Pollution

The top court said that if AQI goes above 350. Stage-III measures will have to be immediately implemented, and if AQI crosses 400 on a given day, Stage-IV measures will have to be re-introduced

The guidelines also stated that all truck operators who use green fuel i.e. CNG/LNG/Hydrogen and its derivative or electric fleet may be identified and incentivized

Air pollution is one of the aggravating factors for respiratory diseases, however, there is no conclusive data available in the country to establish a direct correlation between any disease caused exclusively by air pollution, MoS for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Lok Sabha on Friday. The health effects of air pollution are synergistic manifestations of factors which include food habits, occupational habits, socioeconomic status, medical history, immunity and heredity etc. of the individuals, Jadhav said in a written reply. Air pollution is one of the aggravating factors for respiratory ailments and associated diseases, however, there is no conclusive data available in the country to establish direct correlation of disease exclusively due to air pollution, Jadhav said in the reply. The Union Health Ministry provides technical and financial support to the states and union territories to strengthen the public healthcare system, based on the proposals received in the form of Program

Singh spoke about the steps being taken to make people environment-conscious

Catch all the latest news updates from around the world here

Talks over prospective future deals also are taking place with Germany and Sweden

Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday said all judges have been asked to allow virtual hearings wherever possible in view of the severe pollution levels in the national capital region. As soon as the bench comprising the CJI and Justice Sanjay Kumar assembled, lawyers, including Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Kapil Sibal, referred to the worsening pollution in Delhi and NCR and sought immediate measures to deal with it. We have told all the judges to allow virtual hearings wherever possible, the CJI said. Pollution is getting out of control, Sibal said. He was supported by various lawyers that also included Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Gopal Sankaranarayanan It needs to go down. The message should go to other courts, Sibal added. The solicitor general said the top court, as a matter of principle, should go virtual. We have given the message to accommodate everybody. Moreover, online is anyway available," the CJI said. On Monday, the top court took note of

According to Swiss air technology firm IQAir, AQI readings across Delhi ranged from 1,300 to 1,600 on Monday morning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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