Air Pollution

Punjab sets up 'smog war room' to tackle hazardous air pollution

But Wednesday's index score for Lahore fell short of last week's unprecedented score of 1900, which had exceeded recommended levels by more than 120 times, prompting closure of primary schools

NASA sends powerful new instrument to space to track air pollution

"The TEMPO mission is about more than just studying pollution -- it's about improving life on Earth for all," NASA said

Biden is set to propose toughest-ever rules on car pollution to spur EVs

Limits on car pollution are key to helping the US meet its Paris Agreement commitment to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% from 2005 levels by the end of the decade

Air pollution linked to lower antibody response to Covid vaccine: Study

People exposed to higher levels of air pollution before the pandemic had lower antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines, according to a study. In particular, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon was associated with about a 10 per cent decrease in IgM and IgG antibody responses in people without prior infection, the researchers said. The findings, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, provide further evidence on the adverse effects of air pollution on the immune system. "Air pollution has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and diabetes," said Manolis Kogevinas from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). "Air pollutants have been shown to affect immune responses, so in this study we wished to determine whether air pollution also affects antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccines," said Kogevinas. The team analysed data from 927 particip

Air pollution can affect your Covid-19 vaccine efficacy, says study

Air pollution can induce chronic inflammation, which has been associated with a negative effect on vaccine efficacy, the study said

Delhi Cabinet decides to buy mechanical sweepers, water sprinkling machines

The Delhi Cabinet decided on Tuesday to procure mechanical sweepers and water sprinkling machines to control dust pollution and to extend its power subsidy scheme for one year. The Cabinet, in a meeting, also decided to provide artificial limbs and other aides to physically disabled persons through a government agency. It approved the extension of term insurance and mediclaim under the Chief Minister Advocate Welfare Scheme, Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a press conference. It approved a proposal of the Environment department for purchasing 70 mechanical sweeping machines to remove dust on bigger roads maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD). It also decided to purchase 250 water sprinkling machines fitted with anti-smog guns, Bharadwaj said. A sum of Rs 2,388 crore will be spent on this in the next seven to 10 years and in the first year, the expenditure will be Rs 257 crore, he said. Atishi said the Cabinet decided to provide power subsidy to the .

AAP govt reduced pollution by 30% in last 8 years: Delhi CM Kejriwal

AAP govt reduced pollution by 30 per cent in 8 years, ensuring 24X7 power supply and less than 7% transmission losses, said Delhi CM Kejriwal in Assembly

TMSEp396: US Fed rate hike, Bisleri, air pollution, Credit Suisse AT1 bonds

How will US Fed policy outcome affect markets? What's happening with Bisleri? Why can't Indian cities curb air pollution? What happened to Credit Suisse's AT1 bonds? All answers here

Harder to breathe: Mumbai wheezes its way to becoming pollution capital

Financial capital sees spurt in respiratory ailments as La Niña and construction worsen air quality to historic lows

NGT forms panel to verify claim of air pollution around AIIMS Delhi

The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel to verify the allegations of severe air pollution in and around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. The NGT was hearing a plea which claimed that air pollution was jeopardising the health of the indoor as well as OPD patients, doctors and other staffers of AIIMS-Delhi. The petition claimed statutory and administrative authorities failed to control air pollution around AIIMS. "We are satisfied that the matter needs consideration and facts need to be verified by an independent expert committee... Accordingly, we constitute a seven-member joint committee to be headed by the member secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), deputy commissioner of police (Traffic), area divisional or district forest officer (DFO) and the municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD)," a bench comprising NGT chairperson Justice A K Goel said. The bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Ve

NGT forms committee to verify facts about air pollution around AIIMS, Delhi

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a seven-member joint committee to verify facts regarding air pollution around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, which jeopardizes the health of indoor as well as OPD patients and doctors and other staff of AIIMS.The bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel in an order passed on March 17, 2023, stated, "We are satisfied that the matter needs consideration. Facts need to be verified by an independent expert committee to consider further order.""Accordingly, we constitute a seven-member joint Committee to be headed by Member Secretary, CPCB with other members being DCP (Traffic), area DFO, MCD, DPCC and Director-AIIMS or his nominee and a nominee of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital," said the Tribunal."The Committee may consider the allegations noted, including traffic/parking status and deliberate upon plan for mitigation measures to control air pollution in the area such as ...

Need efforts from central, state to improve air quality: Bhupender Yadav

The Centre provided Rs 8,915 crore in the last four years to improve air quality in the 131 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said. Addressing a meeting of the National Apex Committee under NCAP on Wednesday, Yadav emphasised the need for coordinated action by central and state governments, Union territory administrations, urban local bodies and state pollution control boards to improve air quality. Yadav appreciated the performance of 95 cities which have improved air quality and 20 cities which met the national ambient air quality standards in the financial year 2021-22 under the programme, a statement said. He spoke on the significance of the airshed approach adopted in the Indo-Gangetic plains and stressed the need for regional cooperation to address the issue of air pollution. NCAP is a national-level strategy for a 20 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024, with 2017

Delhi's AQI falls to poor category, maximum temperature at 34 degrees: IMD

The air quality in Delhi slipped to "poor" category on Wednesday while the city's minimum temperature settled at 16.3 degrees Celsius, one notch above the season's average, according to an Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin. Partly cloudy sky is expected during the day and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 34 degrees Celsius, it forecast. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 202, which falls in the "poor"category. 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 relative humidity at 8.30 am was 86 per cent, the IMD bulletin said. The AQI of Delhi was recorded in the moderate (150) category around 9 am on Tuesday, showed data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

BMC constitutes 7-member committee to control Mumbai's air pollution

The decisions have come in the wake of G20 meetings, scheduled to be held in Mumbai at the end of March 2023

Kochi chokes on pollution as fumes from waste plant fire continues

High Court says city 'trapped in gas chamber'; IAF choppers spray water; schools shut for two days

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Less than 1% of earth has safe levels of air pollution, study finds

Air quality is particularly worrisome in regions such as southern Asia and eastern Asia, where more than 90% of days had PM2.5 concentrations above the 15 microgram threshold

Delhi records cleanest air day since last October, average AQI of 135

Delhi on Monday logged a 24-hour average AQI of 135, the lowest since October 13 last year, owing to chilly winds that swept through the city dispersing the pollutants. The cold northwesterly winds -- blowing up to a speed of 48 kmph -- from the mountainous regions led to a drop in temperatures. The city recorded a high of 23.2 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year and a minimum temperature of 8.7 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season's average. Humidity level during the day oscillated between 25 per cent and 62 per cent. The weather department has forecast a mainly clear sky with strong surface winds and occasional gusty winds for Tuesday. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 26 degrees Celsius and 12 degrees Celsius respectively on Tuesday. 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. According to the Ministry of Earth

Centre's air quality panel tightens curbs on use of DG sets in Delhi-NCR

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday said diesel generator (DG) sets of capacity up to 800 kilowatt can be permitted for industrial and commercial operations in Delhi-NCR from May 15 only after their conversion to the dual fuel system (gas and diesel). However, their operations will continue to be restricted during the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) period, it said. With effect from May 15, "any use of DG sets of capacity up to 800 kW shall be permitted for industrial and commercial sector in the entire NCR, only subject to their conversion to dual fuel system (70 per cent gas and 30 per cent diesel) in areas where gas infrastructure and supply is available", the Centre's air quality panel said in a statement. It observed that uncontrolled use of DG sets is a matter of concern. "A large number of DG sets operating in Delhi-NCR without adequate emission control measures, even during the periods other than the ban under GRAP, cause heavy air pollution and ar

Action plans helped reduce pollution by 20% at Anand Vihar, Delhi

Particulate pollution at Anand Vihar, one of the 13 air pollution hotspots in Delhi, declined by around 20 per cent after the city government's Environment department inventorised and mapped point sources and took site-specific measures, officials said. It is a first-of-its-kind project in Delhi. The pilot phase has been successful. It will now be replicated in all the 13 hotspots this year, an Environment department official said. The department inventorised and mapped around 470 major and minor air pollution sources in the area, especially in the region surrounding the continuous ambient air quality monitoring station. Major point sources included the Regional Rapid Transit System construction site, a construction and demolition site behind the Anand Vihar Inter-State Bus Terminal, traffic congestion at the railway station exit, the Uttar Pradesh Roadways Bus Terminal at Kaushambi, an unpaved parking of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Patparganj industrial area, among .