that stops them from playing, meeting friends and having fun.
"As a parent, I want to keep my child safe, but I also don't want to scare him or make him constantly worry about the air he's breathing," Ms Khanna says. "So I have to strike a fine balance when I explain to him why he can't do certain things."
The disruption is also affecting staff. One teacher of English and environmental studies to children aged between seven and 10, says the sudden announcement of online classes throws her plans off track.
She has to suddenly pick lessons that work online - topics that are shorter and easier to comprehend - and then create coursework for her children to practise at home. But she says that she'll have to re-teach these lessons once physical classes resume as many children struggle with online learning.
"This puts a lot of pressure on us because we also have to think about completing the syllabus," said the teacher, who didn't want to be named.
Meanwhile, people like Shreya Nidhi, who is a guardian to her 14-year-old brother, Umang, says that she's disappointed with the government and the way pollution disrupts her brother's learning every year. Before the government's order to shut schools, she had stopped him from attending school even though it meant missing exams.
This had made Umang frustrated and miserable as he was worried about how missing exams would affect his academic year.
"But to me, his health matters more. Since the government isn't doing anything to combat air pollution, we have to take these extreme measures to protect our loved ones," she says.
BBC
Mum, can I please play for a bit longer?"
That is the refrain that six-year-old Vanraj's mother, Pakhi Khanna, is bracing herself to deal with for the next couple of days in the Indian capital Delhi. The 38-year-old has cut her son's outdoor playtime to 30 minutes from two hours; his classes have shifted online this week, and football coaching has been called off.
Vanraj is among thousands of schoolchildren in Delhi whose schedules have abruptly changed due to air pollution rising to alarming levels. Over the past few days, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) - which measures the level of PM 2.5 or fine particulate matter in the air - has consistently crossed the 450 mark, nearly 10 times the acceptable limit. Breathing this toxic air is akin to smoking 25-30 cigarettes a day, according to lung specialists.
Things are so bad that Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai has asked all schools to remain shut until Friday, with offline classes only for high schoolers. This isn't the first time that air pollution has disrupted learning in Delhi - it has been happening every winter over the past four-five years.
"In fact, the number of days schools are shut due to air pollution has been increasing. Now, classes are disrupted for at least five-six days at a stretch," says Shariq Ahmad, principal of a government school in Kalkaji in south Delhi.
Parents and experts are concerned about the effect of these abrupt breaks in learning and daily routines on children, especially when schedules had just got back to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deepa, who works as a domestic help and uses only one name, says that the online model of learning doesn't work for her sons. Abhishek, 12, in the seventh grade, and Prasanna, 10, in the fifth grade, study in a government school.
Since Friday, the school has asked children to study at home, with teachers emailing photos of worksheets to be completed in the morning. But Deepa's family doesn't own a laptop - the children can only access their schoolwork after their mother, who cooks and cleans in many houses, returns home in the afternoon and gives them her mobile phone.
She says that her sons struggle to understand the lessons without help from teachers.
"I worry that this will affect their performance in the exams next month," Deepa says. "I would prefer it if my children wore masks and went to school," she adds.
But Delhi's pollution levels are so high that even masks offer little protection.
Anant Mehra and his wife have completely stopped outdoor playtime for their three-year-old daughter, Mira. On the one hand, they're relieved that her nursery classes have shifted online, but on the other, they say that it's exasperating to get a three-year-old to sit in front of a computer for hours.
Mr Mehra also says that being homebound is making Mira restless and irritable. "She misses her friends; she misses the play-based learning she does in school," he says. He and his wife - who have a hybrid working model - have built their schedule around Mira's nursery hours, so her being at home has an impact on their work day as well.
"Stopping classes abruptly like this is just not sustainable, for schools, students or parents," Mr Mehra says. "The government needs to do something to reduce the pollution, and soon."
While Mira and Vanraj know that they are being stopped from going outside due to "bad air", both of them don't fully understand the dangers of breathing toxic air. For them, air pollution is a recurring hindrance that stops them from playing, meeting friends and having fun.
"As a parent, I want to keep my child safe, but I also don't want to scare him or make him constantly worry about the air he's breathing," Ms Khanna says. "So I have to strike a fine balance when I explain to him why he can't do certain things."
The disruption is also affecting staff. One teacher of English and environmental studies to children aged between seven and 10, says the sudden announcement of online classes throws her plans off track.
She has to suddenly pick lessons that work online - topics that are shorter and easier to comprehend - and then create coursework for her children to practise at home. But she says that she'll have to re-teach these lessons once physical classes resume as many children struggle with online learning.
"This puts a lot of pressure on us because we also have to think about completing the syllabus," said the teacher, who didn't want to be named.
Meanwhile, people like Shreya Nidhi, who is a guardian to her 14-year-old brother, Umang, says that she's disappointed with the government and the way pollution disrupts her brother's learning every year. Before the government's order to shut schools, she had stopped him from attending school even though it meant missing exams.
This had made Umang frustrated and miserable as he was worried about how missing exams would affect his academic year.
"But to me, his health matters more. Since the government isn't doing anything to combat air pollution, we have to take these extreme measures to protect our loved ones," she says.
BBC
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It's amazing to think that Dehli's population is over 30 million. Pollution is quite usual at this time of year when farmers in neighboring states look to clear their crop residue. And I think it's also common around Diwali. It's a problem in Lahore as well. Can't we just ban crop burning?
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- Aug 12, 2023
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India breaks world record with Diwali oil lamp display - despite air pollution fears
More than 2.2 million lamps burned for 45 minutes as fireworks exploded over a sacred river in north India - just days after two of the country's cities were named the worst in the world for air quality.
Millions of people in India have celebrated Diwali, with residents in Uttar Pradesh setting a Guinness World Record for the mass lighting of oil lamps - despite concerns over air pollution.
At the Saryu river in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh - a state in northern India which borders Nepal - the spectacular lighting of more than 2.22 million oil lamps took place.
news.sky.com
More than 2.2 million lamps burned for 45 minutes as fireworks exploded over a sacred river in north India - just days after two of the country's cities were named the worst in the world for air quality.
Millions of people in India have celebrated Diwali, with residents in Uttar Pradesh setting a Guinness World Record for the mass lighting of oil lamps - despite concerns over air pollution.
At the Saryu river in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh - a state in northern India which borders Nepal - the spectacular lighting of more than 2.22 million oil lamps took place.
India breaks world record with Diwali oil lamp display - despite air pollution fears
More than 2.2 million lamps burned for 45 minutes as fireworks exploded over a sacred river in north India - just days after two of the country's cities were named the worst in the world for air quality.
news.sky.com
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Dia Mirza: The biggest climate issue is egotistical men
When you're a famous Bollywood actress you attract attention wherever you go.Sometimes Dia Mirza can use that attention to her advantage, like when it comes to campaigning about climate change, the cause she is most passionate about.
But sometimes it creates problems.
In the middle of our interview for BBC 100 Women, just as she's discussing the causes of climate change, there is a ring on the bell of the hotel room door.
The staff, learning that she was here, have made a collage of photographs of Mirza, and have come to the door to present the gift.
She's quick to accept the offering politely and as soon as they have left, she resumes making her point.
"The biggest climate issue is a bunch of egotistical men who refuse to change," she says, referring to the heads of multinational corporations.
"The polluters know their choices are killing our planet and our people, so there are really no excuses for them not to change."
Mirza is one of the women featured on this year's BBC 100 Women list, which each year names 100 inspiring and influential women around the world.
In 2023, the list is shining a spotlight on women tackling climate change.
Born and brought up in southern India, surrounded by nature, it was not surprising that Mirza embraced climate activism, even as her career in modelling and films was taking off 20 years ago.
She became a United Nations goodwill ambassador in 2017, speaking out on behalf of the UN's Environment Programme.
During the interview she repeatedly harks back to the days of her childhood, when clothes were always handed down from one generation to the next and there was no shame in reusing items year after year.
It's a practice she says she has revived at home, for example at her son's recent second birthday celebrations, which she planned as a zero plastic, zero waste party. All decorations have been saved for reuse at future events.
"It is necessary to walk the talk and lead by example," she says more than once.
Mirza refuses to use the plastic water bottles served by the hotel, choosing her own metal bottle instead.
"How can I advocate for sustainable living if I don't practise it myself?" she asks.
Much of our conversation focuses on gender equality both in relation to climate change but also about her experiences as a film star.
Mirza was just 19 when she won the Miss Asia Pacific beauty pageant title in 2000.
Reflecting back on that time, Mirza advises, "Never let anyone objectify you.
"I refused to wear two piece swim suit during the Miss Asia Pacific contest as I was not comfortable."
She soon began to pursue a career in modelling but an industry insider told her she was possibly too pretty and too fair and almost certainly too short to be model.
"I don't think I was as affected by what he said as I was impacted by the fact that somebody who knew nothing about me was putting me in a box and was deciding for me what it is that I should or should not do," says Mirza.
Throughout her career, she says she has experienced sexism.
"Allowances [were made] for my male counterparts for being late, being unprofessional and just the kind of hierarchy on a film set at the time was totally patriarchal, and there were so few women on set when I started working," she says.
"We didn't even have toilets for female actors on outside locations."
Despite her early experiences, Mirza is positive about the future and says there are signs that things are improving.
"There was a phase in Indian cinema when women beyond a certain age were not offered the lead roles," she says, pointing out that men would still get leading roles even when they were no longer young.
"We've just released a film called Dhak Dhak, which is a beautiful story about four women from four different age groups who take a motorbike ride.
"It's also only taken the Indian film industry 110 years to tell a story like this. And I've waited 23 years to play a part like this."
Outside of the film industry, Mirza is keen to champion gender equality in other areas too.
In 2021, she got married in a traditional Indian ceremony with a marked difference. Unlike most weddings, her officiant was a female priest .
"I was very impressed with the way the female priest performed the rituals in my friend's wedding," says Mirza.
"And I knew I wanted the same.
"This decision to have a female priest led to a huge online debate in India as to why women are still not allowed to perform certain duties, including being a priest."
This was not the only tradition she broke. She also refused to follow the ritual of Kanyadaan in her wedding, a moment where the bride is given away by her father.
"My maternal grandfather used to say that his daughters were not an object that he could 'give away' in marriage," says Mirza.
"This is a very powerful thought. My mother also said that the ritual of Kanyadaan would not be performed during my wedding."
Source: BBC
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Delhi's air quality index crosses 300, AAP govt instructs authorities to find out reasons
New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said that the air quality is deteriorating as winter approaches the national capital. The highest AQI was reported in Wazirpur.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader further informed that the concerned authorities have been instructed to find out the local sources behind the deteriorating air quality.
"Winter is coming and the level of air pollution is increasing. The level has reached the poor category in Delhi. There are 13 hotspots in Delhi where AQI has crossed 300- Wazirpur, Mundka, Rohini, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Dwarka Sector-8, Bawana, Narela, Vivek Vihar, Okhla Phase 2, Punjabi Bagh, Ashok Vihar and RK Puram. The AQI level was highest in Wazirpur...We have instructed the authorities to find out the local sources behind it," Rai said in a press conference.
Earlier, countering the Bharatiya Janata Party over the air pollution in the national capital, Gopal Rai on Friday said that the opposition has no right to comment on this as the BJP government is sleeping in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and the centre."The effect of the adverse condition is visible in the pollution. The speed of the wind is decreasing in Delhi and the temperature is going down rapidly. As a result, the air quality has reached the poor category. In some hotspots, the pollution is more than the poor category... A meeting regarding the hotspots has been called at the Delhi Secretariat at 1 pm today... We are creating a plan while the BJP governments are sleeping in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and the centre... The SC ordered Delhi and the central government to install one smog tower each... The BJP should also go to the Anand Vihar's smog tower installed by them..." said Rai.
"I want to ask them to not create drama. We have increased the green area in Delhi. We have provided electricity for 24 hours and minimised pollution from generators. We have been running electric buses. AAP has reduced pollution and they are increasing it," he added.
Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday reached 'Smog Tower' to protest over the air pollution in the national capital. Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the BJP leader said that Arvind Kejriwal had cheated the people in the national capital in the name of air pollution now their health has been put at risk.
"Today Delhi has become a gas chamber due to blame game politics of the Aam Aadmi Party. They had made big promises that they would make Delhi pollution-free. Look at the condition of Yamuna today and Delhi has become a gas chamber. Aam Aadmi Party bans firecrackers on Diwali but the smog tower on which Rs 23 crore was spent has been locked... The way the Aam Aadmi Party has cheated people in the name of pollution and is working to make Delhi the most poisonous and polluted city, this will be exposed," said Poonawalla.
"This smog tower has been locked since January. It is because of the polluted politics of Arvind Kejriwal that the health of our old citizens and children has been put at risk," he added.
ANI
New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said that the air quality is deteriorating as winter approaches the national capital. The highest AQI was reported in Wazirpur.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader further informed that the concerned authorities have been instructed to find out the local sources behind the deteriorating air quality.
"Winter is coming and the level of air pollution is increasing. The level has reached the poor category in Delhi. There are 13 hotspots in Delhi where AQI has crossed 300- Wazirpur, Mundka, Rohini, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Dwarka Sector-8, Bawana, Narela, Vivek Vihar, Okhla Phase 2, Punjabi Bagh, Ashok Vihar and RK Puram. The AQI level was highest in Wazirpur...We have instructed the authorities to find out the local sources behind it," Rai said in a press conference.
Earlier, countering the Bharatiya Janata Party over the air pollution in the national capital, Gopal Rai on Friday said that the opposition has no right to comment on this as the BJP government is sleeping in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and the centre."The effect of the adverse condition is visible in the pollution. The speed of the wind is decreasing in Delhi and the temperature is going down rapidly. As a result, the air quality has reached the poor category. In some hotspots, the pollution is more than the poor category... A meeting regarding the hotspots has been called at the Delhi Secretariat at 1 pm today... We are creating a plan while the BJP governments are sleeping in UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and the centre... The SC ordered Delhi and the central government to install one smog tower each... The BJP should also go to the Anand Vihar's smog tower installed by them..." said Rai.
"I want to ask them to not create drama. We have increased the green area in Delhi. We have provided electricity for 24 hours and minimised pollution from generators. We have been running electric buses. AAP has reduced pollution and they are increasing it," he added.
Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday reached 'Smog Tower' to protest over the air pollution in the national capital. Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the BJP leader said that Arvind Kejriwal had cheated the people in the national capital in the name of air pollution now their health has been put at risk.
"Today Delhi has become a gas chamber due to blame game politics of the Aam Aadmi Party. They had made big promises that they would make Delhi pollution-free. Look at the condition of Yamuna today and Delhi has become a gas chamber. Aam Aadmi Party bans firecrackers on Diwali but the smog tower on which Rs 23 crore was spent has been locked... The way the Aam Aadmi Party has cheated people in the name of pollution and is working to make Delhi the most poisonous and polluted city, this will be exposed," said Poonawalla.
"This smog tower has been locked since January. It is because of the polluted politics of Arvind Kejriwal that the health of our old citizens and children has been put at risk," he added.
ANI
FearlessRoar
T20I Star
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- Sep 11, 2023
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- 30,521
Worry over toxic Delhi air as pollution worsens
Air quality in India's capital Delhi has deteriorated to severe and extremely poor levels in the past few days, data shows.
Pollution levels crossed 25-30 times the World Health Organization (WHO)’s recommended safe limit at several locations in the city last week.
Experts have warned that the situation will worsen in the coming days due to weather conditions, use of firecrackers during the festival of Diwali on Thursday and burning of crop remains in neighbouring states.
Delhi and several northern Indian cities report extreme levels of air pollution between October and January every year, causing disruption to businesses, shutting down of schools and offices.
The levels of tiny particulate matter (known as PM 2.5), which can enter deep into the lungs and cause a host of diseases, reached as high as 350 micrograms per cubic metre in some areas on Monday, data from government-run Safar website shows.
According to the website, air quality is categorised as very poor when PM 2.5 levels reach 300 to 400, and it's termed severe when the limit reaches 400-500.
Delhi gets enveloped in a thick blanket of smog every winter due to smoke, dust, low wind speed, vehicular emissions and crop stubble burning.
In November and December, farmers in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana burn crop stubble to clear their fields.
Farming groups say they need financial and technical help to find alternative ways of clearing crop remains but government schemes have so far not been effective.
The smoke from firecrackers set off during Diwali adds to the problem.
Like every year, the Delhi government has announced a complete ban on the manufacturing, storage and sale of fireworks ahead of the festival, which falls later this week.
But such bans have not been completely effective in the past as people source fireworks from other states.
The Delhi government has also enacted its Graded Response Action Plan, known as GRAP, to tackle pollution.
It bans all activities which involve the use of coal and firewood, as well as diesel generator use for non-emergency services.
Authorities in Delhi have warned residents to stay indoors as much as possible and have curbed construction activity in the city.
They have also urged people to use public transport to cut vehicular emissions.
Delhi: Worry over toxic air as pollution worsens
Pollution levels in the Indian capital have reached 20-25 times more than the WHO's recommended safe limit.
www.bbc.com
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Pollution is a global problem. Humans need to pay attention to it
FearlessRoar
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Air pollution likely killed millions of Indians over a decade, study finds
Prolonged exposure to pollution contributed to millions of deaths across India over a decade, according to a new study that called for stricter air quality regulations.
The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, assessed the link between tiny air pollution particles and mortality between 2009 and 2019 across hundreds of districts. It warned that there could be high rates of death across the country even at pollution levels below the current national air quality standards.
Researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet looked especially into the role played by PM2.5, pollution particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter that are known to enter the lungs and bloodstream and pose major health risks.
“We found that every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in PM2.5 concentration led to an 8.6 per cent increase in mortality,” study lead author Petter Ljungman said.
The researchers statistically analysed the relationship between changes in air pollution levels and death rates across 655 districts.
They found that around 3.8 million deaths from 2009 to 2019 could be linked to air pollution levels staying above India’s air quality guidelines of 40 micrograms per cubic metre.
A maximum PM2.5 exposure of 119 micrograms per cubic metre was measured in Ghaziabad in northern Uttar Pradesh state and the national capital of New Delhi in 2016.
If WHO’s recommended air quality guidelines of 5 micrograms per cubic meter were applied, the mortality figure across India rose to 16.6 million, researchers said.
The study warned that India’s entire population lived in areas where PM2.5 levels exceeded WHO guidelines, meaning that about 1.4 billion people were exposed throughout the year to air pollution that negatively affected their health.
“The results show that current guidelines in India are not sufficient to protect health. Stricter regulations and measures to reduce emissions are of the utmost importance,” Dr Ljungman said.
“Our study provides evidence that can be used to create better air quality policies, both in India and globally.”
The Indian government launched a national air pollution control programme in 2017, the study noted, but PM2.5 concentrations continued to rise in many parts of the country.
“Our results indicated previous data of disease burden from ambient PM2.5 exposure in India are considerably underestimated,” the researchers said.
The study provided the most accurate assessment of the health impact of air pollution in India to date based on state-of-the-art comprehensive exposure assessment and nationwide mortality data, they added.
Air pollution likely killed millions of Indians over a decade, study finds
Some 3.8 million deaths from 2009 to 2019 can be linked to air pollution levels staying above national air quality guidelines
www.independent.co.uk
FearlessRoar
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India Open 2025: Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt slams 'unhealthy' stadium conditions
Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt lashed out at the playing conditions of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, which is hosting the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament. The Danish shuttler also criticised the pollution levels in Delhi, saying that such conditions were "unhealthy and unacceptable." The world no. 23 suffered a stomach infection but managed to stay alive in the second round before losing 21-13 16-21 8-21 to China's Wang Zhi Yi.
"Finally home after a long and stressful week in India. It's 2 years in a row now that I get sick during India Open," Blichfeldt wrote on Instagram. "It's really hard to accept that many weeks of work and preparing, gets wasted because of bad conditions. It's not fair to anyone that we have to train and play in smog, birds shitting on the courts, and dirt everywhere.
"These conditions are too unhealthy and unacceptable. @bwf.official. I'm happy that I managed the second round, but I'm far from satisfied." The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has responded to Blichfeldt's post, saying that the organisation faced "logistical challenges" after getting the venue just four days before the event.
"As the host and staging authority for the Yonex Sunrise India Open, the Badminton Association of India gains access to the stadium and its infrastructure only four days before the event, which poses significant logistical challenges," BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra said in a statement on Saturday.
"We are already in discussions with the BWF to explore alternative venues and are actively evaluating the infrastructure options," he added.
Blichfeldt had revealed that she was vomiting all night and barely able to reach the court for her second round match. "That night (Tuesday) was terrible. The only sleep I got was in the morning because I kept throwing up all night. I'm really tired now and my body is really dead," Blichfeldt had said.
"It's not so nice for me, but I'm happy with the match I pulled yesterday and the outcome today but I wish I could have gone to court at 100 per cent. It happened Tuesday evening. It took a lot of mental work (to get on court).
"It's really frustrating when you've been training to come to these tournaments and then this is one of the things that stops you from performing." French mixed doubles pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue had also expressed concerns about the weather conditions on Thursday.
"The playing hall is pretty nice. But the weather is pretty cold here in Delhi and the pollution is really high right now, so it's not easy to play, not the best conditions to play in," Gicquel had said.
India Open 2025: Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt slams 'unhealthy' stadium conditions
India Open 2025: Badminton player Mia Blichfeldt criticised the playing conditions and pollution levels in Delhi, impacting performance and health.
sweep_shot
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India Open 2025: Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt slams 'unhealthy' stadium conditions
Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt lashed out at the playing conditions of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, which is hosting the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament. The Danish shuttler also criticised the pollution levels in Delhi, saying that such conditions were "unhealthy and unacceptable." The world no. 23 suffered a stomach infection but managed to stay alive in the second round before losing 21-13 16-21 8-21 to China's Wang Zhi Yi.
"Finally home after a long and stressful week in India. It's 2 years in a row now that I get sick during India Open," Blichfeldt wrote on Instagram. "It's really hard to accept that many weeks of work and preparing, gets wasted because of bad conditions. It's not fair to anyone that we have to train and play in smog, birds shitting on the courts, and dirt everywhere.
"These conditions are too unhealthy and unacceptable. @bwf.official. I'm happy that I managed the second round, but I'm far from satisfied." The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has responded to Blichfeldt's post, saying that the organisation faced "logistical challenges" after getting the venue just four days before the event.
"As the host and staging authority for the Yonex Sunrise India Open, the Badminton Association of India gains access to the stadium and its infrastructure only four days before the event, which poses significant logistical challenges," BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra said in a statement on Saturday.
"We are already in discussions with the BWF to explore alternative venues and are actively evaluating the infrastructure options," he added.
Blichfeldt had revealed that she was vomiting all night and barely able to reach the court for her second round match. "That night (Tuesday) was terrible. The only sleep I got was in the morning because I kept throwing up all night. I'm really tired now and my body is really dead," Blichfeldt had said.
"It's not so nice for me, but I'm happy with the match I pulled yesterday and the outcome today but I wish I could have gone to court at 100 per cent. It happened Tuesday evening. It took a lot of mental work (to get on court).
"It's really frustrating when you've been training to come to these tournaments and then this is one of the things that stops you from performing." French mixed doubles pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue had also expressed concerns about the weather conditions on Thursday.
"The playing hall is pretty nice. But the weather is pretty cold here in Delhi and the pollution is really high right now, so it's not easy to play, not the best conditions to play in," Gicquel had said.
India Open 2025: Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt slams 'unhealthy' stadium conditions
India Open 2025: Badminton player Mia Blichfeldt criticised the playing conditions and pollution levels in Delhi, impacting performance and health.www.indiatoday.in
I think sports events shouldn't take place in Delhi. Health hazard.
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Petrol, diesel ban on old vehicles in Delhi starts today, 350 booths under watch
Diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 will not be allowed to refuel in Delhi starting today. A total of 350 petrol stations have been identified for policy enforcement and potential vehicle seizure.
This move was initiated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), in collaboration with the Transport Department, Delhi Police, and traffic personnel, in a bid to curb air pollution in the national capital.
The Delhi Transport Department, together with the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), has crafted a detailed plan to ensure this directive is upheld.
The first 100 petrol stations with the most EoL vehicles will be monitored by Delhi police teams, while officials from the Transport Department will manage 59 stations. Additionally, 91 particularly sensitive stations will be supervised by joint teams from both departments, and MCD employees will oversee the last 100. This strategy ensures vigilant oversight across all stations to deter any rule violations.
These enforcement squads possess the authority to seize vehicles or issue fines to owners of non-compliant EoL vehicles. Legally reinforced by the Supreme Court's 2018 decision, the initiative supports the 2014 National Green Tribunal's ruling that prohibits parking vehicles older than 15 years in public spaces.
Backing these actions, the Delhi government has outlined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), compelling petrol stations to log each refused fuel transaction. Additionally, stations must display notices stating, "Fuel will not be dispensed to End of Life Vehicles — i.e. 15 years old Petrol and CNG and 10 years old Diesel 01.07.2025." These signs will act as clear reminders to vehicle owners about the imposed limitations.
Compliance with CAQM rules is mandatory for fuel stations, which are also required to train their personnel accordingly. Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems will be in operation to ensure adherence to the policy, with the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) maintaining the systems' efficacy. These tech-based measures are vital for real-time compliance tracking.
Responding to findings from the VAHAAN database, it is noted that Delhi is home to approximately 62 lakh EoL vehicles, comprising 41 lakh two-wheelers and 18 lakh four-wheelers. The surrounding NCR districts in Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan add another 46 lakh EoL vehicles to the tally. This data underscores the extensive scale of the issue within the region.
Petrol stations that breach these directives will incur penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Reports detailing non-compliance are to be submitted weekly to both the CAQM and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for further proceedings. This accountability framework ensures strict adherence to the rules.
www.indiatoday.in
Diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 will not be allowed to refuel in Delhi starting today. A total of 350 petrol stations have been identified for policy enforcement and potential vehicle seizure.
This move was initiated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), in collaboration with the Transport Department, Delhi Police, and traffic personnel, in a bid to curb air pollution in the national capital.
The Delhi Transport Department, together with the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), has crafted a detailed plan to ensure this directive is upheld.
The first 100 petrol stations with the most EoL vehicles will be monitored by Delhi police teams, while officials from the Transport Department will manage 59 stations. Additionally, 91 particularly sensitive stations will be supervised by joint teams from both departments, and MCD employees will oversee the last 100. This strategy ensures vigilant oversight across all stations to deter any rule violations.
These enforcement squads possess the authority to seize vehicles or issue fines to owners of non-compliant EoL vehicles. Legally reinforced by the Supreme Court's 2018 decision, the initiative supports the 2014 National Green Tribunal's ruling that prohibits parking vehicles older than 15 years in public spaces.
Backing these actions, the Delhi government has outlined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), compelling petrol stations to log each refused fuel transaction. Additionally, stations must display notices stating, "Fuel will not be dispensed to End of Life Vehicles — i.e. 15 years old Petrol and CNG and 10 years old Diesel 01.07.2025." These signs will act as clear reminders to vehicle owners about the imposed limitations.
Compliance with CAQM rules is mandatory for fuel stations, which are also required to train their personnel accordingly. Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems will be in operation to ensure adherence to the policy, with the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) maintaining the systems' efficacy. These tech-based measures are vital for real-time compliance tracking.
Responding to findings from the VAHAAN database, it is noted that Delhi is home to approximately 62 lakh EoL vehicles, comprising 41 lakh two-wheelers and 18 lakh four-wheelers. The surrounding NCR districts in Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan add another 46 lakh EoL vehicles to the tally. This data underscores the extensive scale of the issue within the region.
Petrol stations that breach these directives will incur penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Reports detailing non-compliance are to be submitted weekly to both the CAQM and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for further proceedings. This accountability framework ensures strict adherence to the rules.
Petrol, diesel ban on old vehicles in Delhi starts today, 350 booths under watch
Compliance with rules is mandatory for fuel stations in the national capital, which are also required to train their personnel accordingly. This move was initiated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in a bid to curb air pollution in the national capital.
Bhaijaan
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- Post of the Week
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Petrol, diesel ban on old vehicles in Delhi starts today, 350 booths under watch
Diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 will not be allowed to refuel in Delhi starting today. A total of 350 petrol stations have been identified for policy enforcement and potential vehicle seizure.
This move was initiated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), in collaboration with the Transport Department, Delhi Police, and traffic personnel, in a bid to curb air pollution in the national capital.
The Delhi Transport Department, together with the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), has crafted a detailed plan to ensure this directive is upheld.
The first 100 petrol stations with the most EoL vehicles will be monitored by Delhi police teams, while officials from the Transport Department will manage 59 stations. Additionally, 91 particularly sensitive stations will be supervised by joint teams from both departments, and MCD employees will oversee the last 100. This strategy ensures vigilant oversight across all stations to deter any rule violations.
These enforcement squads possess the authority to seize vehicles or issue fines to owners of non-compliant EoL vehicles. Legally reinforced by the Supreme Court's 2018 decision, the initiative supports the 2014 National Green Tribunal's ruling that prohibits parking vehicles older than 15 years in public spaces.
Backing these actions, the Delhi government has outlined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), compelling petrol stations to log each refused fuel transaction. Additionally, stations must display notices stating, "Fuel will not be dispensed to End of Life Vehicles — i.e. 15 years old Petrol and CNG and 10 years old Diesel 01.07.2025." These signs will act as clear reminders to vehicle owners about the imposed limitations.
Compliance with CAQM rules is mandatory for fuel stations, which are also required to train their personnel accordingly. Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems will be in operation to ensure adherence to the policy, with the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) maintaining the systems' efficacy. These tech-based measures are vital for real-time compliance tracking.
Responding to findings from the VAHAAN database, it is noted that Delhi is home to approximately 62 lakh EoL vehicles, comprising 41 lakh two-wheelers and 18 lakh four-wheelers. The surrounding NCR districts in Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan add another 46 lakh EoL vehicles to the tally. This data underscores the extensive scale of the issue within the region.
Petrol stations that breach these directives will incur penalties under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Reports detailing non-compliance are to be submitted weekly to both the CAQM and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for further proceedings. This accountability framework ensures strict adherence to the rules.
Petrol, diesel ban on old vehicles in Delhi starts today, 350 booths under watch
Compliance with rules is mandatory for fuel stations in the national capital, which are also required to train their personnel accordingly. This move was initiated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in a bid to curb air pollution in the national capital.
Something which is going to hurt BJP politically in Delhi. If you really want to start a revolution start with the government and government contractors owned vehicles first. 25-30 year old buses and trucks run freely while a well maintained 10 year old Diesel Mercedes or Audi is a problem for the government? Idiotic behaviour
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- 4,401
Experts sound red alert as Delhi air turns ‘life threatening’: 10 points
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated further with several areas falling below the 'severe' mark on Friday, with mounting medical alarms and surveys showing that nearly 80 per cent households in Delhi-NCR have had at least one member fall ill due to toxic air in the past month.
Calling this a 'public health emergency', experts have said that there is enough evidence to show that pollution hits life expectancy. Doctors also said that while masks and air purifiers offer certain protection, a round-the-year policy change is needed to tackle the problem.
Here are the top points on Delhi air quality
No respite for Delhiites: Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 370 at 9 am on Friday morning, according to the government's Sameer app. This is the eight consecutive day that Delhi AQI has stayed in the 'very poor' category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) noted that AQI levels were 392 on Wednesday, 374 on Tuesday, and 351 on Monday, indicating a sharp weekly rise.
18 stations cross 'Severe': Over 18 monitoring stations logged AQI above 400. These include Chandni Chowk, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Bawana, Narela, DTU and Wazirpur - many of which consistently cross the 400–450 range.
Worse days ahead: The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System said Delhi’s air quality is expected to slip into ‘severe’ and remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ zone for the next six days, driven by stagnant winds and winter inversion.
What's causing the pollution: The IITM-Decision Support System estimated that on Thursday, vehicular emissions contributed 17.3% of PM2.5 pollution, while stubble burning contributed 2.8%. For Friday, these are expected to dip slightly to 16.2% and 1.8%, respectively.
Farm fires detected across states: Satellite data showed 16 fires in Punjab, 11 in Haryana, and 115 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday - relatively low, but enough to feed background pollution under stagnant winter conditions.
Doctors sound alarm: AIIMS experts warned that air pollution has entered “medical emergency” territory, with hospitals witnessing a 10–15% spike in respiratory and pollution-linked cases.
"The pollution here is absolutely severe and life-threatening. This situation has been going on for the last ten years. We try to do something every time, but in reality, on the ground, I don't see much change. The responsible agencies should take drastic steps over time. Not just respiratory, it's now affecting other organs as well. Many are facing life-threatening situations. There's definitely been an increase in both outpatient and emergency rooms. Many people even have to be put on ventilators. It should be treated like a public health emergency," AIIMS doctor Dr Anant Mohan said.
"Pollution harms the heart, brain, mental health—every physiological system. It affects unborn children and the elderly. We now have clear evidence that it cuts life expectancy," Dr Mohan added.
He said wards are overflowing with people suffering from wheezing, breathlessness, burning eyes, and fast-deteriorating COPD.
Dr Saurabh Mittal, AIIMS said: “Delhi makes a huge mistake treating pollution as a November-only issue. Water sprinklers and street sprays offer only marginal benefit. The city needs year-round action, not seasonal panic.”
Do masks help? Doctors stressed masks and purifiers “offer limited individual protection” and cannot replace systemic solutions.
80% households in Delhi affected: A LocalCircles survey found that 8 in 10 households in Delhi-NCR had at least one member fall ill due to toxic air in the past month.
36% households had four or more members suffer respiratory or pollution-linked symptoms.
Residents report persistent cough, burning eyes, headaches, congestion, and aggravated asthma.
Supreme Court steps in: Earlier this week, the Supreme Court urged the CAQM to consider deferring school sports events planned for November–December, noting that conducting outdoor activities now was like making children “train in gas chambers”. The Court also emphasised monthly monitoring of air pollution mitigation and asked states to follow CAQM’s stubble-burning guidelines “scrupulously”.
Public anger rising: Residents, including young children and parents, are protesting at India Gate and Jantar Mantar, demanding urgent government action. Many said worsening pollution, coupled with “year-round political inaction”, left them with no choice but to take to the streets. Protesters complained that restrictions under GRAP hit workers hard, but pollution remains high due to poor enforcement and lack of long-term planning.
Experts sound red alert as Delhi air turns ‘life threatening’: 10 points
Delhi pollution news: Calling this a 'public health emergency', experts have said that there is enough evidence to show that pollution hits life expectancy.
sweep_shot
Hall of Famer
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- Mar 30, 2016
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Experts sound red alert as Delhi air turns ‘life threatening’: 10 points
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated further with several areas falling below the 'severe' mark on Friday, with mounting medical alarms and surveys showing that nearly 80 per cent households in Delhi-NCR have had at least one member fall ill due to toxic air in the past month.
Calling this a 'public health emergency', experts have said that there is enough evidence to show that pollution hits life expectancy. Doctors also said that while masks and air purifiers offer certain protection, a round-the-year policy change is needed to tackle the problem.
Here are the top points on Delhi air quality
No respite for Delhiites: Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 370 at 9 am on Friday morning, according to the government's Sameer app. This is the eight consecutive day that Delhi AQI has stayed in the 'very poor' category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) noted that AQI levels were 392 on Wednesday, 374 on Tuesday, and 351 on Monday, indicating a sharp weekly rise.
18 stations cross 'Severe': Over 18 monitoring stations logged AQI above 400. These include Chandni Chowk, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Bawana, Narela, DTU and Wazirpur - many of which consistently cross the 400–450 range.
Worse days ahead: The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System said Delhi’s air quality is expected to slip into ‘severe’ and remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ zone for the next six days, driven by stagnant winds and winter inversion.
What's causing the pollution: The IITM-Decision Support System estimated that on Thursday, vehicular emissions contributed 17.3% of PM2.5 pollution, while stubble burning contributed 2.8%. For Friday, these are expected to dip slightly to 16.2% and 1.8%, respectively.
Farm fires detected across states: Satellite data showed 16 fires in Punjab, 11 in Haryana, and 115 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday - relatively low, but enough to feed background pollution under stagnant winter conditions.
Doctors sound alarm: AIIMS experts warned that air pollution has entered “medical emergency” territory, with hospitals witnessing a 10–15% spike in respiratory and pollution-linked cases.
"The pollution here is absolutely severe and life-threatening. This situation has been going on for the last ten years. We try to do something every time, but in reality, on the ground, I don't see much change. The responsible agencies should take drastic steps over time. Not just respiratory, it's now affecting other organs as well. Many are facing life-threatening situations. There's definitely been an increase in both outpatient and emergency rooms. Many people even have to be put on ventilators. It should be treated like a public health emergency," AIIMS doctor Dr Anant Mohan said.
"Pollution harms the heart, brain, mental health—every physiological system. It affects unborn children and the elderly. We now have clear evidence that it cuts life expectancy," Dr Mohan added.
He said wards are overflowing with people suffering from wheezing, breathlessness, burning eyes, and fast-deteriorating COPD.
Dr Saurabh Mittal, AIIMS said: “Delhi makes a huge mistake treating pollution as a November-only issue. Water sprinklers and street sprays offer only marginal benefit. The city needs year-round action, not seasonal panic.”
Do masks help? Doctors stressed masks and purifiers “offer limited individual protection” and cannot replace systemic solutions.
80% households in Delhi affected: A LocalCircles survey found that 8 in 10 households in Delhi-NCR had at least one member fall ill due to toxic air in the past month.
36% households had four or more members suffer respiratory or pollution-linked symptoms.
Residents report persistent cough, burning eyes, headaches, congestion, and aggravated asthma.
Supreme Court steps in: Earlier this week, the Supreme Court urged the CAQM to consider deferring school sports events planned for November–December, noting that conducting outdoor activities now was like making children “train in gas chambers”. The Court also emphasised monthly monitoring of air pollution mitigation and asked states to follow CAQM’s stubble-burning guidelines “scrupulously”.
Public anger rising: Residents, including young children and parents, are protesting at India Gate and Jantar Mantar, demanding urgent government action. Many said worsening pollution, coupled with “year-round political inaction”, left them with no choice but to take to the streets. Protesters complained that restrictions under GRAP hit workers hard, but pollution remains high due to poor enforcement and lack of long-term planning.
Experts sound red alert as Delhi air turns ‘life threatening’: 10 points
Delhi pollution news: Calling this a 'public health emergency', experts have said that there is enough evidence to show that pollution hits life expectancy.www.hindustantimes.com
They don't care about environment. They brought it upon themselves.
Some of the Indian cities have the worst air qualities in the world.
Patriot
Local Club Star
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- 1,722
Climate change and heat is a massive issue for the whole of subcontinent and it is probably along with water one of the key issues that all countries in South Asia need to cooperate on immediately and prioritise despite the political/military conflicts that are going on. They should have been getting together and focussing on this 20 years ago or even more.
BreadPakoda
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- Feb 8, 2018
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- 5,755
I’m going to visit India (Delhi) in Dec after many years. I hope the situation gets better by then.Experts sound red alert as Delhi air turns ‘life threatening’: 10 points
Delhi’s air quality deteriorated further with several areas falling below the 'severe' mark on Friday, with mounting medical alarms and surveys showing that nearly 80 per cent households in Delhi-NCR have had at least one member fall ill due to toxic air in the past month.
Calling this a 'public health emergency', experts have said that there is enough evidence to show that pollution hits life expectancy. Doctors also said that while masks and air purifiers offer certain protection, a round-the-year policy change is needed to tackle the problem.
Here are the top points on Delhi air quality
No respite for Delhiites: Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 370 at 9 am on Friday morning, according to the government's Sameer app. This is the eight consecutive day that Delhi AQI has stayed in the 'very poor' category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) noted that AQI levels were 392 on Wednesday, 374 on Tuesday, and 351 on Monday, indicating a sharp weekly rise.
18 stations cross 'Severe': Over 18 monitoring stations logged AQI above 400. These include Chandni Chowk, Anand Vihar, Mundka, Bawana, Narela, DTU and Wazirpur - many of which consistently cross the 400–450 range.
Worse days ahead: The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Air Quality Early Warning System said Delhi’s air quality is expected to slip into ‘severe’ and remain in the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ zone for the next six days, driven by stagnant winds and winter inversion.
What's causing the pollution: The IITM-Decision Support System estimated that on Thursday, vehicular emissions contributed 17.3% of PM2.5 pollution, while stubble burning contributed 2.8%. For Friday, these are expected to dip slightly to 16.2% and 1.8%, respectively.
Farm fires detected across states: Satellite data showed 16 fires in Punjab, 11 in Haryana, and 115 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday - relatively low, but enough to feed background pollution under stagnant winter conditions.
Doctors sound alarm: AIIMS experts warned that air pollution has entered “medical emergency” territory, with hospitals witnessing a 10–15% spike in respiratory and pollution-linked cases.
"The pollution here is absolutely severe and life-threatening. This situation has been going on for the last ten years. We try to do something every time, but in reality, on the ground, I don't see much change. The responsible agencies should take drastic steps over time. Not just respiratory, it's now affecting other organs as well. Many are facing life-threatening situations. There's definitely been an increase in both outpatient and emergency rooms. Many people even have to be put on ventilators. It should be treated like a public health emergency," AIIMS doctor Dr Anant Mohan said.
"Pollution harms the heart, brain, mental health—every physiological system. It affects unborn children and the elderly. We now have clear evidence that it cuts life expectancy," Dr Mohan added.
He said wards are overflowing with people suffering from wheezing, breathlessness, burning eyes, and fast-deteriorating COPD.
Dr Saurabh Mittal, AIIMS said: “Delhi makes a huge mistake treating pollution as a November-only issue. Water sprinklers and street sprays offer only marginal benefit. The city needs year-round action, not seasonal panic.”
Do masks help? Doctors stressed masks and purifiers “offer limited individual protection” and cannot replace systemic solutions.
80% households in Delhi affected: A LocalCircles survey found that 8 in 10 households in Delhi-NCR had at least one member fall ill due to toxic air in the past month.
36% households had four or more members suffer respiratory or pollution-linked symptoms.
Residents report persistent cough, burning eyes, headaches, congestion, and aggravated asthma.
Supreme Court steps in: Earlier this week, the Supreme Court urged the CAQM to consider deferring school sports events planned for November–December, noting that conducting outdoor activities now was like making children “train in gas chambers”. The Court also emphasised monthly monitoring of air pollution mitigation and asked states to follow CAQM’s stubble-burning guidelines “scrupulously”.
Public anger rising: Residents, including young children and parents, are protesting at India Gate and Jantar Mantar, demanding urgent government action. Many said worsening pollution, coupled with “year-round political inaction”, left them with no choice but to take to the streets. Protesters complained that restrictions under GRAP hit workers hard, but pollution remains high due to poor enforcement and lack of long-term planning.
Experts sound red alert as Delhi air turns ‘life threatening’: 10 points
Delhi pollution news: Calling this a 'public health emergency', experts have said that there is enough evidence to show that pollution hits life expectancy.
JaDed
T20I Captain
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- May 5, 2014
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- 41,582
Not a great time to visit, I avoid Delhi during Nov-Dec.. it gets slightly better after but the greed of the city sucks
finalfantasy7
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a older report, but still a great read:
https://x.com/ANI/status/1858393394...s://x.com/ani/status/1858393394822987964?s=46
adi_62941
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I think last year lahore was more air polluted than delhi, but this year lahore is considerably less polluted. I do not know what actions Indian governemnent is taking in delhi to combat this air pollution but in lahore, they have taken some good measures which resulted in positive outcome but still the air is polluted beyong bad and need to take long term measures.
Delhi is way bigger than lahore and it will need very serious efforts to reduce the air pollution in coming years otherwise be ready to die from different lung/heart deseases
Delhi is way bigger than lahore and it will need very serious efforts to reduce the air pollution in coming years otherwise be ready to die from different lung/heart deseases
Vikram1989
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Are u staying in Lahore and experienced it or from stats?. One regular tactic from sub continental govt is that to keep the Aqi measuring instruments behind the trees to report them low.So both cities may be having even more worse readings.
adi_62941
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That is what i heard. There will be some areas in both cities where AQI will be high and some areas will be on lower side.
AQI is not something which is constant throughout all areas of a city. Even cooking food results in emissions of PM 2.5 and AQI of home kitchen increases if you dont use good exhaust.
finalfantasy7
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In UP's Kanpur, a man resting on a mat laid over a pothole in the middle of the road. He can also be hard raising slogans of "Bharat mata ki Jai". It is being reported tha man's little daughter tripped into one of the potholes following which he began the protest.
guys funny
guys funny
finalfantasy7
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Above guy is a legend,
However this below x video - really is crazy the amount of litter - is this litter mainly casued by the locals or is it by the trains, that thr employees throw the rubbish from the train:
Honestly its really worrying
However this below x video - really is crazy the amount of litter - is this litter mainly casued by the locals or is it by the trains, that thr employees throw the rubbish from the train:
Honestly its really worrying
Last edited by a moderator:
finalfantasy7
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This really shocked me, imagine to decrease your life expentancy by 3.5hrs due to pollution:
m.rediff.com
any indians on here can provide us any reports wre the infian government is trying to improve this, any reports on how to improve indian factories - assuming they are the biggest polluters
Air pollution cuts 3.5 years from life of average Indian
All of India's 1.4 billion people live in areas where annual average particulate pollution levels exceed the WHO guideline and even those in the cleanest regions of the country
any indians on here can provide us any reports wre the infian government is trying to improve this, any reports on how to improve indian factories - assuming they are the biggest polluters
sweep_shot
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If you check the top 25 most polluted cities, Indian cities come up the most.
finalfantasy7
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sweep_shot
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They think India is #1 and don't put in the effort to make it better I guess.
Maybe in 50 years, they will realize their environmental mistakes. But, it could be too late by then.
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finalfantasy7
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i dont think India would ever take this seriously, far too many people in poverty, far to many ppl in india with a mindset which causes harm,They think India is #1 and don't put in the effort to make it better I guess.
Maybe in 50 years, they will realize their environmental mistakes. But, it could be too late by then.
ergy ruler of india has stated that the hindu side has always had a extreme poverty side with filty everywhere.
finalfantasy7
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Cancer in clouds! Your next trip to hill stations can damage your kidney, liver, lungs, and even brain
Cancer in clouds! Your next trip to hill stations can damage your kidney, liver, lungs, and even brain
A recent study reveals alarming pollution in clouds over Indian hill stations. The clouds over the Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas contain dangerous levels of toxic metals. These pollutants, including cadmium, copper, and zinc, pose significant health risks. Traffic emissions, fossil fuel...
cmon India, you can, but more importantly - you need to do better
finalfantasy7
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finalfantasy7
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Toxic Blanket Over Delhi: AQI at 325, Several Areas Cross 400, Will Delhi People Get Relief
@JaDed @uppercut @Devadwal @cricketjoshila @Champ_Pal - what are yuot thought on the above 2 videos,
those levels are simply crazy - over 400 - anything over 300 is hazardous - yet the tv present said 325 is in very poor - this is why i donnt believe anything you lot post = your news is terrible,
proove off the air quality index : https://www.iqair.com/gb/world-air-quality-ranking
sweep_shot
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This is something they cannot blame on Mughals I guess.
They also cannot make fake news to deceive the public.
My thoughts have been the same. Over population and lack of government initiatives to curb the pollution. In summer, it’s all dusty. In winter, people burn anything and everything to stay warm. Stubble burning by farmers is another issue in North India.
finalfantasy7
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sounds like this wont be solved, considering this goes into pakistan lahore region
finalfantasy7
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'I panic every time she coughs' - Delhi's toxic air is making its children sick
Delhi pollution: Children are hit hardest by toxic air in Indian capital
Hospitals have seen an influx of children sneezing, coughing or complaining of breathing difficulties.
www.bbc.co.uk
The toxic haze shrouding the Indian capital, Delhi, spares no-one, but its children are counting the biggest cost of the city's worsening and recurrent pollution problem.
Nowhere is this more evident than at paediatricians' clinics. The BBC visited one such facility in Noida, near Delhi, on a weekday morning a few days back.
In a packed waiting hall outside the doctor's consulting room, anxious parents stood in line with children sneezing, coughing or complaining of breathing difficulties.
Most started falling ill in October, when the capital's air quality dipped to hazardous levels and waiting times for doctor's appointment had stretched longer than usual.
Toxic air is a recurring problem in Delhi and across parts of northern India during the winter.
There isn't a single cause behind the problem, but a mix of factors like low wind speeds, industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, dropping temperatures and the seasonal burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states.
Since the last month, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) - which measures different types of pollutants, including the level of fine particulate matter PM2.5 that can clog lungs - has been hovering between 300 and 400. This is more than 20 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization.
Readings above 400 affect all healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases, but high exposure to PM2.5 hits children and the elderly the hardest.
Across the capital, many hospitals have seen an influx of children who are sick because of the unbreathable air.
"These particles can affect the child's immunity, especially because their system is still developing and the cells are learning an immune response in the early years," Dr Shishir Bhatnagar, the paediatrician at the Noida clinic, told the BBC.
"These cases have increased tenfold in recent years. In my experience, if I normally see an average 20-30% of patients with such complaints, that number shoots up to 50-70% during the pollution season."
Each year, the government rolls out emergency steps - halting construction, banning polluting vehicles - to curb the smog. This year, it even tried cloud seeding to trigger artificial rain, without success.
But none of it has helped ease the pollution crisis that sparks anxiety among the city's 20 million people - particularly among parents of young children.
Khushboo Bharti, 31, says she shudders every time she remembers the night of 13 November, when she had to rush her one-year-old daughter Samaira to the emergency.
"I remember her waking up with a violent cough that made her vomit several times," Ms Bharti says.
She tried the usual home remedies, but nothing worked. Eventually, she took the baby to the hospital in the middle of the night.
"On the way there, Samaira didn't react to anyone or anything. It was very unlike her, she is a bubbly child. She wouldn't even lift her head. It was the worst moment of my life."
At the hospital, the toddler was treated with strong steroid nebulisation and was on oxygen support for two days. She was later diagnosed with pneumonia.
Since then, Ms Bharti is constantly on the edge.
"Even if she coughs just a few times, I panic."
Samaira has now recovered, but other parents like Gopal*, who had to take his two-year-old daughter Renu* to a government hospital last week because of chest congestion, fear that the lethal air may have caused irrevocable damage to their children's health.
"Doctors told me she might have to be on inhalers for some time," Gopal told the BBC.
Research over the years has highlighted the devastating impact air pollution is having on young children across the world - leading to stunted development, external, weaker immunity, external and lower cognitive ability.
A recent study from the University of Cambridge incorporating data from almost 30 million people has also found that exposure to certain pollutants is associated with a higher risk of developing various types of dementia, external, including Alzheimer's disease.
These growing risks have made many parents like Ms Bharti consider moving out of Delhi.
"What is the point of living in a city where my daughter can't even breathe safely?" she asks. "My husband's business is in Delhi, so we can't drop everything and leave. But the moment we have a chance, we'll move."
For now, Delhi has moved to limit children's exposure - postponing outdoor sports and shifting primary classes to hybrid mode.
The relatively privileged will benefit from these, but for hundreds of thousands of economically disadvantaged children, born in working class families and living by the roadside or in shanty towns, "the onslaught on their lungs is enormous", Dr A Fathahudeen, a Kerala-based pulmonologist, told the BBC.
Living in cramped homes also exposes them to greater pollution from cooking fuels, traffic and poor ventilation. And the toxic air outdoor makes things worse.
"These children are consistently exposed to high degrees of pollution so their lung defence systems are reduced. If you fail to treat such childhood infections, it can cause permanent damage to the lungs," says Dr Fathahudeen.
He points out that several studies show how early childhood infections caused by the exposure of "immature lungs" to air pollution can lead to chronic obstructive airway disease in adulthood, similar to what's seen among smokers.
Dr Fathahudeen says those who can should strictly keep their children indoors and make sure they are properly hydrated and wear N95 masks - which filter out 95% of the pollutants - when outdoors.
But parents question how long can they keep children shut indoors.
"They're growing, they need space to play and while they do get brief moments in nature, we are now forced to stop them," said Seema*, a mother.
"They protest sometimes, but what choice do we have? We know how crucial physical activity is, but not at the cost of breathing this toxic air," she says.
*Names have been changed
Indian lagging behind the whole world on pollution
finalfantasy7
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Delhi records 200,000 acute respiratory illness cases amid toxic air:
www.bbc.co.uk
More than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses were recorded in six state-run hospitals in Delhi between 2022 and 2024 as the Indian capital struggled with rising pollution levels, the federal government has said.
The government said in parliament that more than 30,000 people with respiratory illnesses had to be hospitalised in these three years.
Toxic air is a recurring problem in Delhi and its suburbs, especially during winters.
For weeks now, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) - which measures different types of pollutants, including PM2.5, a fine particulate matter that can clog lungs - has been more than 20 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization.
There isn't a single cause behind the problem, but it's attributed to a mix of factors like industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, dropping temperatures, low wind speeds and the seasonal burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states.
Delhi's six major hospitals recorded 67,054 acute respiratory cases in 2022, 69,293 in 2023 and 68,411 in 2024.
"Analysis suggests that increase in pollution levels was associated with increase in number of patients attending emergency rooms. However, this study design cannot provide confirmation that the association is causal," the government told parliament.
Delhi's average AQI has crossed the "severe" 400 mark many times over the past decade, especially in winter - levels that can harm even healthy people and pose serious risks to those with existing illnesses.
On Wednesday morning, Delhi's average AQI was around 380, according to the government-backed Safar app.
The BBC reported last week how many hospitals in Delhi and its suburbs are seeing an influx of children who are sick because of the toxic air.
The Delhi high court is set to hear a petition on Wednesday calling for urgent measures to curb hazardous air pollution.
@Champ_Pal - how come india wont fix this
Air pollution: Delhi hospitals saw 200,000 respiratory illness patients in three years
More than 30,000 people with respiratory illnesses had to be hospitalised in Delhi between 2022 and 2024.
www.bbc.co.uk
More than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses were recorded in six state-run hospitals in Delhi between 2022 and 2024 as the Indian capital struggled with rising pollution levels, the federal government has said.
The government said in parliament that more than 30,000 people with respiratory illnesses had to be hospitalised in these three years.
Toxic air is a recurring problem in Delhi and its suburbs, especially during winters.
For weeks now, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) - which measures different types of pollutants, including PM2.5, a fine particulate matter that can clog lungs - has been more than 20 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization.
There isn't a single cause behind the problem, but it's attributed to a mix of factors like industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, dropping temperatures, low wind speeds and the seasonal burning of crop stubble in neighbouring states.
Delhi's six major hospitals recorded 67,054 acute respiratory cases in 2022, 69,293 in 2023 and 68,411 in 2024.
"Analysis suggests that increase in pollution levels was associated with increase in number of patients attending emergency rooms. However, this study design cannot provide confirmation that the association is causal," the government told parliament.
Delhi's average AQI has crossed the "severe" 400 mark many times over the past decade, especially in winter - levels that can harm even healthy people and pose serious risks to those with existing illnesses.
On Wednesday morning, Delhi's average AQI was around 380, according to the government-backed Safar app.
The BBC reported last week how many hospitals in Delhi and its suburbs are seeing an influx of children who are sick because of the toxic air.
The Delhi high court is set to hear a petition on Wednesday calling for urgent measures to curb hazardous air pollution.
@Champ_Pal - how come india wont fix this
finalfantasy7
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‘It’s hell for us here’: Mumbai families suffer as datacentres keep the city hooked on coal
As Mumbai sees increased energy demand from new datacenters, particularly from Amazon, the filthiest neighbourhood in one of India’s largest cities must keep its major coal plants
Each day, Kiran Kasbe drives a rickshaw taxi through his home neighbourhood of Mahul on Mumbai’s eastern seafront, down streets lined with stalls selling tomatoes, bottle gourds and aubergines–and, frequently, through thick smog.
Earlier this year, doctors found three tumours in his 54-year-old mother’s brain. It’s not clear exactly what caused her cancer. But people who live near coal plants are much more likely to develop the illness, studies show, and the residents of Mahul live a few hundred metres down the road from one.
Mahul’s air is famously dirty. Even behind closed car windows, there is a heavy stench of oil and smoke.
“We are not the only ones facing health challenges in the area,” said Kasbe, who is 36. “It’s all covered with filth.”
Two coal plants plant run by the Indian multinationals Tata Group and Adani were due to close last year in a government push to cut emissions. But late in 2023, those decisions were reversed after Tata argued that electricity demand was rising too fast for Mumbai to go without coal.
Neither company responded to requests for comment.
Economic growth and the need for air conditioning in climate change-linked extreme heat have seen India’s electricity demand soar in recent years. But an investigation by SourceMaterial and the Guardian reveals the biggest single factor in the city’s failure to end its dependence on fossil fuels: energy-hungry datacentres.
Leaked records also reveal the scale of the presence of the world’s biggest datacentre operator, Amazon, in Mumbai.
In the city’s metropolitan area, Amazon, on its website, records three “availability zones”, which it defines as one or more datacentres. Leaked records from last year seen by SourceMaterial from inside Amazon reveal the company used 16 in the city.
As India transforms its economy into a hub for artificial intelligence, the datacentre boom is creating a conflict between energy demand and climate pledges, said Bhaskar Chakravorti, who researches technology’s impact on society at Tufts University’s Fletcher School.
“I’m not surprised they’re falling behind their green transition commitments, especially with the demand growing exponentially,” he said of the Indian government.
Kylee Yonas, a spokeswoman for Amazon, said Mumbai’s “emission challenges” were not caused by Amazon.
“On the contrary – Amazon is one of the largest corporate investors in renewable energy in India, and we’ve supported 53 solar and wind projects in the country capable of generating over 4m megawatt hours of clean energy annually,” she said. “These investments, which include our 99 megawatt wind project in Maharashtra, are enough to power over 1.3m Indian homes annually once operational.”
Amazon is building hundreds of datacentres around the world as it vies with Microsoft, Google and others for leadership of the booming AI market.
The company is failing to take responsibility for its role in prolonging the use of the most polluting energy sources, said Eliza Pan, a spokeswoman for Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.
“Amazon is using the shiny thing of AI to distract from the fact that it’s building a dirty energy empire,” she said.
Yonas denied this, saying: “Not only are we the leading datacentre operator in efficiency, we’re the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for five consecutive years with over 600 projects globally.”
Amazon’s claims on green energy are controversial: the company has been criticised for using “creative accounting” by buying renewable energy certificates alongside direct purchases of green energy, as described by a member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.
‘Everything is contaminated’
Mahul, where Kasbe drives his rickshaw, is a former fishing village now home to tens of thousands of people who moved there after slum clearances elsewhere in the city.
Kiran Kasbe’s mother. Photograph: Courtesy Sushmita
Kasbe and his mother arrived there in 2018 after their home in the suburb of Vidyavihar was bulldozed. She had been healthy before the move but deteriorated rapidly until eventually she was diagnosed with brain cancer, he said.
Gajanan Tandle, who lives nearby, said pollution-linked illnesses were common. “There are so many cases of skin and eye irritation, cancer, asthma, TB and more, and no assistance from the government,” he said.
Another local, Santosh Jadhav, has lobbied the government to move people away from Mahul.
Everything is contaminated. We are tired of fighting for a decent means of living,” he said. “It’s hell for us here.”
Hidden datacentres
Amazon, an online marketplace that processes 13 million customer purchases each day, according to research by CapitalOne, has bet billions of dollars on an expansion of its lucrative cloud computing business and expansion of AI-assisted services, from automated coding to translation.
As Mumbai sees increased energy demand from new datacenters, particularly from Amazon, the filthiest neighbourhood in one of India’s largest cities must keep its major coal plantsLuke Barratt, Atika Rehman and Sushmita
Mon 24 Nov 2025 18.35 GMT
Share
Each day, Kiran Kasbe drives a rickshaw taxi through his home neighbourhood of Mahul on Mumbai’s eastern seafront, down streets lined with stalls selling tomatoes, bottle gourds and aubergines–and, frequently, through thick smog.
Earlier this year, doctors found three tumours in his 54-year-old mother’s brain. It’s not clear exactly what caused her cancer. But people who live near coal plants are much more likely to develop the illness, studies show, and the residents of Mahul live a few hundred metres down the road from one.
Mahul’s air is famously dirty. Even behind closed car windows, there is a heavy stench of oil and smoke.
“We are not the only ones facing health challenges in the area,” said Kasbe, who is 36. “It’s all covered with filth.”
Two coal plants plant run by the Indian multinationals Tata Group and Adani were due to close last year in a government push to cut emissions. But late in 2023, those decisions were reversed after Tata argued that electricity demand was rising too fast for Mumbai to go without coal.
Neither company responded to requests for comment.
Buildings shrouded in smog in Mumbai, India, in January. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Economic growth and the need for air conditioning in climate change-linked extreme heat have seen India’s electricity demand soar in recent years. But an investigation by SourceMaterial and the Guardian reveals the biggest single factor in the city’s failure to end its dependence on fossil fuels: energy-hungry datacentres.
Leaked records also reveal the scale of the presence of the world’s biggest datacentre operator, Amazon, in Mumbai.
In the city’s metropolitan area, Amazon, on its website, records three “availability zones”, which it defines as one or more datacentres. Leaked records from last year seen by SourceMaterial from inside Amazon reveal the company used 16 in the city.
As India transforms its economy into a hub for artificial intelligence, the datacentre boom is creating a conflict between energy demand and climate pledges, said Bhaskar Chakravorti, who researches technology’s impact on society at Tufts University’s Fletcher School.
“I’m not surprised they’re falling behind their green transition commitments, especially with the demand growing exponentially,” he said of the Indian government.
Kylee Yonas, a spokeswoman for Amazon, said Mumbai’s “emission challenges” were not caused by Amazon.
“On the contrary – Amazon is one of the largest corporate investors in renewable energy in India, and we’ve supported 53 solar and wind projects in the country capable of generating over 4m megawatt hours of clean energy annually,” she said. “These investments, which include our 99 megawatt wind project in Maharashtra, are enough to power over 1.3m Indian homes annually once operational.”
Amazon is building hundreds of datacentres around the world as it vies with Microsoft, Google and others for leadership of the booming AI market.
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd office in Mumbai, India. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
The company is failing to take responsibility for its role in prolonging the use of the most polluting energy sources, said Eliza Pan, a spokeswoman for Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.
“Amazon is using the shiny thing of AI to distract from the fact that it’s building a dirty energy empire,” she said.
Yonas denied this, saying: “Not only are we the leading datacentre operator in efficiency, we’re the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for five consecutive years with over 600 projects globally.”
Amazon’s claims on green energy are controversial: the company has been criticised for using “creative accounting” by buying renewable energy certificates alongside direct purchases of green energy, as described by a member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.
‘Everything is contaminated’
Mahul, where Kasbe drives his rickshaw, is a former fishing village now home to tens of thousands of people who moved there after slum clearances elsewhere in the city.
Kiran Kasbe’s mother. Photograph: Courtesy Sushmita
Kasbe and his mother arrived there in 2018 after their home in the suburb of Vidyavihar was bulldozed. She had been healthy before the move but deteriorated rapidly until eventually she was diagnosed with brain cancer, he said.
Gajanan Tandle, who lives nearby, said pollution-linked illnesses were common. “There are so many cases of skin and eye irritation, cancer, asthma, TB and more, and no assistance from the government,” he said.
Another local, Santosh Jadhav, has lobbied the government to move people away from Mahul.
“Everything is contaminated. We are tired of fighting for a decent means of living,” he said. “It’s hell for us here.”
Hidden datacentres
Amazon, an online marketplace that processes 13 million customer purchases each day, according to research by CapitalOne, has bet billions of dollars on an expansion of its lucrative cloud computing business and expansion of AI-assisted services, from automated coding to translation.Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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The reason so many of its Mumbai centres have slipped under the radar is that they are leased rather than owned by the company. Whereas in the US Amazon tends to own its facilities outright, elsewhere it often rents either entire data farms or server racks in centres shared with other companies.
Shared “colocation” units account for a larger increase in datacentre energy use worldwide than owned or wholly leased, according to Shaolei Ren, a computing specialist at the University of California, Riverside.
“Most of the energy in the datacentre industry is going into colocations,” he said. “They are everywhere.”
Amazon’s Mumbai colocation datacentres used 624,518 megawatt hours of electricity in 2023, enough to power over 400,000 Indian households for a year, the leaked data shows.
India is poised to overtake Japan and Australia to become the second-largest user of datacentre electricity in the Asia-Pacific region, S&P has forecast. By 2030, datacentres will consume a third of Mumbai’s energy, according to Ankit Saraiya, chief executive of Techno & Electric Engineering, an Indian power infrastructure supplier.
‘Toxic hell’
As it scrambles to keep ahead of demand for power, the state government of Maharashtra has extended the life of Tata’s coal plant in Mahul by at least five years. At the same time, it also postponed the shutdown of a 500-megawatt station operated by Tata’s rival, Adani Group, north of the city.When Tata argued for the extension in a petition to the state energy board, the biggest single factor the company cited was increased energy demand from datacentres. Adani said most anticipated new demand in the five years after the date by which its station was due to close would be from datacentres.
The power stations are just two of many polluters in Mumbai’s Mahul district. The area is also home to three refineries and 16 chemical factories, according to a 2019 report published by India’s Centre for Policy Studies which called the neighbourhood a “toxic hell”.
But the Tata station, opened in 1984 and like other older power stations subject to laxer emissions rules, is “one of the key sources of air pollution in Mumbai”, according to Raj Lal, chief air quality scientist at the World Emission Network.
It contributes nearly a third of local PM2.5 pollution, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. PM2.5 refers to airborne particles 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter that can cause significant health problems when inhaled.
As Mumbai sees increased energy demand from new datacenters, particularly from Amazon, the filthiest neighbourhood in one of India’s largest cities must keep its major coal plantsLuke Barratt, Atika Rehman and Sushmita
Mon 24 Nov 2025 18.35 GMT
Share
Each day, Kiran Kasbe drives a rickshaw taxi through his home neighbourhood of Mahul on Mumbai’s eastern seafront, down streets lined with stalls selling tomatoes, bottle gourds and aubergines–and, frequently, through thick smog.
Earlier this year, doctors found three tumours in his 54-year-old mother’s brain. It’s not clear exactly what caused her cancer. But people who live near coal plants are much more likely to develop the illness, studies show, and the residents of Mahul live a few hundred metres down the road from one.
Mahul’s air is famously dirty. Even behind closed car windows, there is a heavy stench of oil and smoke.
“We are not the only ones facing health challenges in the area,” said Kasbe, who is 36. “It’s all covered with filth.”
Two coal plants plant run by the Indian multinationals Tata Group and Adani were due to close last year in a government push to cut emissions. But late in 2023, those decisions were reversed after Tata argued that electricity demand was rising too fast for Mumbai to go without coal.
Neither company responded to requests for comment.
Buildings shrouded in smog in Mumbai, India, in January. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Economic growth and the need for air conditioning in climate change-linked extreme heat have seen India’s electricity demand soar in recent years. But an investigation by SourceMaterial and the Guardian reveals the biggest single factor in the city’s failure to end its dependence on fossil fuels: energy-hungry datacentres.
Leaked records also reveal the scale of the presence of the world’s biggest datacentre operator, Amazon, in Mumbai.
In the city’s metropolitan area, Amazon, on its website, records three “availability zones”, which it defines as one or more datacentres. Leaked records from last year seen by SourceMaterial from inside Amazon reveal the company used 16 in the city.
As India transforms its economy into a hub for artificial intelligence, the datacentre boom is creating a conflict between energy demand and climate pledges, said Bhaskar Chakravorti, who researches technology’s impact on society at Tufts University’s Fletcher School.
“I’m not surprised they’re falling behind their green transition commitments, especially with the demand growing exponentially,” he said of the Indian government.
Kylee Yonas, a spokeswoman for Amazon, said Mumbai’s “emission challenges” were not caused by Amazon.
“On the contrary – Amazon is one of the largest corporate investors in renewable energy in India, and we’ve supported 53 solar and wind projects in the country capable of generating over 4m megawatt hours of clean energy annually,” she said. “These investments, which include our 99 megawatt wind project in Maharashtra, are enough to power over 1.3m Indian homes annually once operational.”
Amazon is building hundreds of datacentres around the world as it vies with Microsoft, Google and others for leadership of the booming AI market.
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd office in Mumbai, India. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
The company is failing to take responsibility for its role in prolonging the use of the most polluting energy sources, said Eliza Pan, a spokeswoman for Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.
“Amazon is using the shiny thing of AI to distract from the fact that it’s building a dirty energy empire,” she said.
Yonas denied this, saying: “Not only are we the leading datacentre operator in efficiency, we’re the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for five consecutive years with over 600 projects globally.”
Amazon’s claims on green energy are controversial: the company has been criticised for using “creative accounting” by buying renewable energy certificates alongside direct purchases of green energy, as described by a member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.
‘Everything is contaminated’
Mahul, where Kasbe drives his rickshaw, is a former fishing village now home to tens of thousands of people who moved there after slum clearances elsewhere in the city.
Kiran Kasbe’s mother. Photograph: Courtesy Sushmita
Kasbe and his mother arrived there in 2018 after their home in the suburb of Vidyavihar was bulldozed. She had been healthy before the move but deteriorated rapidly until eventually she was diagnosed with brain cancer, he said.
Gajanan Tandle, who lives nearby, said pollution-linked illnesses were common. “There are so many cases of skin and eye irritation, cancer, asthma, TB and more, and no assistance from the government,” he said.
Another local, Santosh Jadhav, has lobbied the government to move people away from Mahul.
“Everything is contaminated. We are tired of fighting for a decent means of living,” he said. “It’s hell for us here.”
Hidden datacentres
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The reason so many of its Mumbai centres have slipped under the radar is that they are leased rather than owned by the company. Whereas in the US Amazon tends to own its facilities outright, elsewhere it often rents either entire data farms or server racks in centres shared with other companies.
Shared “colocation” units account for a larger increase in datacentre energy use worldwide than owned or wholly leased, according to Shaolei Ren, a computing specialist at the University of California, Riverside.
“Most of the energy in the datacentre industry is going into colocations,” he said. “They are everywhere.”
Workers near Amazon Prime branding in Mumbai, India, on September. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images
Amazon’s Mumbai colocation datacentres used 624,518 megawatt hours of electricity in 2023, enough to power over 400,000 Indian households for a year, the leaked data shows.
India is poised to overtake Japan and Australia to become the second-largest user of datacentre electricity in the Asia-Pacific region, S&P has forecast. By 2030, datacentres will consume a third of Mumbai’s energy, according to Ankit Saraiya, chief executive of Techno & Electric Engineering, an Indian power infrastructure supplier.
‘Toxic hell’
As it scrambles to keep ahead of demand for power, the state government of Maharashtra has extended the life of Tata’s coal plant in Mahul by at least five years. At the same time, it also postponed the shutdown of a 500-megawatt station operated by Tata’s rival, Adani Group, north of the city.When Tata argued for the extension in a petition to the state energy board, the biggest single factor the company cited was increased energy demand from datacentres. Adani said most anticipated new demand in the five years after the date by which its station was due to close would be from datacentres.
The power stations are just two of many polluters in Mumbai’s Mahul district. The area is also home to three refineries and 16 chemical factories, according to a 2019 report published by India’s Centre for Policy Studies which called the neighbourhood a “toxic hell”.
But the Tata station, opened in 1984 and like other older power stations subject to laxer emissions rules, is “one of the key sources of air pollution in Mumbai”, according to Raj Lal, chief air quality scientist at the World Emission Network.
It contributes nearly a third of local PM2.5 pollution, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. PM2.5 refers to airborne particles 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter that can cause significant health problems when inhaled.
Smoke rises from a chimney at the Tata Power Co Trombay Thermal power plant in Mumbai, India, in August 2017. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Toxic heavy metals in coal ash from the plant are likely to cause “respiratory diseases, kidney issues, skin problems, cardiac issues”, said Shripad Dharmadhikary, founder of the environmental organisation Manthan Adhyayan Kendra.
Even with the Tata plant kept running, Mumbai’s power grid is creaking under the strain of surging demand. To guard against blackouts, Amazon’s colocation datacentres in the city have bought 41 diesel generators as backup and are asking for approval to install more, documents show.
In August a report by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) identified diesel generators as a major source of air pollution in the region.
The presence of datacentres that require constant power and diesel generators for backup “will naturally exacerbate emissions”, said Swagata Dey, air quality specialist at (CSTEP), asserting that datacentre operators should be required by law to power them with pollution-free solar electricity.
One Amazon site in particular, just across the Thane Creek from Mahul, hosts 14 generators. One of the company’s partners received permission earlier this year to install 12 further generators at the site.
“Public health impacts must be a central consideration when siting datacenters and choosing energy sources,” said Ren of the University of California, Riverside, who co-wrote a recent paper assessing public health risk from diesel generators at US datacentres.
- Sushmita does not use a surname because in India a surname indicates the caste–a hierarchical and discriminatory social structure.
@JaDed the last bullet point is just crazy - but how would you deal with the air pollution
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Lethal smog is back in the world’s most polluted capital. Residents have had enough
New Delhi —
It’s easy to tell when it’s smog season in New Delhi; the air gets darker, heavier and starts scratching the throats and testing the lungs of the city’s 34 million residents.
Pollution been an issue for so long in the Indian capital that the city’s famous Red Fort is turning black, an outward sign of a growing health and political crisis that’s now bringing angry residents onto the streets.
“I just want to be able to breathe again,” said Sofie, 33, at a protest near Delhi’s India Gate earlier this month. “There seems to be no political will to fix the issue,” she added, surrounded by dozens of protesters wearing face masks and carrying nebulizers.
Successive Delhi governments have had air pollution plans dating back to 1996, but decades on, the air remains dangerously unhealthy, especially at this time of year when colder air traps smoke and fumes from fireworks, crop-burning and heavy city traffic.
The struggle to clean India’s air stands in contrast to nearby China, where a multi-billion dollar and years-long effort to crack down on the country’s notoriously polluted skies has paid significant dividends.
New Delhi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government insists it’s taking action, and last month launched an expensive – and unsuccessful – cloud seeding experiment to wash away the toxic air.
Pollution levels are now at “hazardous” levels, according to IQAir, which regularly puts Delhi at the top of its list of major cities with the world’s worst air quality.
“Imagine the impact of that on a baby’s lungs,” said Dr Vandana Prasad, a pediatrician at the protest. “Children are forced to go to school in these circumstances, and even masks aren’t recommended for kids below 12,” she said.
“We are literally killing our kids.”
Failed cloud seeding efforts
Small aircraft hummed over the city’s skies late last month, firing flares into clouds to shower them with small quantities of silver iodide and sodium chloride compounds.India has used cloud seeding technology to create rain in other parts of the country, but never to curb pollution. It’s part of a pricey promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which took office in New Delhi earlier this year.
“I want to tell Delhi’s citizens that the government has installed anti-smog guns on high-rise buildings, done dust mitigation with water sprinklers, we are monitoring ongoing constructions,” environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said in a statement.
However, “10 years of damage cannot be undone in 7 months,” Sirsa added, as he attempted to shift the blame to the previous government.
High-rise buildings under construction cloaked in heavy smog pollution on October 29, 2025 in Noida, outskirts of New Delhi, India.
Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images
Three attempts at cloud seeding last month “did not achieve success” because there wasn’t enough precipitation in the air, according to Manindra Agarwal, director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, which worked with the government on the cloud seeding project.
Scientists say cloud seeding can induce rain only when enough moisture is already present in the atmosphere. On the day of the tests, it was around 15%, Agarwal said.
Two more trials were planned; however, they’ve since been postponed, partly due to insufficient moisture in the clouds, IIT Kanpur said in a statement.
The capital woke up to a thick layer of smog on October 20, after residents celebrated Diwali, setting off fireworks for the Indian festival of lights. As the air quality deteriorated, the Delhi government greenlit cloud seeding, despite warnings from experts that the probability of success was low.
Hindu devotees worship the Sun god on the banks of Yamuna river n a smoggy morning in Noida on October 28, 2025.
Adnan Abidi/Reuters
“Effective cloud seeding requires specific cloud conditions, which are generally absent during Delhi’s cold and dry winter months,” experts said in a letter to the environment minister.
“Even if suitable clouds were present, the dry atmospheric layer beneath them could cause any developed precipitation to evaporate before reaching the surface,” said the letter, from the Indian Meteorological Department, Commission for Air Quality Management in the national capital region (NCR) and Adjoining areas and the Central Pollution Control Board.
“This is honestly the worst possible choice to mitigate air pollution,” M Rajeevan, former secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences told CNN. According to Rajeevan, even if the cloud seeding had succeeded, it was only a temporary fix, reducing pollution for a couple of days instead of tackling the root of the problem.
CNN has reached out to Delhi’s chief minister and environment minister for comment.
The Red Fort’s turning black
The Red Fort is a popular destination for tourists in New Delhi that's showing signs of staining from pollution.
Ozgen Besli/Anadolu/Getty Images
The scale of Delhi’s problem can be seen on the walls of the Red Fort, which takes its name from the red sandstone used to build the structure in the 1600s.
“Black crusts” are forming on the Red Fort’s 20-meter-high walls from “amorphous carbon and various heavy metals” found in the atmosphere, noted a study published earlier this year.
“Given the alarming air quality situation in Delhi, studying important monuments like the Red Fort is crucial for promoting effective conservation policies and interventions.” the study said.
“Of course, the fort has gone black,” said Raman, 64, who only gave one name, and has worked at the fort for four years.
Research shows "black crusts" are forming on the sandstone walls of the Red Fort, an important historical monument.
Esha Mitra/CNN
A report released in June said the Red Fort is "highly susceptible to degradation caused by air pollutants."
Esha Mitra/CNN
“How will it not with the level of pollution in Delhi? There’s so much dust. After just a day of being outdoors, you go home and wash your face you see how much black stuff comes off.”
“I remember seeing the red fort on my first trip to Delhi about 30 years ago,” said Raman. “It definitely was much redder then. More like an apple color. Now that apple has rotten.”
A petition was filed in India’s top court earlier this month asking that air pollution be declared a “National Public Health Emergency,” and calling for the court to supervise a new anti-pollution strategy, so it’s carried out in a timely manner.
Filed on behalf of Luke Coutinho, a wellness expert who has spearheaded Modi’s Fit India movement, the petition accuses the government of failing to target the sources of industrial pollution and spending too little to curb vehicular emissions.
“Temporary measures such as mist sprayers, anti-smog guns, and artificial rain trials may provide symbolic reassurance but do little to mitigate emissions at the source,” the petition said.
Meanwhile reports attribute millions of deaths in the past three years to pollution in India. The 2025 State of Global Air report estimated that in 2023, India accounted for nearly 30% of air pollution-related deaths worldwide.
“Our life expectancies are reduced by 5, 10 years, but the government is doing nothing about it,” said Prasad, the pediatrician, who said she sees three-year-olds at her clinic struggling with a “cough that never goes away.”
Delhi often tops the list of cities worldwide with the most polluted air.
Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times/Getty Images
Prasad does not discount the importance of individual responsibility. “My neighbors had just had a baby and were burning crackers to celebrate. I wanted to go and tell them at least for the sake of your baby you should not be burning crackers at all,” she told CNN.
The India Gate protest did not last long; Protesters, including women and children, were detained for not having permission to demonstrate. Some said they were forced into police vehicles and were later released on the outskirts of Delhi. CNN has reached out to Delhi Police for comment.
As Delhi’s air pollution levels deteriorated from “very poor” to “severe” on last Tuesday, the government implemented increased pollution control measures as part of its Graded Response Action Plan.
Under this measure, schools up to Grade 5 operate in “hybrid” mode – with some classes online and others in-person. All non-essential construction is paused, and the most polluting vehicles are banned from the roads while the measure remains in force.
Protesters say they’ve sent multiple requests to meet Delhi’s chief minister, all of which have been denied. They say the government’s refusal to engage with them has brought them to the streets, and they’re not backing down.
“We’re here protesting because it’s our responsibility to speak up,” said Prasad, the doctor, at one of at least three protests held this month. “I hope the government listens.”
The amount of details is amazing, credit to the journalist - did as much as a great job as me
This really stuck out to me - “We are literally killing our kids.”
@Theanonymousone @JaDed @Devadwal @uppercut @Rajdeep @RexRex @Champ_Pal @BreadPakoda @Vikram1989 = you need to starting improving immediately
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Dr. Ashok Seth: 80 Padma Doctors Declare Air Pollution A Public Health Emergency
Air Pollution A Public Health Emergency: Padma Awardee Doctors Issue Urgent Advisory On 5 Live
In this Special Report on 5 Live, anchor Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor discusses the 'extraordinary alarm' raised by India's top medical experts regarding the toxic air crisis. Padma Bhushan awardees Dr Amrish Mittal and Dr Ashok Seth explain why air pollution is now a 'public health emergency', linking...
Day by day it gets worse
finalfantasy7
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thrs something wrong with you, sort yourself outAstaghfirullah
finalfantasy7
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Govt says no data on deaths due to pollution; Lancet says 15 lakh
Govt says no data on deaths due to pollution; Lancet says 15 lakh
The Centre has told Parliament that there is “no conclusive national data to establish a direct correlation between deaths or diseases occurring exclusively due to air pollution,” a position that stands in sharp contrast to multiple global studies highlighting India’s escalating pollution-linked health burden.
This assertion comes at a time when hazardous air quality across major Indian cities—most visibly Delhi and the National Capital Region—has triggered public demonstrations and renewed demands for decisive clean-air action.
Last December, a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health estimated that long-term exposure to polluted air contributes to roughly 15 lakh additional deaths in India each year compared with a scenario in which the country met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended safe-exposure limits.
The report emphasized the severe impact of PM2.5—fine particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter—which can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream and is now regularly recorded at levels far exceeding global safety thresholds across India.
Another significant analysis released in November, drawing from the latest Global Burden of Disease data, found that toxic air was the single largest killer in Delhi in 2023.
According to the study, nearly 15 percent of all deaths in the capital that year were attributable to air pollution, making it a deadlier factor than several major communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Responding to a query from Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien, Minister of State for Health Prakashrao Jadhav acknowledged in the Rajya Sabha that air pollution is a contributing factor in respiratory and associated ailments.
However, he reiterated that India lacks national-level figures directly linking deaths to pollution exposure.
His comments arrive amid repeated winter spikes in Delhi-NCR, where AQI levels routinely soar past 800—far above the WHO’s safe range of 0–50.
NATION-WIDE PROBLEM
Very few Indian cities register healthy air quality on any day of the year, and experts note that chronic exposure has become a nationwide public-health crisis.Jadhav informed the House that the National Programme for Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH), in place since 2019, aims to build awareness, capacity, preparedness and partnerships around climate-sensitive health issues.
Under this programme, the government has formulated a national “Health Adaptation Plan” addressing the health impacts of air pollution and has also assisted all 36 states and Union Territories in preparing dedicated “State Action Plans” on climate change and human health.
Each of these plans contains a chapter on air pollution outlining recommended interventions to mitigate its health impacts.
To improve preparedness, early warning systems and air-quality forecasts from the India Meteorological Department are shared with states and cities, enabling health authorities and vulnerable communities to brace for periods of severe pollution.
The health implications are already evident in consumer data.
A new report by Pharmatrac, a pharma-market intelligence firm, found that November’s extremely poor air quality drove sales of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medicines to a three-year-high.
Respiratory drugs accounted for 8 percent of all medicines sold in the month, marking an unusual spike closely tied to the worsening pollution crisis.
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India runs one of the world’s largest water and sanitation programs, yet over 70% of surface water is polluted and a majority of sewage generated is either untreated or only partially treated.
Treatment plants are built, but many operate below capacity due to poor maintenance, unreliable power, and lack of skilled staff.
Urban sewage treatment lags population growth, while rural wastewater is largely unmanaged. Rivers are “cleaned” downstream while pollution continues upstream, turning treatment into a cosmetic exercise rather than a systemic fix. Industrial effluents frequently bypass monitoring, enforcement is inconsistent across states, and accountability dissolves between agencies.
The result is predictable: unsafe drinking water, recurring health crises, and repeated spending on infrastructure that delivers limited real-world outcomes. Water treatment in India persists as a policy headline, not a functional public service.
Treatment plants are built, but many operate below capacity due to poor maintenance, unreliable power, and lack of skilled staff.
Urban sewage treatment lags population growth, while rural wastewater is largely unmanaged. Rivers are “cleaned” downstream while pollution continues upstream, turning treatment into a cosmetic exercise rather than a systemic fix. Industrial effluents frequently bypass monitoring, enforcement is inconsistent across states, and accountability dissolves between agencies.
The result is predictable: unsafe drinking water, recurring health crises, and repeated spending on infrastructure that delivers limited real-world outcomes. Water treatment in India persists as a policy headline, not a functional public service.
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Dr. Ashok Seth: 80 Padma Doctors Declare Air Pollution A Public Health Emergency
Dr. Ashok Seth: 80 Padma Doctors Declare Air Pollution A Public Health Emergency
In a special report, Dr. Ashok Seth, Chairman of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, and Dr. Amrish Mittal, Group Chairman at Max Healthcare, join 80 Padma awardee doctors to declare India’s air pollution a 'public health emergency'. Dr. Seth warns that the toxic air is a 'killer' causing a surge in...
When will the Indian government listen
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Dr. Ashok Seth: 80 Padma Doctors Declare Air Pollution A Public Health Emergency
Air Pollution A Public Health Emergency: Padma Awardee Doctors Issue Urgent Advisory On 5 Live
In this Special Report on 5 Live, anchor Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor discusses the 'extraordinary alarm' raised by India's top medical experts regarding the toxic air crisis. Padma Bhushan awardees Dr Amrish Mittal and Dr Ashok Seth explain why air pollution is now a 'public health emergency', linking...
Air qualities of some of the cities have already reached "critical" levels.
North India seems to be getting hit the most.
Air pollution in India: Air Quality worsens in parts of India; Delhi AQI at 427; here are other worst hit areas in country
Air pollution in India: Air quality in parts of India continued to remain in the very poor to severe category on Monday, with the NCR emerging as worst-affected
==================================
North India emerges as major pollution hotspot
The nationwide AQI map showed multiple toxic hotspots across north India, while parts of central, eastern and southern India reported mixed air quality, ranging from moderate to poor. The data highlights sharp regional differences in pollution levels.At 4 pm on December 15, Greater Noida recorded an AQI of 447, followed closely by Ghaziabad (444), Noida (437) and Delhi (427). These levels fall in the severe category, indicating hazardous conditions for breathing.
Health experts warn that prolonged exposure to severe air pollution can worsen respiratory illnesses, heart conditions, and asthma, especially among children and the elderly.
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@Devadwal to miss BBQ for some days now 
===
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded around 400 at Delhi's Anand Vihar and ITO at 10 am on Tuesday. The ban on tandoors, which are used by restaurants and eateries, came last week.
The order was issued under Section 31(A) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, according to a report from news agency PTI on December 9.
All restaurants and eateries have to immediately switch to electric, gas-based or other clean-fuel appliances.
With air quality worsening in Delhi-NCR, stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented on Saturday last week.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), said its GRAP sub-committee had decided to enforce all measures under stage-IV or "severe+" air quality with immediate effect after pollution levels crossed critical thresholds.
Under GRAP IV, any open burning of biomass, waste, or similar materials (which could include coal) is strictly prohibited.
"Urban local bodies, including commissioners and chief engineers of municipal agencies, have been instructed to conduct checks and ensure that all eateries under their jurisdiction immediately discontinue use of coal and firewood," according to the PTI report.
Source: India today
===
Desperate Delhi bans tandoors in its fight against pollution
A humble tandoor, used to prepare rotis and roasted delights, has become the latest target of Delhi's pollution fight. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) issued directions banning tandoors that use coal and firewood across all hotels, restaurants and open eateries in the city.The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded around 400 at Delhi's Anand Vihar and ITO at 10 am on Tuesday. The ban on tandoors, which are used by restaurants and eateries, came last week.
The order was issued under Section 31(A) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, according to a report from news agency PTI on December 9.
All restaurants and eateries have to immediately switch to electric, gas-based or other clean-fuel appliances.
With air quality worsening in Delhi-NCR, stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented on Saturday last week.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), said its GRAP sub-committee had decided to enforce all measures under stage-IV or "severe+" air quality with immediate effect after pollution levels crossed critical thresholds.
Under GRAP IV, any open burning of biomass, waste, or similar materials (which could include coal) is strictly prohibited.
"Urban local bodies, including commissioners and chief engineers of municipal agencies, have been instructed to conduct checks and ensure that all eateries under their jurisdiction immediately discontinue use of coal and firewood," according to the PTI report.
Source: India today
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Delhi: Over 100 flights cancelled as smog continues to impact ops for 2nd day
Delhi: Over 100 flights cancelled as smog continues to impact ops for 2nd day
Delhi-NCR experienced a slight improvement in air quality and visibility on Tuesday, a day after the city reeled under heavy smog, with the AQI reaching hazardous levels.
Delhi-NCR experienced a slight improvement in air quality and visibility on Tuesday, a day after the city reeled under heavy smog, with the AQI reaching hazardous levels.
Delhi-NCR experienced a slight improvement in air quality and visibility on Tuesday, a day after the city reeled under heavy smog, with the AQI reaching hazardous levels.
Over 100 flights were cancelled in Delhi as smoggy conditions continued to play spoilsport for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. However, the Delhi-NCR region witnessed a marginal improvement in air quality and visibility on Tuesday as north-westerly surface winds scattered the dense blanket of fog that had prevailed a day earlier.The AQI on Tuesday improved to 'very poor' at 381, a day after touching 'severe', as improved wind flow reduced fog intensity during morning hours, leading to clearer conditions across parts of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram. Around eight monitoring stations across the city recorded "severe" air quality on Tuesday.
Delhi's air quality touched 461 on Sunday, marking the city's most polluted day this winter. On Monday, the AQI touched 427.
FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS
The Delhi airport warned that flight disruptions were likely to persist even though operations were "steadily recovering". Due to low visibility, 49 departures and 77 arrivals have been cancelled so far."Flight disruptions are steadily recovering, but disruptions may persist for certain departures and arrivals. For accurate and timely updates, please contact your airline directly," the airport stated.
Air India said it has "proactively cancelled select flights" scheduled for today.
"To minimise inconvenience, we have activated our Fog Care programme, whereby passengers booked on affected or likely-to-be-affected flights are being notified in advance and automatically offered complimentary rescheduling or a full refund without penalty," Air India said.
On Monday, due to low visibility amid a thick layer of toxic haze, at least 228 flights - including 131 departures and 97 arrivals - were cancelled in Delhi, while five others were diverted. The Delhi airport witnessed chaotic scenes as many flyers were stranded and waited for hours for their luggage, reminiscent of the IndiGo crisis two weeks back.
FOG LEADS TO COLLISION IN UP
The dense fog and poor visibility led to a multi-vehicle pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura on Monday night, causing a massive fire that left four dead and over 25 injured. The collision involved seven buses and three cars."There was a collision of three cars, after which seven buses collided with them, of which one is a roadway bus, and the other six are sleeper buses. All the buses had caught fire. The fire has now been brought under control," police said.
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Delhi schools shift Classes up to Grade 5 online as air quality remains severe
Delhi schools shift Classes up to Grade 5 online as air quality remains severe
The Delhi government has ordered all schools to shift from hybrid to online classes for students up to Class V as long as air quality remains in the severe category.
The Delhi government has ordered all schools to shift from hybrid to online classes for students up to Class V as long as air quality remains in the severe category.
The Delhi government on Monday directed all schools in the national capital to shift from a hybrid mode to online classes for students up to Class V in view of the deteriorating air quality, according to an official order.
Classes for students from Class 6 to 9 and Class 11 are to be conducted in a hybrid mode, according to previous order.
"Due to the increased AQI (Air Quality Index) in Delhi, offline classes for students from nursery to class 5 have been suspended. Online classes will be mandatory for these grades until further notice. Classes for grades 6 and above will continue as per the previously issued instructions. All schools must comply with this order and inform parents immediately," the order said.
The decision comes as pollution levels in the city continue to remain in the ‘severe’ category, raising health concerns, especially for young children. Schools had earlier been allowed to conduct classes in a hybrid mode, with both online and offline options.
As per the order, the revised arrangement will remain in force until further directions.
Meanwhile, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration in Noida also announced sweeping changes for schools and coaching centres following the implementation of GRAP Stage-IV. All students from pre-nursery to Class V will attend classes entirely in online mode until further notice.
Students in Classes 6 to 9 and Class 11 will have classes conducted in a hybrid format.
Being silent is damaging the little kids, do =nt you waana do something about the air quality in india
@Rajdeep @cricketjoshila @Champ_Pal @JaDed @Devadwal @uppercut @Theanonymousone @straighttalk @Vikram1989 @RexRex @Varun @Romali_rotti @Bhaijaan @rickroll @Cover Drive Six
'Ameeron ka chonchla': Yoga guru Ramdev disses air purifiers, suggests curtains while pollution chokes Delhi-NCR
“Look, when a country is progressing, naturally some dust will fly,” he first said, speaking in Hindi.
Pressed to speak about the National Capital Region's persistent, annual problem of air pollution, Ramdev said, “Yes, Delhi sometimes becomes like a gas chamber. Then, you people should put up curtains in your homes.”
He built on the curtain argument: “Put some curtains in the house, dust them off a little after 15-20 days while wearing a mask.”
He further said, “Sit inside and do (breathing exercises). Take long, long breaths, do Kapalbhati.”
Asked about air purifiers, he said that's just a fad, or extravagance, for rich people.
'Ameeron ka chonchla': Yoga guru Ramdev disses air purifiers, suggests curtains while pollution chokes Delhi-NCR
On NCR's persistent problem of air pollution, Ramdev said, “Yes, Delhi sometimes becomes like a gas chamber. Then, you people should put up curtains.”
lol, here comes beloved 'Yog Guru' of the sanghis.
Just put up your curtains and the problem of pollution is solved. And if putting up air purifiers is extravagance of rich people only, why does his beloved feku always under an air purifier?
Just put up your curtains and the problem of pollution is solved. And if putting up air purifiers is extravagance of rich people only, why does his beloved feku always under an air purifier?
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They should hire a private institution to come up with long term solutions. I am pretty sure, any governments in India are not equipped to deal with these solutions. So, take a step and let the experts deal with it and provide monetary and bureaucratic support essential.
Else, shift the Capital from Delhi as its time is done IMO. What the point of calling it Capital of India when you cant even deal with air pollution??
Else, shift the Capital from Delhi as its time is done IMO. What the point of calling it Capital of India when you cant even deal with air pollution??
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Yoga and other things may have good effects but these Guru’s should not be given a strong public voice.
Let them stay in their lane. I have seen Yoga having positive impact on asthma patients and all but lets not over do this and call it a life saving miracle for acute issues.
Let the experts deal with the issues. I really hate when these people come and sound as if they have some divine knowledge.
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Which City Tops India’s Pollution Chart Today With 455 AQI? Spoiler: It's Not Delhi
Which City Tops India’s Pollution Chart Today With 455 AQI? Spoiler: It's Not Delhi
Several areas across Uttar Pradesh witnessed a thick blanket of smog on Saturday morning as air quality deteriorated after just a couple of days of relief., Noida News, Times Now
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Several areas across Uttar Pradesh witnessed a thick blanket of smog on Saturday morning as air quality deteriorated after just a couple of days of relief.
As pollution continues to grip the National Capital Region (NCR), Noida emerged as the country's most polluted city on Saturday (December 13), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) daily AQI bulletin. Noida recorded the air quality index at 455 today, with Greater Noida following behind with 442 AQI.Several areas across Uttar Pradesh witnessed a thick blanket of smog on Saturday morning as air quality deteriorated after just a couple of days of relief.
List of India's Most Polluted Cities on Saturday as of 4 PM
- Noida: 455
- Greater Noida: 442
- Ghaziabad: 430
- Delhi: 431
- Panipat: 426
- Gurugram: 322
GRAP 4 Imposed in Delhi
Amid worsening air pollution in the national capital, the Delhi government has enforced GRAP Stage 4 in the city on Saturday evening (December 13). The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 431 today at 4 PM, showing an increasing trend. Later at 6 pm, it rose to 441, raising concerns over the toxic air the capital is breathing.
The government has hence invoked all actions as envisaged under the GRAP 4, with immediate effect.
"Keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality and in an effort to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP decides to invoke all actions as envisaged under Stage-IV of the extant GRAP – ‘Severe+’ Air Quality (DELHI AQI > 450), with immediate effect, in the entire NCR," a press statement read.
Moreover, the NCR Pollution Control Boards and Committee, along with other agencies concerned, have been asked to escalate the preventive measures to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region.
Unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with vehicle emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers, and other local pollution sources, lead to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi-NCR during winters.
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Delhi Pollution Alert: GRAP-4 Returns to National Capital - 10 Key Do’s & Don’ts to Follow
Delhi Pollution Alert: GRAP-4 Returns to National Capital - 10 Key Do’s & Don’ts to Follow
Amid worsening air pollution in the national capital, GRAP Stage 4 has now been enforced in Delhi on Saturday (December 13)., Delhi News, Times Now
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Amid worsening air pollution in the national capital, GRAP Stage 4 has now been enforced in Delhi on Saturday (December 13).
Delhi pollution: Amid worsening air pollution in the national capital, the Delhi government has enforced GRAP Stage 4 in the city on Saturday (December 13). The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 431 today at 4 PM, showing an increasing trend. Later at 6 pm, it rose to 441, raising concerns over the toxic air the capital is breathing.The government has hence invoked all actions as envisaged under the GRAP 4, with immediate effect.
"Keeping in view the prevailing trend of air quality and in an effort to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region, the CAQM Sub-Committee on GRAP decides to invoke all actions as envisaged under Stage-IV of the extant GRAP – ‘Severe+’ Air Quality (DELHI AQI > 450), with immediate effect, in the entire NCR," a press statement read.
GRAP 4 Enforced in
1. Entry of truck traffic into Delhi is restricted (except for trucks carrying essential commodities/ providing essential services)
2. All LNG/ CNG / Electric/ BS-VI Diesel trucks shall, however, be permitted to enter Delhi
3. Do not permit LCVs registered outside Delhi, other than EVs / CNG / BS-VI diesel, to enter Delhi, except those carrying essential commodities / providing essential services
4. Enforce a strict ban on plying of Delhi-registered BS-IV and below diesel-operated Medium Goods Vehicles (MGVs) and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in Delhi, except those carrying essential commodities / providing essential services
5. Ban C&D activities, as in the GRAP Stage 3, also for linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, power transmission, pipelines, tele‑communication
6. NCR State Govts. and GNCTD may take a decision on discontinuing physical classes even for classes VI – IX, class XI and conduct lessons in an online mode
7. NCR State Governments / GNCTD to take a decision on allowing public, municipal and private offices to work at 50% strength and the rest to work from home
8. Central Government to take an appropriate decision on permitting work from home for employees in central government offices.
9. State Governments may consider additional emergency measures like the closure of colleges/ educational institutions
10. Closure of non‑emergency commercial activities, permitting the running of vehicles on an odd-even basis of registration numbers.
GRAP 3 Imposed Earlier Today
Notably, earlier today, the CAQM Sub-Committee imposed GRAP 3 on Saturday morning after the air quality deteriorated to 401. Unfavourable meteorological conditions, combined with vehicle emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers, and other local pollution sources, lead to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi-NCR during winters.
Moreover, the NCR Pollution Control Boards and Committee, along with other agencies concerned, have been asked to escalate the preventive measures to prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region..
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Children’s IQ Plummets by Almost 20 Points in Indian State with High Air Pollution
The IQ of Indian children exposed to high levels of air pollution was lower than children in areas with low air pollution.
Air pollution not only affects lung health but also brain development in children, according to two studies presented at the World Conference on Lung Health (WCLH) held in Denmark recently.
One study from India found that children living in highly polluted areas scored nearly 20 points lower on the intelligence quotient (IQ) than their peers in cleaner environments, immediately limiting their educational potential and life opportunities.
These findings highlight air pollution as not merely an environmental issue but a global health emergency that threatens children’s futures and severely worsens existing lung disease.
The KIIT study, published in the WCLH abstract book, examined the impact of particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 and 10 micrometres) on the cognitive development of children aged 6-8 in the state of Odisha in India. While the effects of air pollution on lung and cardiovascular health are well documented, this research represents a pioneeringl look into its potential to disrupt cognitive development in children.
Setting up a comparative analytical study, researchers assessed two sites between July and December 2022: one with high pollution levels (PM10 above 60 micrograms per cubic metre and PM2.5 above 40 micrograms) and one with low pollution. Children who had lived within a 1.5 km radius of air quality monitoring stations for six years were tested, using Malin’s Intelligence Scale for Indian Children, which measures full-scale, verbal, and performance IQ.
The results were stark. Mean Full-Scale IQ in high-pollution areas was 80.33 compared to 98.12 in low-pollution areas. Children from high-pollution areas had a verbal IQ of 81.60 compared to 99.68 in low-pollution areas, and a performance IQ of 79.02 compared to 96.55 in cleaner areas.
The authors conclude that long-term exposure to air pollution is closely linked to poorer cognitive development in children. The report further suggested that the child’s age and weight, poor kitchen ventilation, maternal education, and family income also made an impact on full-scale IQ, painting a picture of multiple interacting risk factors.
“New strategies are urgently needed globally to ensure no one’s future is limited simply because of the air they breathe.”
The Union was established in 1920 as the world’s first global health organisation and works towards a world free of tuberculosis and lung disease. Its members, staff, and consultants work in more than 140 countries globally.
In Cotonou, where air pollution systematically exceeds World Health Organisation (WHO) thresholds for all pollutants, researchers followed a cohort of 730 asthmatic adolescents over 36 months. The study reported that over one-third 37% of the adolescents experienced at least one respiratory event or asthma attack.
Measuring individual exposure via portable air quality sensors carried in backpacks and fixed sensors in schools and homes, the researchers determined that the adolescents with frequent respiratory events had higher levels of exposure to several pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, PM1, PM2.5 and PM10.
The study also noted that asthma symptoms occurred 2.5 times more during the seasonal harmattan period when a cool, dry and dusty wind blows, usually between December and March. This highlights the compounding effect of climate-related atmospheric changes.
“Fine particulate air pollution remains very high in West Africa and poses a serious risk to the respiratory health of adolescents with asthma who are chronically exposed,” said Dr Attannon Arnauld Fiogbé, chest physician and clinical researcher at CNHUPPC. He suggested that strengthening responses by combining air quality alerts with therapeutic education could significantly improve respiratory health.
“Introducing appropriately sized air purifiers in all government schools may be a good policy. Children spend a significant share of their day in classrooms, and any reduction in pollution exposure can have large health benefits,” Sudarshan told Health Policy Watch.
“This is most important for the poor who cannot afford to purify air at home or who live close to traffic or industry,” Sudarshan added.
Sudarshan explained that children spend roughly one-third of their day at school for two-thirds of the year – around 17% of their lives – so cleaning up the air just in schools could cut a child’s annual pollution exposure by approximately 17%.
This reduction is considered vital because PM2.5 has been shown to have similar effects on cognitive behaviour and productivity as CO2 buildup, impacting both short-term alertness and long-term development.
For policymakers grappling with this crisis, the evidence is now clear: the fight for lung health must integrate immediate, robust action to protect the cognitive and life-long potential of the world’s children.
Source: https://healthpolicy-watch.news/chi...ints-in-indian-state-with-high-air-pollution/.
The IQ of Indian children exposed to high levels of air pollution was lower than children in areas with low air pollution.
Air pollution not only affects lung health but also brain development in children, according to two studies presented at the World Conference on Lung Health (WCLH) held in Denmark recently.
One study from India found that children living in highly polluted areas scored nearly 20 points lower on the intelligence quotient (IQ) than their peers in cleaner environments, immediately limiting their educational potential and life opportunities.
These findings highlight air pollution as not merely an environmental issue but a global health emergency that threatens children’s futures and severely worsens existing lung disease.
Air quality lowers IQ in children
Zeroing in on the link between airborne particulate matter and cognitive ability, new findings from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in India suggest a significant and close association between children’s IQ development and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution.The KIIT study, published in the WCLH abstract book, examined the impact of particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 and 10 micrometres) on the cognitive development of children aged 6-8 in the state of Odisha in India. While the effects of air pollution on lung and cardiovascular health are well documented, this research represents a pioneeringl look into its potential to disrupt cognitive development in children.
Setting up a comparative analytical study, researchers assessed two sites between July and December 2022: one with high pollution levels (PM10 above 60 micrograms per cubic metre and PM2.5 above 40 micrograms) and one with low pollution. Children who had lived within a 1.5 km radius of air quality monitoring stations for six years were tested, using Malin’s Intelligence Scale for Indian Children, which measures full-scale, verbal, and performance IQ.
The results were stark. Mean Full-Scale IQ in high-pollution areas was 80.33 compared to 98.12 in low-pollution areas. Children from high-pollution areas had a verbal IQ of 81.60 compared to 99.68 in low-pollution areas, and a performance IQ of 79.02 compared to 96.55 in cleaner areas.
The authors conclude that long-term exposure to air pollution is closely linked to poorer cognitive development in children. The report further suggested that the child’s age and weight, poor kitchen ventilation, maternal education, and family income also made an impact on full-scale IQ, painting a picture of multiple interacting risk factors.
Air pollution affects the poorest the most
“The burden of air pollution and climate change on health is one which sadly continues to grow. And, as with many other determinants of health, it is the world’s poorest who are the most affected,” said Professor Guy Marks, president of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union).“New strategies are urgently needed globally to ensure no one’s future is limited simply because of the air they breathe.”
The Union was established in 1920 as the world’s first global health organisation and works towards a world free of tuberculosis and lung disease. Its members, staff, and consultants work in more than 140 countries globally.
Asthma attacks increase in West Africa
Separately, a direct link between air pollution and the severity of asthmatic conditions in adolescents has been reported in a new study by the Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Pneumo-Phtisiologie (CNHUPPC) in Cotonou, Benin, in West Africa.In Cotonou, where air pollution systematically exceeds World Health Organisation (WHO) thresholds for all pollutants, researchers followed a cohort of 730 asthmatic adolescents over 36 months. The study reported that over one-third 37% of the adolescents experienced at least one respiratory event or asthma attack.
Measuring individual exposure via portable air quality sensors carried in backpacks and fixed sensors in schools and homes, the researchers determined that the adolescents with frequent respiratory events had higher levels of exposure to several pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, PM1, PM2.5 and PM10.
The study also noted that asthma symptoms occurred 2.5 times more during the seasonal harmattan period when a cool, dry and dusty wind blows, usually between December and March. This highlights the compounding effect of climate-related atmospheric changes.
“Fine particulate air pollution remains very high in West Africa and poses a serious risk to the respiratory health of adolescents with asthma who are chronically exposed,” said Dr Attannon Arnauld Fiogbé, chest physician and clinical researcher at CNHUPPC. He suggested that strengthening responses by combining air quality alerts with therapeutic education could significantly improve respiratory health.
Air purifiers in schools
Proposing a tangible solution to mitigate some of the exposure, Professor Anant Sudarshan from the University of Warwick in the UK, advocates for targeted intervention in schools, especially for low-income communities.“Introducing appropriately sized air purifiers in all government schools may be a good policy. Children spend a significant share of their day in classrooms, and any reduction in pollution exposure can have large health benefits,” Sudarshan told Health Policy Watch.
“This is most important for the poor who cannot afford to purify air at home or who live close to traffic or industry,” Sudarshan added.
Sudarshan explained that children spend roughly one-third of their day at school for two-thirds of the year – around 17% of their lives – so cleaning up the air just in schools could cut a child’s annual pollution exposure by approximately 17%.
This reduction is considered vital because PM2.5 has been shown to have similar effects on cognitive behaviour and productivity as CO2 buildup, impacting both short-term alertness and long-term development.
For policymakers grappling with this crisis, the evidence is now clear: the fight for lung health must integrate immediate, robust action to protect the cognitive and life-long potential of the world’s children.
Source: https://healthpolicy-watch.news/chi...ints-in-indian-state-with-high-air-pollution/.
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82% Delhiites Know Someone Severely Ill From Air Pollution: Study
The study said the health conditions include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung damage, heart failure, strokes and cognitive decline, which the respondents linked to a sustained exposure to polluted air.
Delhi choked under a thick blanket of smog on Monday, with the AQI settling at 498
New Delhi:
As Delhi vanishes behind a dense-grey curtain and toxic air continues to choke the National Capital Region, a new survey has found that 82 per cent of Delhi-NCR residents have one or more people in their close social network suffering from severe health conditions that they attribute to a long-term exposure to air pollution.
The survey, conducted by community platform LocalCircles, said 28 per cent of the respondents reported having four or more such individuals among family members, friends, neighbours or colleagues.
It said the health conditions include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung damage, heart failure, strokes and cognitive decline, which the respondents linked to a sustained exposure to polluted air.
Delhi choked under a thick blanket of smog on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 498, which falls in the higher spectrum of the "severe" category.
The air quality was "severe" at 38 weather-monitoring stations, while it was "very poor" at two. Jahangirpuri, with an AQI reading of 498, recorded the worst air quality among all the 40 stations.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor" and 401 and 500 "severe".
The AQI in Delhi climbed to 461 on Sunday, marking the city's most-polluted day this winter and the second-worst-air-quality day in December on record, as weak winds and low temperatures trapped pollutants close to the surface.
According to the survey, the air quality across large parts of Delhi-NCR has remained in the "very poor" and "severe" categories since late October.
Underlining the scale of the public health crisis in the region, it claimed that fine particulate matter is triggering a sharp rise in cases of respiratory and cardiac ailments, particularly among children, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.
The survey also highlighted a growing anxiety over medical expenses, with 73 per cent of the respondents saying they are worried about being able to afford healthcare for themselves and their families if they continue living in the region amid recurring pollution episodes.
Eight per cent of the respondents said they intend to move out of Delhi-NCR because of the toxic air, while the majority said they are compelled to stay due to work, family responsibilities and other constraints.
The survey received more than 34,000 responses from the residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.
LocalCircles said it plans to share the findings with government stakeholders, urging for urgent action to address pollution sources and explore healthcare support measures for the affected populations.
Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/82-...severely-ill-from-air-pollution-study-9812270.
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Delhi Sees Second-Worst December Day With Air Quality Index At 461
Delhi Air Pollution: The air quality monitoring station at Wazirpur recorded the maximum possible Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 500 during the day, beyond which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) does not register data.
New Delhi:The AQI in Delhi climbed to 461 on Sunday and marked the city's most polluted day this winter and the second-worst December air quality day on record, as weak winds and low temperatures trapped pollutants close to the surface.
The air quality monitoring station at Wazirpur recorded the maximum possible Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 500 during the day, beyond which the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) does not register data.
By 4 pm, 38 of Delhi's 39 active air quality monitoring stations reported 'severe' pollution levels, according to the CPCB's Sameer app, with only Shadipur remaining in the ‘very poor' category.
Rohini also touched 500 during the day, while Ashok Vihar, Jahangirpuri and Mundka recorded AQI readings of 499.
Dense smog engulfed the national capital, and the AQI rose from 432 a day earlier to set the record -- since the AQI monitoring system was introduced in April 2015.
The only instance of higher pollution in the month was on December 21, 2017, when the average AQI reached 469.
Although wind speeds are expected to increase after noon on Monday, forecasts suggest that any improvement in air quality will be gradual.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor' and 401 and 500 'severe'.
Health experts warned of serious public health risks due to the prolonged exposure to hazardous air.
Shila Yadav, a health expert, said that with the AQI hovering between 300 and 400 and even breaching the 450 mark, people should avoid outdoor walking or exercise, particularly in the morning hours.
She said while physical activity should not be stopped, it must be shifted indoors, as exposure to polluted air can cause fine particulate matter such as PM2.5 to penetrate deep into the lungs.
Yadav advised people to step out only when necessary, preferably later in the day when sunlight improves dispersion, and said wearing masks was essential for those who must go out for work.
She also cautioned against strenuous activities that involve heavy breathing and stressed the importance of a healthy diet, adequate hydration and consumption of seasonal fruits to help the body flush out toxins.
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Saturday invoked the strictest measures (Stage IV) under its air pollution control plan, Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), including a ban on all construction and demolition activities in Delhi-NCR after pollution levels rose sharply amid unfavourable meteorological conditions.
The Sub-Committee on GRAP decided to invoke Stage III of the GRAP earlier on Saturday across the entire NCR with immediate effect as air quality continued to worsen.
On the weather front, the minimum temperature settled at 8.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 0.4 notch below the season's average, and the maximum temperature recorded at 24 degrees Celsius.
The relative humidity was 87 per cent at 5.30 pm, the India Meteorological Department said.
Environmentalist Bhavreen Khandari said the current actions are reactive, emphasising that long-term improvement depends on present systemic policy decisions.
Pointing to massive construction, she stressed the need to address resource and staffing deficiencies in government bodies.
The weather department has forecast moderate fog for Monday, with maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 23 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Fellow indians, how come th epollution is being dealth with - just being neglected:
@Rajdeep @cricketjoshila @Champ_Pal @JaDed @Devadwal @uppercut @Theanonymousone @straighttalk @Vikram1989 @RexRex @Varun @Romali_rotti @Bhaijaan @rickroll @Cover Drive Six
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Air pollution: Worsening AQI forces Delhi to move all primary school students to online learning
Air pollution: Worsening AQI forces Delhi to move all primary school students to online learning
With the IMD predicting 'very poor' air quality for the coming week and the AQI reaching dangerous levels, officials are also reviewing pollution control measures
With the IMD predicting 'very poor' air quality for the coming week and the AQI reaching dangerous levels, officials are also reviewing pollution control measures
The Delhi government has directed schools to shift from hybrid mode to fully online classes for students upto class 5 on Monday as the air quality deteriorated to dangerous levels in the national capital. According to experts, the air quality is predicted to remain in 'very poor' category this week.
In a circular, the Directorate of Education said, "Physical classes for students of nursery to Class-5 in all government, government-aided and unaided recognised private schools in Delhi have been discontinued until further orders." The decision has been taken due to the "prevailing high Air Quality Index (AQI)" in the city, it said.
However, classes for the remaining grades will continue in hybrid mode, as per education department's order on December 13. On Monday, Delhi's AQI stood in the 'severe' category with a reading of 427. On Sunday, the AQI hit its second-highest reading this winter season on Sunday, at 461.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality was 'severe' at 27 monitoring stations across the city on Monday, with 12 stations in the very poor' range. Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality at 475.
On Monday, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav reviewed the action plan to curb air pollution in Ghaziabad and Noida. He chaired a high-level review of the action plans and ordered strict action against industrial units that fail to install online emission monitoring systems by the December 31 deadline.
The minister also reviewed measures to control road dust, use of anti-smog guns and water sprinklers, and greening of pathways and open spaces. Yadav directed that the deadline must be strictly enforced and said stringent action must be taken against non-compliant units. The CAQM was also asked to devise a standard operating procedure for greening and better use of urban open spaces.
According to experts, the AQI touched 498 in the morning and settled at 427 by the evening. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 27 monitoring stations across the city recorded "severe" air quality, while 12 stations reported "very poor" levels. Wazirpur recorded the worst air quality among the 40 stations, with an AQI of 475.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System, forecasts air quality for the next six days pointed to "very poor" conditions. The weather department has forecast dense fog for Tuesday morning, with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to settle at 23 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively.
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