Page 9 - Pollution

Delhi govt to explore cloud seeding to check air pollution: Gopal Rai

In a bid to mitigate air pollution in the national capital during winter, the Delhi government is mulling over the use of cloud seeding technology to induce artificial rain, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday. Rai added that the government is preparing a separate action plan for each of the air pollution hotspots in the city. Rai's announcement came after his meeting with 24 environmental experts to discuss the 'Winter Action Plan' where scientists from IIT-Kanpur gave a presentation on inducing artificial rain in Delhi. At this meeting, suggestions were also taken from 24 members and researchers from the Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), and Environmental Defense Fund, among others. "The experts brainstormed ways to reduce vehicular pollution, dust pollution, biomass burning, and other kinds of pollution. Scientists from IIT-Kanpur gave a presentation on inducing artificial rain in Delhi and the costs involved.

Reports of extra 10% GST on diesel cars false, says Union Minister Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari said that it is essential to clarify that there is no such proposal currently under active consideration by the government

Intensity of heatwaves worsen air quality due to climate change: WMO

The 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, the third in an annual series, puts the spotlight on heatwaves to draw attention to the fact that it is not just high temperatures that are a hazard

World losing race to meet climate change commitments: COP28 president

The summit, which opened on Monday, is focused on mobilising financing for Africa's response to climate change

Major wildfires burn in Greece, Spain's Canary Island of Tenerife

Major wildfires were burning in Greece and on one of Spain's Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa Monday, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes, two of which have been burning for several days. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages in the central Viotia region, about 100 kilometres northwest of Athens, after a forest fire broke out Monday morning. The coast guard put two patrol boats and several fishing boats and private vessels on standby in case an evacuation by sea was necessary. Authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep pen in the area under evacuation, with local media reporting the man apparently died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his ...

Oceans release microplastics waste back into atmosphere: Research

In order to reach the Arctic region, the researchers collected air samples from several points along the Norwegian coast

Particulate air pollution growing risk for premature death globally: Study

The total number of premature deaths and years of disability from cardiovascular diseases attributable to particle air pollution rose from 2.6 million in 1990 to 3.5 million in 2019, a 31 per cent worldwide increase, according to a study. The research, published on Wednesday in Journal of the American Heart Association, analysed particulate matter (PM) pollution as a risk factor for death and disability using freely available data from 204 countries collected between 1990 and 2019 and detailed in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. PM pollution consists of small particles of liquid and solids suspended in the air and inhaled into the lungs, such as vehicle emissions, smoke, dust, pollen and soot. Exposure to PM pollution was estimated using a tool from the 2019 update to the GBD study that incorporated information from satellite and ground-level monitoring, computer models of chemicals in the atmosphere and land-use data. The researchers from Tehran University of Medical ...

Kejriwal gives call to make fight against pollution into people's movement

CM mentioned the implementation of the 'Yuddh Pradushan Ke Virrudh' campaign, and efforts aimed at reducing pollution caused by stubble burning

World Environment Day 2023: A global call to action for sustainable future

Established by the United Nations in 1972, World Environment Day serves as a global platform to engage people and governments in environmental initiatives that promote sustainable development

33 teams to inspect Delhi industrial units to curb pollution: Gopal Rai

The Delhi government has constituted 33 teams to regularly inspect industrial units and bring pollution in the city under control, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Friday. He was speaking at a review meeting on industrial pollution with officers of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), environment department and Delhi Development Authority (DDA). "It has been decided to deploy 141 patrolling teams comprising 472 personnel during the day time and 108 patrolling teams comprising 397 personnel at night from three departments all over Delhi to monitor dumping of industrial waste. "As many as 1,721 registered industrial units in Delhi have switched to PNG," Rai said. The teams will oversee all industrial units in Delhi and implement immediate measures to curb pollution, he said. Periodic reports will be submitted to the environment department based on their findin

Long-term exposure to diesel pollution bad for health, suggest experts

Prolonged exposure to diesel pollution, which includes a complex mixture of pollutants, can have serious health effects on humans, said experts here even as the government contemplates a ban

NGT directs Rajasthan to pay Rs 100 cr interim compensation for pollution

The National Green Tribunal has directed Rajasthan to pay an interim compensation of Rs 100 crore for damage to the environment, including pollution of the Dravyavati river, caused allegedly by textile printing industries in the Jaipur district. The NGT also formed a 10-member joint committee to plan and oversee remedial action and said the compensation amount has to be utilised for restoration of the environment. The NGT was hearing two petitions claiming violation of environmental norms by the industries which adversely impacted the water quality of the river. A bench of chairperson Justice A K Goel noted a report by a panel constituted earlier and said it presented a dismal picture of the area. The industrial siting was faulty, most industries were located in the non-conforming areas and industrial effluents were being discharged into the Dravyavati River and Chandalai and Nevta dams. The bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert members A Senthil

High on promise

Details of High Seas Treaty will have to be worked out

High-end sound meters to be installed in different parts of Bengal

In order to detect location-specific levels of sound pollution, West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has now decided to set up high-end sound meters in different corners of the state

Arvind Kejriwal launches mechanism to track realtime pollution sources

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday launched a study to gather realtime information on sources of pollution and help the government launch a targeted response. He said the reason for pollution changes on an hourly basis and until "we calculate the source of the pollution on a realtime basis, we cannot have an effective policy on the issue". Kejriwal inaugurated the 'realtime source apportionment supersite' at Rouse Avenue here along with an air quality monitoring van. "Today launched one such van, but once this stabilises and the data from this van comes in, we will launch several other such vans that can provide us data from the different wards of Delhi. "We will also use these vans to study the source of pollution in hotspot areas and once the data comes in, it will tell us about the main source of pollution and then we will take action on the data. "There will be a super site on the second floor of this building, there will also be a mobile air quality monitoring sys

Indian industry turns to biomass as capital bans coal in pollution fight

The change in air quality is as yet hard to quantify

Deaths caused due to pollution should be matter of concern: NGT Chairperson

National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said that apart from the lives lost due to road accidents, deaths caused on account of pollution should be a matter of concern

CAQM rolls back Stage-III of GRAP as pollution levels in Delhi improve

Decision was taken after observing declining trend in the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi and also considering the meteorological/ weather forecasts by India Meteorological Department (IMD)

Plan prepared to control pollution from 11 drains in Yamuna: Haryana min

The Haryana government has prepared an action plan to control pollution in all the 11 major drains that discharge treated or untreated effluent into the Yamuna river, the state assembly was informed here on Wednesday. "Due to the control of pollution in these drains, the polluted water will not fall into the Yamuna river, from which the Agra and Gurugram canals emerge," Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma said. He said this in response to a calling attention motion regarding polluted water in Agra and Gurugram canals. Sharma informed the House that the Haryana government has constituted a committee in this regard. The MLAs of Gurugram, Mewat, Faridabad and Palwal districts were made its members and member secretary, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, as Member Convener, the house was informed. Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, and Principal Secretary, Irrigation, have also been nominated as members. Five meetings of this committee have been held, he said. The ministe

K'taka State Pollution Control Board to incentivise environment compliance

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on Friday announced to incentivize environment compliance.