Pollution in east, north and central Indian cities primarily comes from residential and transportation sectors, while in western India, industry and energy are the main contributors to local PM2.5 pollution, a study has found. Published in the journal Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, the study also found that PM2.5 pollution in cities in south India majorly comes from the industry and residential sectors. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Maharashtra, and the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, analysed pollution levels in 53 cities, having more than a million population during the winter of 2015-2016. Residential emissions -- from burning biomass for cooking and heating -- were found to be the leading contributor to local PM2.5 pollution in Srinagar (68 per cent), Varanasi (37 per cent), Allahabad (34 per cent) and Kanpur (33 per cent). The transportation sector's contribution to local PM2.5 pollution was found to be higher in north Indian .
The NCAP set a goal of reducing PM10 levels by 40 per cent or achieving the national standard of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by 2025-26
Delhi air pollution: Parents request the reopening of schools as children loss access to midday meals and air purifiers
Thakur noted that the plan aligns with the government's Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) agenda and India's goal of achieving carbon Net Zero by 2070
Civil defence volunteers who were terminated as bus marshals in October 2023 will be deployed on pollution mitigation related duties for four months following an order by Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena, officials said on Thursday. Their employment period will begin on November 1, they said. The lieutenant governor, who is also chairman of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, has advised the city government and the chief minister to come up with a concrete scheme based on due process for their future engagement after the four-month employment period, a Raj Niwas official said. The scheme -- to be prepared by the Delhi government for regular employment of the civil defence volunteers -- will include details of their deployment, budgetary provision, financial approvals, post creation and reservation norms, he said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that Delhi's AQI will remain in the 'very poor' range over the coming days
The Indore Municipal Corporation is partnering with the Energy Swaraj Foundation to educate and empower residents to adopt more sustainable practices over the campaign's duration
Lowering plastic production will be the key
The Centre on Friday ordered a ban on non-essential construction work and plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi-NCR amid worsening air quality in the region. Unfavourable meteorological conditions including fog and haze with low wind speed are the major causes for a sudden spike in Delhi's daily average air quality index (AQI), the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for formulating strategies to combat pollution in the region, said in an order. Delhi's overall AQI is steadily rising since this morning. It stood at 397 at 10 am and 409 at 4 pm. Re-invoking curbs under Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the CAQM ordered a ban on non-essential construction work, stone crushing, and mining in Delhi-NCR. Construction work related to national security or defense, projects of national importance, healthcare, railways, metro rail, airports, interstate bus terminals, highways, roads, flyovers, overbridges, .
The National Green Tribunal has directed all states and Union territories to file reports regarding the actual staff strength in state pollution control boards and pollution control committees. The tribunal also sought a report regarding the infrastructure in their environmental laboratories. The NGT was hearing a matter where it had taken suo motu ( on its own) cognisance of a media report claiming that the pollution control boards (PCBs) across the country did not have the resources to perform their functions. The report cited several reasons, including inadequate sanctioned strength of personnel, a high number of vacancies especially in technical positions and the absence of proper training. In a recent order, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said, "The news item raises a substantial issue affecting the compliance of environmental laws." The bench said according to a Central Pollution Control Board report, the news report ab
A survey by LocalCircles said that 56% of those surveyed in Delhi-NCR oppose one or more exemptions in the odd-even scheme
With an eye on FTAs, govt is considering incentivising industry to invest in solutions
The central government on Friday deferred implementation of stricter measures under the final stage of the air pollution control plan, saying curbs under Stage III were implemented only a day ago and the air quality index in Delhi-NCR is already showing a declining trend. Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index stood at 468 on Friday which falls in the "severe plus" category, a stage at which all emergency measures, including a ban on polluting trucks, commercial four-wheelers, and all types of construction, are mandated to be initiated and enforced in the National Capital Region. These measures constitute the final stage of the Graded Response Action Plan and should ideally be activated at least three days prior to the Air Quality Index surpassing the 450-mark in the capital, as outlined in a policy document prepared by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). However, during a review meeting, the CAQM decided to monitor the air pollution situation for a day or more befo
Delhi's AQI improves to 'moderate' class with AQI 190, Mumbai's AQI stays 'moderate' at 139. Delhi Metro to increase the frequency of trains on the weekends to ease pollution
The National Green Tribunal has directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to "clarify and take immediate measures" to identify material generated from industrial processes or production residue as either waste or as a by-product. The tribunal was hearing a matter regarding the non-implementation of the 'Framework on Identification of Materials Generated from Industrial Processes as Wastes or By-Products' issued by the Central Pollution Control Board. The framework was issued in September 2019 after an NGT order. Its purpose was to ensure that no hazardous waste was categorised as a by-product of production and escape the strict scrutiny of the Hazardous and Other Waste Management (HOWM) Rules, 2016. According to the plea, the framework did not establish when a material generated from any production process should be considered a "by-product" and when it should be considered "waste." Thus, the purpose for issuing it stood defeated, it said. In a
From novelty, the air purifiers have become a necessity in view of the rising menace of air pollution. Below are few things to check while buying the air purifier for indoor use
With domestic production targets slipping, India needs to buy record quantities of the world's most polluting fuel at a time when prices are rising
The Union Environment Ministry will rank states based on the time taken in granting environmental clearances to developmental projects to encourage transparency, efficiency and accountability.
India is failing in efforts to improve its toxic air quality, with the number of smog-plagued cities increasing since the launch of a national program to tackle the issue
Delhi was ranked as the most polluted capital city globally, a new report said