Page 4 - Delhi Pollution

Cloud seeding not feasible in Delhi, says CPCB amid air pollution crisis

The Central Pollution Control Board has said the feasibility of cloud seeding as an emergency measure to battle winter pollution in northern India will be limited, citing insufficient moisture and reliance on pre-existing clouds, an RTI query has revealed. The CPCB shared its observations on a cloud seeding proposal by IIT Kanpur, which aims to combat Delhi's severe air pollution crisis through artificial rainfall. The information was shared in response to a Right to Information query filed by activist Amit Gupta on October 24. According to the CPCB, cloud seeding faces significant challenges due to insufficient moisture in the air and the dependency on pre-existing clouds influenced by Western Disturbances. "As per IIT Kanpur (proponent), the mandatory requirement of successful cloud seeding is the availability of appropriate clouds with enough moisture content (clouds having 50 per cent or higher moisture content). "In northern India, winter clouds are often influenced by Wester

Centre in SC opposes setting up ex judges panel to monitor stubble burning

The Centre on Friday opposed in the Supreme court a proposal to form a committee of former apex court judges to oversee the implementation of measures to curb stubble burning, a key contributor to Delhi-NCR's air pollution. The suggestion was put forth before a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, hearing a case related to the rising pollution in Delhi-NCR, by senior advocate and amicus curiae Aparajita Singh. She sought to leverage the expertise of judges as part of the proposed fact-finding committee. The amicus said the judges had previously dealt with air pollution and stubble burning issues. A bench headed by former Supreme Court's Justice Madan B Lokur had heard pleas related to pollution and the role of stubble burning as a contributing factor in the past. In 2020, a bench headed by the then CJI Justice S A Bobde set up a panel headed by Justice Lokur to deal with the issues relating to stubble burning. The order was later recalled. On Friday, the amic

SC flags lapses in Grap-IV in Delhi-NCR, seeks report on truck entry

The Supreme Court criticised delays in enforcing Grap-IV curbs as Delhi's AQI hit 'severe-plus' earlier this week; seeks reports on non-essential heavy vehicle entries at 13 major checkpoints

Delhi's poor air quality level linked to rise in 'walking pneumonia' cases

Air quality in Delhi-NCR remains 'very poor' with AQI levels reaching up to 414, aggravating health risks. Hospitals report a surge in walking pneumonia cases due to the toxic pollution

Delhi pollution: Police asks e-commerce platforms to stop firecrackers sale

directive comes in a bid to protect the health and well-being of citizens directly due to increasing pollution and to prevent sale of firecrackers through e-commerce platforms

Delhi's air improves slightly after 8 days, AQI at 'very poor' level

Delhi's air quality shows slight improvement, with AQI at 379, but remains "very poor"; visibility affected, flights delayed, and schools in Delhi and NCR shut due to severe pollution

Delhi air pollution: Centre announces staggered work timings for employees

The Centre on Thursday announced staggered working timings for its employees in view of the severe air pollution in Delhi, according to an order issued by the Union personnel ministry. Employees have also been asked to pool vehicles and use public transport to minimise vehicular pollution. "These measures may be adopted by ministries/departments/organisations as per their functional requirements ensuring that it should not have an adverse impact on efficiency and productivity in any manner," the order read. Given the severe-plus air pollution levels in Delhi, various ministries, departments and organisations of the central government are advised to adopt staggered timing in respect of offices located in the Delhi-National Capital Region, it said. The order said offices can be open from 9 am to 5.30 pm and 10 am to 6.30 pm. "The officers/staff using personal vehicles should be encouraged to pool vehicles and to use public transport to minimise the vehicular pollution," it added. A

Increased pollution fuels smog crisis across north India, study finds

A study reveals that rising pollution levels are aggravating winter smog in northern India, with aerosols intensifying the temperature inversion effect, worsening air quality in Delhi

Every Delhi-NCR family hit by pollution-related health problems: Survey

A recent survey reveals that every household in the region has at least one member suffering from pollution-related health issues, including sore throat, asthma, and headaches

Updates: India, China agree to work to rebuild mutual trust in defence ministers meet

Latest news updates: Catch all the latest news developments from across the world here

Delhi fails pollution targets: Road dust, vehicle, waste woes continue

Delhi has missed critical pollution control targets in road dust management, vehicle emissions, and waste processing, exacerbating air quality issues ahead of the winter season

Delhi govt orders 50% of staff to work from home amid severe air pollution

Amid severe air pollution, the AAP government has ordered 50% of staff to work from home. The development comes after AQI levels reached 424, triggering emergency measures and staggered office hours

Breathless capital: Piecemeal efforts won't solve Delhi's air quality issue

Short-term economic interests should not be allowed to override the basic right to life of common citizens.

Delhi's traders face 20% loss as pollution, curbs deter consumers: Cait

Cait Secretary General Khandelwal urges govt to involve trade associations in policy-making, adopt electric trucks for logistics, and offer financial support to businesses

Is Delhi's AQI 500 or 1500? Here is why you find conflicting readings

Confused by Delhi's AQI readings of 500 and 1,500? Different scales and methods explain the gap. Here's why both figures capture a harsh reality

Delhi pollution: CJI permits virtual hearings, rules out full online shift

Amid Delhi's pollution crisis, CJI Sanjiv Khanna allowed lawyers to appear online but resisted calls to fully shift Supreme Court operations online, citing flexibility

BJP protests against AAP govt, distributes masks amid pollution crisis

BJP leaders on Tuesday staged a protest against the AAP government and distributed face masks at the most polluted areas of the city, Anand Vihar and ITO, as Delhi continued to grapple with severe air pollution. During an awareness-cum-mask distribution programme at Anand Vihar, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva slammed Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi, alleging the government's inaction in addressing the pollution crisis. "The people of Delhi are struggling for their breaths while Kejriwal and Atishi are defending AAP government in Punjab where crop stubble burning is choking the national capital. The condition of damaged roads and dust pollution has worsened the situation further," Sachdeva claimed. Former Union Minister Vijay Goel staged a protest at ITO, and alleged that the AAP government in Delhi has failed to help the people struggling against the persisting hazardous air in the city. Goel questioned how many more years it will take for .

As Delhi chokes, Shashi Tharoor asks if the capital deserves a new home

'Our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it,' said Shashi Tharoor

Punjab farm fires peak as SC blasts authorities over pollution crisis

Despite reports of declining farm fires in Punjab, many now occur later in the day, possibly evading satellite detection

Delhi govt to act on 'odd-even' scheme based on expert advice: Gopal Rai

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the government is taking all necessary measures to tackle air pollution and will implement additional steps, including the odd-even vehicle rationing scheme, based on expert advice and requirements. Addressing a press conference here as the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital breached the "severe-plus" category with a reading of 494, Rai said the Delhi government is taking all necessary steps to address the situation. In response to a question about the odd-even scheme, he said, "From our side, the Delhi government is taking all the necessary steps at our level. We are monitoring everything closely and making decisions on a daily basis. We will consult experts and take all required measures." Delhi recorded its second-worst air quality in six years on Monday. Fifteen monitoring stations saw AQI levels reaching the maximum limit of 500. The city's 24-hour AQI, recorded at 4 pm, was the highest in the country, up from 441 the ...