Delhi's air quality oscillated between "poor" and "very poor" category on October 21 as authorities warned of days of severe pollution ahead.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 292, while the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research reported an AQI of 318, which falls in the "very poor" category.

An AQI between 0 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".

An official said the air quality of Delhi might deteriorate to "severe" category in the coming days as the air becomes heavier and results in the formation of smog.

While Faridabad and Gurgaon recorded "very poor" quality air, Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida reported "poor" air quality.

On October 20, a haze had engulfed the national capital and the worst air quality of this season was recorded at 324.

Anand Vihar, Mundaka, Narela, Dwarka Sector 8, Nehru Nagar and Rohini saw very poor air quality Sunday and were inching towards severe pollution levels, data from the CPCB said.

The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Protection Control Authority (EPCA) on October 19 had held a meeting with officials of the Punjab, Haryana and the Delhi governments to discuss the pollution situation in the national capital.

An EPCA member on October 19 said stock of the situation was taken and it was decided that special attention would be given to vulnerable hotspots where poor or very poor air quality was observed.

The PM2.5 (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometres) was recorded at 143. The PM2.5 also called "fine particulates," can be a matter of more serious health concern than PM10.

The PM10 level (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of fewer than 10 micrometres) in Delhi stood at 269, according to the data from the SAFAR.

A CPCB official said a number of factors were responsible for the deteriorating air quality, including vehicular pollution, construction activities and meteorological factors like the direction of the wind, which is now flowing from the stubble burning areas.

Satellite imagery by NASA shows countless spot fires already burning in Haryana and Punjab.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on October 19 warned that Delhi would become a "gas chamber soon" as the Centre, the Punjab and the Haryana governments were doing "absolutely nothing" for farmers involved in stubble burning.

Delhi's air quality oscillated between "poor" and "very poor" category on October 21 as authorities warned of days of severe pollution ahead. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 292, while the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research reported an AQI of 318, which falls in the "very poor" category.

Delhi's air quality oscillated between "poor" and "very poor" category on October 21 as authorities warned of days of severe pollution ahead. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 292, while the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research reported an AQI of 318, which falls in the "very poor" category. An AQI between 0 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". An official said the air quality of Delhi might deteriorate to "severe" category in the coming days as the air becomes heavier and results in the formation of smog. While Faridabad and Gurgaon recorded "very poor" quality air, Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida reported "poor" air quality. On October 20, a haze had engulfed the national capital and the worst air quality of this season was recorded at 324. Anand Vihar, Mundaka, Narela, Dwarka Sector 8, Nehru Nagar and Rohini saw very poor air quality Sunday and were inching towards severe pollution levels, data from the CPCB said. The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Protection Control Authority (EPCA) on October 19 had held a meeting with officials of the Punjab, Haryana and the Delhi governments to discuss the pollution situation in the national capital. An EPCA member on October 19 said stock of the situation was taken and it was decided that special attention would be given to vulnerable hotspots where poor or very poor air quality was observed. The PM2.5 (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometres) was recorded at 143. The PM2.5 also called "fine particulates," can be a matter of more serious health concern than PM10. The PM10 level (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of fewer than 10 micrometres) in Delhi stood at 269, according to the data from the SAFAR. A CPCB official said a number of factors were responsible for the deteriorating air quality, including vehicular pollution, construction activities and meteorological factors like the direction of the wind, which is now flowing from the stubble burning areas. Satellite imagery by NASA shows countless spot fires already burning in Haryana and Punjab. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on October 19 warned that Delhi would become a "gas chamber soon" as the Centre, the Punjab and the Haryana governments were doing "absolutely nothing" for farmers involved in stubble burning.

Delhi's air quality oscillates between poor and very poor; authorities warn of further deterioration

Harpal Singh struck a match and watched his fields burn, the acrid smoke drifting toward New Delhi where a lethal smog cocktail is once again intensifying over the world's most polluted megacity.

Every November, air pollution in north India reaches levels unimaginable in most parts of the world, forcing schools shut and filling hospital wards with wheezing patients.

As winter descends, cooler air traps car fumes, factory emissions and construction dust close to the ground, fomenting a toxic brew of harmful pollutants that regularly exceed 30 times the World Health Organization safe limit.

The scourge is compounded as farmers like Singh -- rushing to ready their fields for next season's wheat crop -- use fire to quickly and cheaply clear their land.

He knows slash-and-burn farming is illegal and that doing so, year after year, helps sicken millions in Delhi and beyond.

But local authorities appear powerless to stop it and -- looming health crisis or not in Delhi -- the narrow window to plant for the winter harvest is closing.

"We have no other choice but to burn the straw," Singh told AFP in Ishargarh, a village in Haryana, about 120 km northwest of Delhi.

"We know the smoke pollutes the air. But it is the cheapest and easiest way to get rid of the (crop) residue," the 65-year-old farmer told AFP, as burning straw crackled and popped behind him.

Deaf Ears

This smoke is already reaching Delhi, bringing a familiar sepia haze and a bad omen for officials wanting to avoid a third straight year of record-setting smog.

Deterrents, such as fines of up to $200 for farmers flouting the law, appear to have limited effect.

Satellite imagery shows countless spot fires already burning in Haryana and Punjab.

S Narayanan, from Haryana's State Pollution Control Board, said Rs. 3 lakh in fines had been issued and fires were down 40 percent in some areas.

"But our intention is not only to take punitive action, but to educate the farmers," he told AFP.

Farmers represent powerful voting blocs in rural states like Haryana and Punjab, and local authorities are reluctant to upset them.

Efforts to persuade farmers, many living below the poverty line, to adopt alternative methods of land clearance have fallen on deaf ears.

Many have balked at suggestions of buying "Happy Seeders" -- expensive machines which according to media reports cost at least Rs. 1.5 lakh - that sow wheat without needing to dispose of the leftover straw.&nbsp;

The government is offering a subsidy of 50 percent to individuals and 80 percent to groups of farmers to encourage them to use the machines.

"We are already in debt... and we can't afford even the subsidised machines," said Karnail Singh, a 60-year-old farmer. He suggested the government pay farmers by the acre not to burn their fields.

Television ads, social media campaigns and meetings at the village level have also had limited success.&nbsp;

Powerful farmers unions say many of the government's ideas -- such as encouraging farmers to sell straw to factories -- overlook extra costs imposed on poor rural families.

"Who will bear the cost of transporting the straw? Farmers are also concerned about the pollution, but they are helpless," said Sucha Singh from Bhartiya Kisan Union, a farmers' rights group.

Gas Chamber

Many farmers feel scapegoated for the modern-day problems of the country's fast-growing cities.

The WHO in May listed 14 Indian cities in the world's top 15 with the dirtiest air, with Delhi dubbed the most polluted major centre.

"Farmers are blamed for the pollution, but nobody talks about the factories and cars and buses which are the main culprits," Singh said.

Others are more defiant.

"We are always the soft targets. We will continue to burn stubble. Let the government do what it can," said another farmer Harbans Singh.

With smoke on the horizon, the Delhi government is squaring off for a fight with its neighbours.

It recently closed its last coal-fired power plant but Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warned of another smog crisis if Punjab and Haryana failed to take "concrete steps" on crop fires.

"The entire region including Delhi will again become (a) gas chamber," he said on October 12.

"People will again face difficulty in breathing. This is criminal."

Harpal Singh struck a match and watched his fields burn, the acrid smoke drifting toward New Delhi where a lethal smog cocktail is once again intensifying over the world's most polluted megacity.

Harpal Singh struck a match and watched his fields burn, the acrid smoke drifting toward New Delhi where a lethal smog cocktail is once again intensifying over the world's most polluted megacity. Every November, air pollution in north India reaches levels unimaginable in most parts of the world, forcing schools shut and filling hospital wards with wheezing patients. As winter descends, cooler air traps car fumes, factory emissions and construction dust close to the ground, fomenting a toxic brew of harmful pollutants that regularly exceed 30 times the World Health Organization safe limit. The scourge is compounded as farmers like Singh -- rushing to ready their fields for next season's wheat crop -- use fire to quickly and cheaply clear their land. He knows slash-and-burn farming is illegal and that doing so, year after year, helps sicken millions in Delhi and beyond. But local authorities appear powerless to stop it and -- looming health crisis or not in Delhi -- the narrow window to plant for the winter harvest is closing. "We have no other choice but to burn the straw," Singh told AFP in Ishargarh, a village in Haryana, about 120 km northwest of Delhi. "We know the smoke pollutes the air. But it is the cheapest and easiest way to get rid of the (crop) residue," the 65-year-old farmer told AFP, as burning straw crackled and popped behind him. Deaf Ears This smoke is already reaching Delhi, bringing a familiar sepia haze and a bad omen for officials wanting to avoid a third straight year of record-setting smog. Deterrents, such as fines of up to $200 for farmers flouting the law, appear to have limited effect. Satellite imagery shows countless spot fires already burning in Haryana and Punjab. S Narayanan, from Haryana's State Pollution Control Board, said Rs. 3 lakh in fines had been issued and fires were down 40 percent in some areas. "But our intention is not only to take punitive action, but to educate the farmers," he told AFP. Farmers represent powerful voting blocs in rural states like Haryana and Punjab, and local authorities are reluctant to upset them. Efforts to persuade farmers, many living below the poverty line, to adopt alternative methods of land clearance have fallen on deaf ears. Many have balked at suggestions of buying "Happy Seeders" -- expensive machines which according to media reports cost at least Rs. 1.5 lakh - that sow wheat without needing to dispose of the leftover straw. The government is offering a subsidy of 50 percent to individuals and 80 percent to groups of farmers to encourage them to use the machines. "We are already in debt... and we can't afford even the subsidised machines," said Karnail Singh, a 60-year-old farmer. He suggested the government pay farmers by the acre not to burn their fields. Television ads, social media campaigns and meetings at the village level have also had limited success. Powerful farmers unions say many of the government's ideas -- such as encouraging farmers to sell straw to factories -- overlook extra costs imposed on poor rural families. "Who will bear the cost of transporting the straw? Farmers are also concerned about the pollution, but they are helpless," said Sucha Singh from Bhartiya Kisan Union, a farmers' rights group. Gas Chamber Many farmers feel scapegoated for the modern-day problems of the country's fast-growing cities. The WHO in May listed 14 Indian cities in the world's top 15 with the dirtiest air, with Delhi dubbed the most polluted major centre. "Farmers are blamed for the pollution, but nobody talks about the factories and cars and buses which are the main culprits," Singh said. Others are more defiant. "We are always the soft targets. We will continue to burn stubble. Let the government do what it can," said another farmer Harbans Singh. With smoke on the horizon, the Delhi government is squaring off for a fight with its neighbours. It recently closed its last coal-fired power plant but Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warned of another smog crisis if Punjab and Haryana failed to take "concrete steps" on crop fires. "The entire region including Delhi will again become (a) gas chamber," he said on October 12. "People will again face difficulty in breathing. This is criminal."

Delhi holds breath as burning farms herald pollution season

Delhi's air quality oscillated between "poor" and "very poor" category Sunday as authorities warned of days of severe pollution ahead.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 292, while the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research reported an AQI of 318, which falls in the "very poor" category.

An AQI between 0 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".

An official said the air quality of Delhi might deteriorate to "severe" category in the coming days as the air becomes heavier and results in formation of smog.

While Faridabad and Gurgaon recorded "very poor" quality air, Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida reported "poor" air quality.

On Saturday, a haze had engulfed the national capital and the worst air quality of this season was recorded at 324.

Anand Vihar, Mundaka, Narela, Dwarka Sector 8, Nehru Nagar and Rohini saw very poor air quality Sunday and were inching towards severe pollution levels, data from the CPCB said.

The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Protection Control Authority (EPCA) on Friday had held a meeting with officials of the Punjab, Haryana and the Delhi governments to discuss the pollution situation in the national capital.

An EPCA member on Friday said stock of the situation was taken and it was decided that special attention would be given to vulnerable hotspots where poor or very poor air quality was observed.

The PM2.5 (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) was recorded at 143. The PM2.5, also called "fine particulates," can be a matter of more serious health concern than PM10.

The PM10 level (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres) in Delhi stood at 269, according to the data from the SAFAR.

A CPCB official said a number of factors were responsible for the deteriorating air quality, including vehicular pollution, construction activities and meteorological factors like direction of wind, which is now flowing from the stubble burning areas.

Satellite imagery by NASA shows countless spot fires already burning in Haryana and Punjab.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday warned that Delhi would become a "gas chamber soon" as the Centre, the Punjab and the Haryana governments were doing "absolutely nothing" for farmers involved in stubble burning.

"We are sad that Central, Punjab and Haryana Govts did absolutely nothing for the farmers. As a result, the farmers will suffer on one hand and Delhi will become a gas chamber soon (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.

Delhi's air quality oscillated between "poor" and "very poor" category Sunday as authorities warned of days of severe pollution ahead. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 292, while the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research reported an AQI of 318, which falls in the "very poor" category.

Delhi's air quality oscillated between "poor" and "very poor" category Sunday as authorities warned of days of severe pollution ahead. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi at 292, while the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research reported an AQI of 318, which falls in the "very poor" category. An AQI between 0 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". An official said the air quality of Delhi might deteriorate to "severe" category in the coming days as the air becomes heavier and results in formation of smog. While Faridabad and Gurgaon recorded "very poor" quality air, Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida reported "poor" air quality. On Saturday, a haze had engulfed the national capital and the worst air quality of this season was recorded at 324. Anand Vihar, Mundaka, Narela, Dwarka Sector 8, Nehru Nagar and Rohini saw very poor air quality Sunday and were inching towards severe pollution levels, data from the CPCB said. The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Protection Control Authority (EPCA) on Friday had held a meeting with officials of the Punjab, Haryana and the Delhi governments to discuss the pollution situation in the national capital. An EPCA member on Friday said stock of the situation was taken and it was decided that special attention would be given to vulnerable hotspots where poor or very poor air quality was observed. The PM2.5 (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) was recorded at 143. The PM2.5, also called "fine particulates," can be a matter of more serious health concern than PM10. The PM10 level (presence of particles in the air with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres) in Delhi stood at 269, according to the data from the SAFAR. A CPCB official said a number of factors were responsible for the deteriorating air quality, including vehicular pollution, construction activities and meteorological factors like direction of wind, which is now flowing from the stubble burning areas. Satellite imagery by NASA shows countless spot fires already burning in Haryana and Punjab. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday warned that Delhi would become a "gas chamber soon" as the Centre, the Punjab and the Haryana governments were doing "absolutely nothing" for farmers involved in stubble burning. "We are sad that Central, Punjab and Haryana Govts did absolutely nothing for the farmers. As a result, the farmers will suffer on one hand and Delhi will become a gas chamber soon (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.

How cities around the world tackle air pollution

The emergency plan to combat air pollution came into force Monday in the Delhi-NCR where air quality remained poor, even as the Centre claimed that bad air quality days in the city have come down considerably this year.

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which has come into effect for the second year, ensures stringent actions are taken based on the air quality.&nbsp;

Under the plan, measures like mechanised sweeping of roads, ban on garbage burning, pollution control measures at brick kilns and deployment of police to ensure smooth passage of traffic at vulnerable areas are in force in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) as the air quality lies in the poor category.

Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, who launched an air quality early warning system for Delhi, said the Badarpur Thermal Power Plant will be closed from October 15.

He also said the number of mechanised road sweeping machines in the national capital will increase from 52 to 64 by November-end.

With farmers already burning stubble, the Environment Ministry said the government has released Rs 591.65 crore to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi for the promotion of agricultural mechanisation to manage crop residue.

It said the number of active fire detections was less in 2018 when compared to 2017 and 2016.

The air quality in Delhi remained poor with a drop in wind speed, even as authorities predicted further fall in the air quality index of the national capital in the coming days.

The overall air quality index (AQI) recorded at 4 pm Monday was 218 which falls in the poor category, according to Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). On Saturday, the AQI of the national capital stood at 201.

According to the CPCB website, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 318, DTU registered 288, ITO recorded 253 and Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 311.&nbsp;

An AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.

Delhi's neighbouring regions of Faridabad and Gurgaon both recorded poor air quality.

If the air quality deteriorates further to very poor category then additional measures under GRAP like enhancing parking fees 3-4 times and increasing frequency of metro and buses would be implemented, an official with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said.

It said if the air quality falls in the severe category, measures like increasing frequency of sprinkling of water on roads and identifying road stretch with high dust generation would be implemented.

If the air quality falls to severe plus emergency category, then measures like stopping entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities), stopping construction activities and appointment of a task force to take the decision on any additional steps, including shutting of schools, are implemented.

Union minister Vardhan said the use of water sprinklers and the opening of the Western Peripheral Expressway will bring about a further reduction in pollution.

He said along with the initiatives taken by the government, the participation of the society is imperative.

"With an outlay of Rs 1,151.80 crore under the new Central Sector Scheme, the Centre has already released Rs 591.65 crore to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi for the promotion of agricultural mechanization for in-situ management of crop residue," an official statement quoting Vardhan said.

The minister said 41 teams of the CPCB have been deployed in Delhi and NCR cities of Ghaziabad, NOIDA, Gurgaon and Faridabad to monitor and supervise dust mitigation and other air pollution abatement measures to ensure effective compliance while terming them as "eyes and ears" of his ministry.

He also said the use of water sprinklers and the opening of the expressway will bring about a further reduction in pollution.

Union Environment secretary C K Mishra said the number of "Good, Satisfactory and Moderate" days was 157 in 2018 (Up to October 13) compared to 150 in 2017 and 107 in 2016 during the corresponding period.

He added that similarly, the number of "Poor, Very Poor and Severe days" have come down from 167 in 2016 to 136 in 2017 to 129 in 2018 during the corresponding period.

Comparing the PM10 and PM2.5 levels, Mishra underlined that both PM 10 and PM 2.5 have shown a significant reduction in the winter months (September-October) this year compared to last year.

"There is a reduction of 46 per cent in PM10 levels in September 2018 compared to last year and a 15 per cent reduction in October.&nbsp;

"There is a reduction of 28 per cent in the PM2.5 levels in September 2018 compared to last year and a reduction of 22 per cent in October," Mishra said.

He said the number of active fire detections in 2018 is less in comparison to 207 and 2016 till October 14, 2018.&nbsp;

"The numbers are 75 per cent lower than last year in Punjab and 40 per cent lower in case of Haryana," he said.&nbsp;

The emergency plan to combat air pollution came into force Monday in the Delhi-NCR where air quality remained poor, even as the Centre claimed that bad air quality days in the city have come down considerably this year.

The emergency plan to combat air pollution came into force Monday in the Delhi-NCR where air quality remained poor, even as the Centre claimed that bad air quality days in the city have come down considerably this year. The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which has come into effect for the second year, ensures stringent actions are taken based on the air quality. Under the plan, measures like mechanised sweeping of roads, ban on garbage burning, pollution control measures at brick kilns and deployment of police to ensure smooth passage of traffic at vulnerable areas are in force in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) as the air quality lies in the poor category. Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, who launched an air quality early warning system for Delhi, said the Badarpur Thermal Power Plant will be closed from October 15. He also said the number of mechanised road sweeping machines in the national capital will increase from 52 to 64 by November-end. With farmers already burning stubble, the Environment Ministry said the government has released Rs 591.65 crore to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi for the promotion of agricultural mechanisation to manage crop residue. It said the number of active fire detections was less in 2018 when compared to 2017 and 2016. The air quality in Delhi remained poor with a drop in wind speed, even as authorities predicted further fall in the air quality index of the national capital in the coming days. The overall air quality index (AQI) recorded at 4 pm Monday was 218 which falls in the poor category, according to Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). On Saturday, the AQI of the national capital stood at 201. According to the CPCB website, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 318, DTU registered 288, ITO recorded 253 and Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 311. An AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'. Delhi's neighbouring regions of Faridabad and Gurgaon both recorded poor air quality. If the air quality deteriorates further to very poor category then additional measures under GRAP like enhancing parking fees 3-4 times and increasing frequency of metro and buses would be implemented, an official with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said. It said if the air quality falls in the severe category, measures like increasing frequency of sprinkling of water on roads and identifying road stretch with high dust generation would be implemented. If the air quality falls to severe plus emergency category, then measures like stopping entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities), stopping construction activities and appointment of a task force to take the decision on any additional steps, including shutting of schools, are implemented. Union minister Vardhan said the use of water sprinklers and the opening of the Western Peripheral Expressway will bring about a further reduction in pollution. He said along with the initiatives taken by the government, the participation of the society is imperative. "With an outlay of Rs 1,151.80 crore under the new Central Sector Scheme, the Centre has already released Rs 591.65 crore to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi for the promotion of agricultural mechanization for in-situ management of crop residue," an official statement quoting Vardhan said. The minister said 41 teams of the CPCB have been deployed in Delhi and NCR cities of Ghaziabad, NOIDA, Gurgaon and Faridabad to monitor and supervise dust mitigation and other air pollution abatement measures to ensure effective compliance while terming them as "eyes and ears" of his ministry. He also said the use of water sprinklers and the opening of the expressway will bring about a further reduction in pollution. Union Environment secretary C K Mishra said the number of "Good, Satisfactory and Moderate" days was 157 in 2018 (Up to October 13) compared to 150 in 2017 and 107 in 2016 during the corresponding period. He added that similarly, the number of "Poor, Very Poor and Severe days" have come down from 167 in 2016 to 136 in 2017 to 129 in 2018 during the corresponding period. Comparing the PM10 and PM2.5 levels, Mishra underlined that both PM 10 and PM 2.5 have shown a significant reduction in the winter months (September-October) this year compared to last year. "There is a reduction of 46 per cent in PM10 levels in September 2018 compared to last year and a 15 per cent reduction in October. "There is a reduction of 28 per cent in the PM2.5 levels in September 2018 compared to last year and a reduction of 22 per cent in October," Mishra said. He said the number of active fire detections in 2018 is less in comparison to 207 and 2016 till October 14, 2018. "The numbers are 75 per cent lower than last year in Punjab and 40 per cent lower in case of Haryana," he said.

Pollution-control action plan comes into force in Delhi-NCR, air quality remains poor

Delhi's air quality nosedived towards very poor category on Tuesday even as authorities put several key measures in place to combat air pollution.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 293, just eight points below the "very poor" category, according to the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor" and that between 401 and 500 is categorised as "severe".

A senior Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official said several factors like vehicular pollution, construction activities and meteorological factors like wind speed were responsible for continuing pollution in the city despite measures being taken up.

Several measures are in force in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) like mechanised sweeping of roads, ban on garbage burning, pollution control measures at brick kilns and deployment of police to ensure smooth passage of traffic at vulnerable areas.

The use of gensets have also been banned in the city but they are being allowed to operate in parts of the NCR due to power issues.

"The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been rolled out in the city but its ground level implementation is still going on," the official said.

The GRAP, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2012, prescribes a set of measures to curb air pollution based on the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) daily Air Quality Index (AQI).

The emergency plan gets implemented if "very poor" or "severe" air pollution levels are recorded for 48 hours but given the extent of winter pollution witnessed by the national capital, the plan has been implemented as the air quality slipped to the "poor" category, the official said.

In addition, the CPCB has also deployed 41 teams to monitor the implementation of measures taken to combat air pollution.

On Tuesday, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 381, Dwarka Sector 8 registered AQI of 373, ITO recorded 296 and Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 321, according to CPCB data.

The PM10 level (presence of particles with diameter less than 10 micrometres) in Delhi stood at 274 and the PM2.5 level was recorded at 119. Both PM10 and PM2.5 are in poor category, according to the data.

Delhi's air quality nosedived towards very poor category on Tuesday even as authorities put several key measures in place to combat air pollution. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 293, just eight points below the "very poor" category, according to the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research.

Delhi's air quality nosedived towards very poor category on Tuesday even as authorities put several key measures in place to combat air pollution. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 293, just eight points below the "very poor" category, according to the Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting And Research. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor" and that between 401 and 500 is categorised as "severe". A senior Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official said several factors like vehicular pollution, construction activities and meteorological factors like wind speed were responsible for continuing pollution in the city despite measures being taken up. Several measures are in force in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) like mechanised sweeping of roads, ban on garbage burning, pollution control measures at brick kilns and deployment of police to ensure smooth passage of traffic at vulnerable areas. The use of gensets have also been banned in the city but they are being allowed to operate in parts of the NCR due to power issues. "The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been rolled out in the city but its ground level implementation is still going on," the official said. The GRAP, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2012, prescribes a set of measures to curb air pollution based on the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) daily Air Quality Index (AQI). The emergency plan gets implemented if "very poor" or "severe" air pollution levels are recorded for 48 hours but given the extent of winter pollution witnessed by the national capital, the plan has been implemented as the air quality slipped to the "poor" category, the official said. In addition, the CPCB has also deployed 41 teams to monitor the implementation of measures taken to combat air pollution. On Tuesday, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 381, Dwarka Sector 8 registered AQI of 373, ITO recorded 296 and Jahangirpuri recorded an AQI of 321, according to CPCB data. The PM10 level (presence of particles with diameter less than 10 micrometres) in Delhi stood at 274 and the PM2.5 level was recorded at 119. Both PM10 and PM2.5 are in poor category, according to the data.

Delhi's air quality nosedives towards 'very poor' category

Your Story: Air quality index in Delhi recorded on Sat stood at 300

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday extended his sympathies with the farmers of the state over the prohibition on stubble burning but told them that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) laws must be followed.

Addressing a presser here, Singh said, "This is a law of National Green Tribunal. My sympathies are with the farmers, but law is law and the law must take its course. I have written twice to the Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister and the Food Processing Industries Minister to compensate farmers who do not burn stubble with an additional Rs 100 per quintal."

Singh further stated that if the Centre does not provide Rs 100 per quintal compensation to the farmers, it will be difficult to control stubble burning. Although many farmers have stopped burning stubble as they have resorted to converting it into bio-fuel, the practice still, to a limited extent, remains active in the state, the chief minister added.

As autumn sets in, bringing along with it the harvesting period for Kharif crops, the increasing cases of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana are worsening the air pollution crisis in New Delhi and the neighbouring National Capital Region.

This in turn has necessitated the NGT to implement strict norms on the burning of stubble.However, farmers in Punjab on Saturday claimed that industries and vehicles majorly contribute to air pollution and not stubble burning.&nbsp;

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday extended his sympathies with the farmers of the state over the prohibition on stubble burning but told them that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) laws must be followed.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday extended his sympathies with the farmers of the state over the prohibition on stubble burning but told them that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) laws must be followed. Addressing a presser here, Singh said, "This is a law of National Green Tribunal. My sympathies are with the farmers, but law is law and the law must take its course. I have written twice to the Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister and the Food Processing Industries Minister to compensate farmers who do not burn stubble with an additional Rs 100 per quintal." Singh further stated that if the Centre does not provide Rs 100 per quintal compensation to the farmers, it will be difficult to control stubble burning. Although many farmers have stopped burning stubble as they have resorted to converting it into bio-fuel, the practice still, to a limited extent, remains active in the state, the chief minister added. As autumn sets in, bringing along with it the harvesting period for Kharif crops, the increasing cases of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana are worsening the air pollution crisis in New Delhi and the neighbouring National Capital Region. This in turn has necessitated the NGT to implement strict norms on the burning of stubble.However, farmers in Punjab on Saturday claimed that industries and vehicles majorly contribute to air pollution and not stubble burning.

Punjab CM advises farmers to abide by NGT laws on stubble burning

Air quality in Delhi deteriorates

An emergency action plan will be implemented from Monday to combat air pollution that has begun to show a trend towards very poor category, the Central Pollution Control Board said.

Under the emergency plan called Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), stringent actions are implemented based on the air quality of the city.

If the air quality lies in moderate to poor category- measures like stopping garbage burning in landfills and other places, and enforcing all pollution control regulations in brick kilns and industries would be implemented, an official official said.

If the air quality falls in the very poor category, additional measures of stopping use of diesel generator sets, enhancing parking fees 3-4 times and increasing frequency of metro and buses would be implemented, he added.

If the air quality falls in the severe category, additional measures would be implemented of increasing frequency of mechanised cleaning of roads, sprinkling of water on roads and identifying road stretches with high dust generation.

If the air quality falls to severe plus emergency category, then measures like stopping entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities), stopping construction activities and appointment of task force to take decision on any additional steps, including shutting of schools, are implemented.

The measures depending upon the air quality will be implemented from Monday.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ODybAL9PrHk" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Currently the air quality is in the poor category but authorities have predicted that it would reach the 'very poor' category in the next couple of days.

In addition to GRAP, the CPCB has also deployed 41 teams across the Delhi NCR to monitor proper implementation of norms enforced to prevent pollution at the source.

Till October 11, 96 inspections were conducted by the teams across Delhi NCR and the inspections would intensify in the coming days, a senior CPCB official said.

The inspections was started by the two-member team on September 15, he added.

Meanwhile, satellite images from the NASA showed rampant stubble burning activity in Punjab and Haryana.

The NASA, on its official website, stated that burning of crop residue in Punjab and Haryana has increased significantly over the past 10 days in and near Amritsar, Ambala, Karnal, Sirsa and Hisar.

Burning of paddy straw every year during October and November and wheat straw during April in Punjab and Haryana are the major contributors of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, as the smoke travels towards the national capital. In Delhi, it mixes with the fog and creates a toxic smoggy winter every year.

An emergency action plan will be implemented from Monday to combat air pollution that has begun to show a trend towards very poor category, the Central Pollution Control Board said.

An emergency action plan will be implemented from Monday to combat air pollution that has begun to show a trend towards very poor category, the Central Pollution Control Board said. Under the emergency plan called Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), stringent actions are implemented based on the air quality of the city. If the air quality lies in moderate to poor category- measures like stopping garbage burning in landfills and other places, and enforcing all pollution control regulations in brick kilns and industries would be implemented, an official official said. If the air quality falls in the very poor category, additional measures of stopping use of diesel generator sets, enhancing parking fees 3-4 times and increasing frequency of metro and buses would be implemented, he added. If the air quality falls in the severe category, additional measures would be implemented of increasing frequency of mechanised cleaning of roads, sprinkling of water on roads and identifying road stretches with high dust generation. If the air quality falls to severe plus emergency category, then measures like stopping entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities), stopping construction activities and appointment of task force to take decision on any additional steps, including shutting of schools, are implemented. The measures depending upon the air quality will be implemented from Monday. × Currently the air quality is in the poor category but authorities have predicted that it would reach the 'very poor' category in the next couple of days. In addition to GRAP, the CPCB has also deployed 41 teams across the Delhi NCR to monitor proper implementation of norms enforced to prevent pollution at the source. Till October 11, 96 inspections were conducted by the teams across Delhi NCR and the inspections would intensify in the coming days, a senior CPCB official said. The inspections was started by the two-member team on September 15, he added. Meanwhile, satellite images from the NASA showed rampant stubble burning activity in Punjab and Haryana. The NASA, on its official website, stated that burning of crop residue in Punjab and Haryana has increased significantly over the past 10 days in and near Amritsar, Ambala, Karnal, Sirsa and Hisar. Burning of paddy straw every year during October and November and wheat straw during April in Punjab and Haryana are the major contributors of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, as the smoke travels towards the national capital. In Delhi, it mixes with the fog and creates a toxic smoggy winter every year.

Delhi: Air quality worsens, emergency plan kicks in from Monday

Bengaluru residents fight for clean air

By:&nbsp;Richard E. Peltier*

Not a day seems to go by without a story of an "airpocalypse," usually somewhere in a developing nation. It's hard not to empathize with the people in the smoggy images of New Delhi or Ulaanbataar or Kathmandu, often wearing masks, walking to school or work through soupy cloudiness.

Last year, a study found that more than 8 million people per year die early from air pollution exposure. This amounts to more deaths than the diarrheal disease, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined.

As a researcher in air pollution and its health effects, I know that even if you don't live in these places, air pollution likely still affects your quality of life. Here's what you need to know.

1. What exactly is air pollution?

Air pollution is a general term that usually describes a mixture of different chemicals that circulate in the air.

Invisible gases, like ozone or carbon monoxide, and tiny particles or droplets of liquids mix together in the atmosphere. Each molecule is impossible to see with the naked eye, but when trillions gather together, you can see them as haze.

These chemicals are almost always mixed together in varying amounts. Scientists do not yet understand how these different mixtures affect us. Each person responds differently to air pollution exposure – some people have few effects, while others, such as kids with asthma, might become very ill.

What's more, air pollution mixtures in a given location change over time. Changes can occur quickly over a few hours or gradually over months.

Short-term increases in air pollution from, for example, heavy traffic in rush hour, can make us sick. Such pollution occurs year-round. But seasonal pollutants, such as ozone, usually occur only in the warmest and sunniest parts of the year. What's more, the amount of ozone in the air also goes up and down through the day – generally highest in the afternoons and lowest in the early mornings.

These variations can make it quite difficult for environmental health scientists and epidemiologists to know precisely how air pollution can affect humans.

A calendar showing particulate matter concentration in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia in 2017. Note the highest concentrations appear in wintertime. The unusual increase in pollution in July corresponds with a Mongolian holiday.

2. Where does air pollution come from?

You might imagine air pollution as smoke pouring out of a factory chimney or the tailpipe of a car.

While these are important sources of air pollution, there are many others. Air pollution includes chemicals humans put into the atmosphere and chemicals released by natural events. For example, forest fires are a large source of air pollutants that affect many communities. Dust that's picked up by wind can also contribute to poor air quality.

Ronald Reagan famously said that "trees cause more pollution than automobiles do." While this myth has been debunked, he was right in at least some ways. Trees do release certain gases, such as volatile organic carbon, that are ingredients in air pollution chemistry. This, when mixed together with emissions from cars and industry, leads to increases in other types of pollution, such as ozone.

There isn't much that scientists can, or should, do about tree emissions. Public health researchers like myself focus most on the ingredients from human activities – from burning petroleum to emissions controls on industrial facilities – because these are sources located close to where people live and work.

There are also many chemical reactions that occur in the air itself. These reactions create what are known as secondary pollutants, some of which are quite toxic.

Finally, it's important to realize that air pollution knows no boundaries. If a pollutant is emitted in one location, it very easily moves across borders – both regional and national – to different places. New Delhi, for example, experiences seasonal pollution, thanks to extensive burning of agricultural fields some 200 miles away.

New Delhi is an extreme example. But, even if you live in a less polluted environment, pollutants emitted elsewhere often travel to where other people live and work, as seen in recent wildfires in California.

3. How do we know that air pollution causes problems?

This is a tricky question, because air pollution is a hidden problem that acts as a trigger for many health problems. Plenty of people suffer from asthma and lung diseases, heart attacks and cancer, and all of these are linked to particulate matter exposure. The best evidence to date suggests that the higher the dose of air pollution, the worse our response will be.

Unfortunately, there are many other things that lead to these diseases, too: poor diet, your inherited genes, or whether you have access to high quality medical care or you smoke cigarettes, for example. This makes figuring out the cause of a specific illness attributed to air pollution exposure much more difficult.

Every health study provides a slightly different result, because each study observes a different group of people and usually different types of air pollution. Scientists usually report their results based on any change in risk of developing a disease from air pollution, or based on whether your odds of developing a certain disease might change.

For example, a study in Taiwan looked at concentrations of particulate matter averaged over two years. The researchers found that, for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in particulate matter, the odds of developing high blood pressure increased by about 3 percent. This could suggest that if an increase of particulate matter concentration in any community might lead to an increase in high blood pressure.

Conversely, scientists usually assume that decreases in air pollution lead to decreases in diseases.

4. Why does this matter to you?

A typical adult takes around 20,000 breaths per day. Whether or not you become sick from air pollution depends on the amount and type of chemicals you inhale, and whether you might be susceptible to these diseases.

For someone living in polluted New Delhi, for example, those 20,000 breaths include the equivalent of around 20 grains of table salt worth of particulate matter deposited in their lungs each day. While this may not seem like much, keep in mind that this particulate matter isn’t harmless table salt – it's a mixture of chemicals that come from burning materials, unburned oils, metals and even biological material.

And this doesn’t include any of the pollutants that are gases, like ozone or carbon monoxide or oxides of nitrogen.

The U.S. and Europe have made excellent progress in reducing air pollution concentrations over the past couple of decades, largely by crafting effective air quality regulation.

However, in the U.S. today, where environmental laws are being methodically dismantled, there is a bigger worry that policymakers are simply choosing to ignore science. One new member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s science advisory board is Robert Phalen of the University of California, Irvine, who has suggested that "modern air is too clean for optimum health."

This goes against thousands of research papers and is certainly not true. While some components of air pollution have little effect on human health, this should not be used to muddy our understanding of air pollution exposure. This is a common tactic to confuse the public with unimportant statistics in order to sow confusion, presumably with an underlying intent to influence policy.

The evidence is clear: Air pollution exposure is lethal and causes death across the world. That should be important to all of us.

*Richard E. Peltier is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst

(This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-air-pollution-making-you-sick-4-questions-answered-91605">original article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A study found that more than 8 million people per year die early from air pollution exposure

By: Richard E. Peltier* Not a day seems to go by without a story of an "airpocalypse," usually somewhere in a developing nation. It's hard not to empathize with the people in the smoggy images of New Delhi or Ulaanbataar or Kathmandu, often wearing masks, walking to school or work through soupy cloudiness. Last year, a study found that more than 8 million people per year die early from air pollution exposure. This amounts to more deaths than the diarrheal disease, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined. As a researcher in air pollution and its health effects, I know that even if you don't live in these places, air pollution likely still affects your quality of life. Here's what you need to know. 1. What exactly is air pollution? Air pollution is a general term that usually describes a mixture of different chemicals that circulate in the air. Invisible gases, like ozone or carbon monoxide, and tiny particles or droplets of liquids mix together in the atmosphere. Each molecule is impossible to see with the naked eye, but when trillions gather together, you can see them as haze. These chemicals are almost always mixed together in varying amounts. Scientists do not yet understand how these different mixtures affect us. Each person responds differently to air pollution exposure – some people have few effects, while others, such as kids with asthma, might become very ill. What's more, air pollution mixtures in a given location change over time. Changes can occur quickly over a few hours or gradually over months. Short-term increases in air pollution from, for example, heavy traffic in rush hour, can make us sick. Such pollution occurs year-round. But seasonal pollutants, such as ozone, usually occur only in the warmest and sunniest parts of the year. What's more, the amount of ozone in the air also goes up and down through the day – generally highest in the afternoons and lowest in the early mornings. These variations can make it quite difficult for environmental health scientists and epidemiologists to know precisely how air pollution can affect humans. A calendar showing particulate matter concentration in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia in 2017. Note the highest concentrations appear in wintertime. The unusual increase in pollution in July corresponds with a Mongolian holiday. 2. Where does air pollution come from? You might imagine air pollution as smoke pouring out of a factory chimney or the tailpipe of a car. While these are important sources of air pollution, there are many others. Air pollution includes chemicals humans put into the atmosphere and chemicals released by natural events. For example, forest fires are a large source of air pollutants that affect many communities. Dust that's picked up by wind can also contribute to poor air quality. Ronald Reagan famously said that "trees cause more pollution than automobiles do." While this myth has been debunked, he was right in at least some ways. Trees do release certain gases, such as volatile organic carbon, that are ingredients in air pollution chemistry. This, when mixed together with emissions from cars and industry, leads to increases in other types of pollution, such as ozone. There isn't much that scientists can, or should, do about tree emissions. Public health researchers like myself focus most on the ingredients from human activities – from burning petroleum to emissions controls on industrial facilities – because these are sources located close to where people live and work. There are also many chemical reactions that occur in the air itself. These reactions create what are known as secondary pollutants, some of which are quite toxic. Finally, it's important to realize that air pollution knows no boundaries. If a pollutant is emitted in one location, it very easily moves across borders – both regional and national – to different places. New Delhi, for example, experiences seasonal pollution, thanks to extensive burning of agricultural fields some 200 miles away. New Delhi is an extreme example. But, even if you live in a less polluted environment, pollutants emitted elsewhere often travel to where other people live and work, as seen in recent wildfires in California. 3. How do we know that air pollution causes problems? This is a tricky question, because air pollution is a hidden problem that acts as a trigger for many health problems. Plenty of people suffer from asthma and lung diseases, heart attacks and cancer, and all of these are linked to particulate matter exposure. The best evidence to date suggests that the higher the dose of air pollution, the worse our response will be. Unfortunately, there are many other things that lead to these diseases, too: poor diet, your inherited genes, or whether you have access to high quality medical care or you smoke cigarettes, for example. This makes figuring out the cause of a specific illness attributed to air pollution exposure much more difficult. Every health study provides a slightly different result, because each study observes a different group of people and usually different types of air pollution. Scientists usually report their results based on any change in risk of developing a disease from air pollution, or based on whether your odds of developing a certain disease might change. For example, a study in Taiwan looked at concentrations of particulate matter averaged over two years. The researchers found that, for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in particulate matter, the odds of developing high blood pressure increased by about 3 percent. This could suggest that if an increase of particulate matter concentration in any community might lead to an increase in high blood pressure. Conversely, scientists usually assume that decreases in air pollution lead to decreases in diseases. 4. Why does this matter to you? A typical adult takes around 20,000 breaths per day. Whether or not you become sick from air pollution depends on the amount and type of chemicals you inhale, and whether you might be susceptible to these diseases. For someone living in polluted New Delhi, for example, those 20,000 breaths include the equivalent of around 20 grains of table salt worth of particulate matter deposited in their lungs each day. While this may not seem like much, keep in mind that this particulate matter isn’t harmless table salt – it's a mixture of chemicals that come from burning materials, unburned oils, metals and even biological material. And this doesn’t include any of the pollutants that are gases, like ozone or carbon monoxide or oxides of nitrogen. The U.S. and Europe have made excellent progress in reducing air pollution concentrations over the past couple of decades, largely by crafting effective air quality regulation. However, in the U.S. today, where environmental laws are being methodically dismantled, there is a bigger worry that policymakers are simply choosing to ignore science. One new member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s science advisory board is Robert Phalen of the University of California, Irvine, who has suggested that "modern air is too clean for optimum health." This goes against thousands of research papers and is certainly not true. While some components of air pollution have little effect on human health, this should not be used to muddy our understanding of air pollution exposure. This is a common tactic to confuse the public with unimportant statistics in order to sow confusion, presumably with an underlying intent to influence policy. The evidence is clear: Air pollution exposure is lethal and causes death across the world. That should be important to all of us. *Richard E. Peltier is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Is air pollution making you sick? 4 questions answered

Of the 20 most polluted cities in the world suffering from air pollution by very fine particles in 2016, 14 are in India, data released by the WHO on Tuesday showed.

The PM2.5 includes pollutants like sulfate, nitrate and black carbon, which pose the greatest risk to human health.

The Indian cities that registered very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants include Delhi, Varanasi, Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem in Kuwait and a few cities in China and Mongolia.

In terms of PM10 levels, 13 cities in India featured among the 20 most-polluted cities of the world in 2016.

The report, however, stated countries are making efforts and taking measures and in this context. It referred to India's Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which it said, in just two years, has provided 37 million women living below the poverty line with free LPG connections to support them to switch to clean household energy use.

India targets to reach 80 million households by 2020.

"WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia," the report said.

Calling upon member-countries in the South East Asian Region to aggressively address the double burden of household and ambient (outdoor) air pollution, the World Health Organisation says the region, which includes India, accounts for 34 per cent or 2.4 million of the seven million premature deaths caused by household and ambient air pollution together globally every year.

Of the 3.8 million deaths caused by household air pollution globally, the region accounts for 1.5 million or 40 per cent deaths, and of the 4.2 million global deaths due to ambient air pollution, 1.3 million or 30 per cent are reported from the region, it said.

The WHO data also said that nine out of 10 people in the world breathe air containing high levels of pollutants.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3DuuLyrLyzw" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

WHO's global urban air pollution database measured the levels of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) from more than 4,300 cities in 108 countries. Ambient air pollution alone caused 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths in the same period.

Since 2016, over 1,000 additional cities have been added to WHO's database, which shows more countries are measuring and taking action to reduce air pollution than ever before.

According to the report, more than 90 per cent of air pollution-related deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries (including India), mainly in Asia and Africa, followed by low-and middle-income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe and the Americas.

"Around 3 billion people more than 40 per cent of the world's population still do not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in their homes, the main source of household air pollution," it said.

The report said that the WHO recognises air pollution is a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), causing an estimated 24 per cent of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25 per cent from stroke, 43 per cent from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29 per cent from lung cancer.

All countries in the region are making efforts to expand availability of clean fuels and technologies, however, over 60 per cent population do not have clean fuel. The combined effects of household air pollution and ambient air pollution become increasingly hard to address if not tackled early, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO Southeast Asia, said.

"Air pollution needs to be brought under control with urgent and effective action. Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of deaths globally and in the region, and air pollution contributes significantly to NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and lung cancer.

"Cleaning up the air we breathe will help prevent NCDs, particularly among women and vulnerable groups such as children, those already ill and the elderly," Singh said.

"Many of the world's megacities exceed WHO's guideline levels for air quality by more than 5 times, representing a major risk to people's health," Maria Neira, director of the Department of Public Health, Social and Environmental Determinants of Health at WHO, said, adding, there is an acceleration of political interest to deal with this global public health challenge.

"Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalised people bear the brunt of the burden. It is unacceptable that over 3 billion people most of them women and children are still breathing deadly smoke every day from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO.

Major sources of air pollution from particulate matter include inefficient use of energy by households, industry, agriculture and transport sectors, and coal-fired power plants. In some regions, sand and desert dust, waste burning and deforestation are additional sources of air pollution.

"Air pollution does not recognise borders. Improving air quality demands sustained and coordinated government action at all levels," the WHO said.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Indian cities that registered very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants include Delhi, Varanasi, Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur

Of the 20 most polluted cities in the world suffering from air pollution by very fine particles in 2016, 14 are in India, data released by the WHO on Tuesday showed. The PM2.5 includes pollutants like sulfate, nitrate and black carbon, which pose the greatest risk to human health. The Indian cities that registered very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants include Delhi, Varanasi, Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem in Kuwait and a few cities in China and Mongolia. In terms of PM10 levels, 13 cities in India featured among the 20 most-polluted cities of the world in 2016. The report, however, stated countries are making efforts and taking measures and in this context. It referred to India's Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which it said, in just two years, has provided 37 million women living below the poverty line with free LPG connections to support them to switch to clean household energy use. India targets to reach 80 million households by 2020. "WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia," the report said. Calling upon member-countries in the South East Asian Region to aggressively address the double burden of household and ambient (outdoor) air pollution, the World Health Organisation says the region, which includes India, accounts for 34 per cent or 2.4 million of the seven million premature deaths caused by household and ambient air pollution together globally every year. Of the 3.8 million deaths caused by household air pollution globally, the region accounts for 1.5 million or 40 per cent deaths, and of the 4.2 million global deaths due to ambient air pollution, 1.3 million or 30 per cent are reported from the region, it said. The WHO data also said that nine out of 10 people in the world breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. × WHO's global urban air pollution database measured the levels of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) from more than 4,300 cities in 108 countries. Ambient air pollution alone caused 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths in the same period. Since 2016, over 1,000 additional cities have been added to WHO's database, which shows more countries are measuring and taking action to reduce air pollution than ever before. According to the report, more than 90 per cent of air pollution-related deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries (including India), mainly in Asia and Africa, followed by low-and middle-income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe and the Americas. "Around 3 billion people more than 40 per cent of the world's population still do not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in their homes, the main source of household air pollution," it said. The report said that the WHO recognises air pollution is a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), causing an estimated 24 per cent of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25 per cent from stroke, 43 per cent from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29 per cent from lung cancer. All countries in the region are making efforts to expand availability of clean fuels and technologies, however, over 60 per cent population do not have clean fuel. The combined effects of household air pollution and ambient air pollution become increasingly hard to address if not tackled early, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO Southeast Asia, said. "Air pollution needs to be brought under control with urgent and effective action. Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of deaths globally and in the region, and air pollution contributes significantly to NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and lung cancer. "Cleaning up the air we breathe will help prevent NCDs, particularly among women and vulnerable groups such as children, those already ill and the elderly," Singh said. "Many of the world's megacities exceed WHO's guideline levels for air quality by more than 5 times, representing a major risk to people's health," Maria Neira, director of the Department of Public Health, Social and Environmental Determinants of Health at WHO, said, adding, there is an acceleration of political interest to deal with this global public health challenge. "Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalised people bear the brunt of the burden. It is unacceptable that over 3 billion people most of them women and children are still breathing deadly smoke every day from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. Major sources of air pollution from particulate matter include inefficient use of energy by households, industry, agriculture and transport sectors, and coal-fired power plants. In some regions, sand and desert dust, waste burning and deforestation are additional sources of air pollution. "Air pollution does not recognise borders. Improving air quality demands sustained and coordinated government action at all levels," the WHO said. (With inputs from PTI)

14 of world's 20 most polluted cities in India: WHO

Pakistan’s environmental protection agency is installing air quality monitors and warning factories to add pollution filters after a panel of the country’s top judges ordered the government to detail its efforts to control worsening air pollution.

The court ruling earlier this month followed a lawsuit by a Karachi man challenging the government’s failure to control air pollution in that port city.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, head of a three-member high court panel, ruled that the government must provide details of what it is doing to curb air pollution across the country.

He said he was shocked at how dirty the air had become, particularly in Pakistan’s cities.

The ruling has spurred government authorities to action to try to reduce pollution levels, fearing they could face court orders or sanctions.

Venu G. Advani, the Karachi lawyer who filed the court petition, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation he was seeking to have air quality regulations in the country enforced.

He said he hoped the court would ensure “provision of the constitutional right to a clean environment, for which clean air is key”.

“There is no hope without the Supreme Court’s intervention to awaken government officials from their deep slumber” on air quality, he said in a telephone interview from Karachi.

Air pollution deaths

According to a 2015 report published by the medical journal Lancet, nearly 22 per cent of annual deaths in Pakistan – or more than 310,000 each year - are caused by pollution, the majority of them due to air pollution.

A 2014 World Bank study on Pakistan’s air quality recommended the country set aside funding to “install and operate a reliable air quality monitoring network”, and set other standards and frameworks to cut pollution.

Since the court ruling, officials at the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency have said they are moving rapidly to comply.

“We are now installing air quality monitoring instruments with the help of federal government funding and punishing the polluters,” said Ziauddin Khattak, director of the agency.

“We have now told dozens of industrial units and brick kilns through warning notices to install air cleaning filters on smoke-emitting chimneys and have started monitoring vehicles on various thoroughfares and issuing fines to the polluting vehicle owners,” he said.

Nearly 50 brick kilns have been issued notices, Khattak said, and more than 130 buses and other vehicles fined over the last two months.

He said seven fixed and three mobile ambient air quality monitoring stations have been set up in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta, all cities that have suffered particular problems with air pollution.

Saif Anjum, Punjab provincial environment secretary, said his agency also had installed six air quality monitoring units in Lahore, with 30 more being put in place.

The units, along with an air quality action plan, “will help cut 50 per cent of air pollution in the next couple of years,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Other keys to improving air quality include planting more urban trees, replacing ageing city buses and increasing parking fees to encourage the use of public transport, Anjum said.

Left Out?

A 2016 study by the World Health Organisation ranked Rawalpindi, located near the capital Islamabad, as the second most polluted city of the country after the northwest city of Peshawar.

So far no air quality monitors are being installed in Rawalpindi, however, because of a lack of funds, officials said.

With few trees and an abundance of traffic, as well as brick kilns spewing black smoke and open incineration of waste, Rawalpindi has air pollution levels more than 10 times above levels considered safe by the World Health Organization, said Asif Shuja Khan, a former director general of the Pakistan Environmental Protection agency.

Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad stand as 3rd, 4th and 5th most polluted cities in the country in terms of air quality, Khan said.

Over 90 per cent of Rawalpindi’s population of over 2 million inhales contaminated air regularly, exposing them to a higher risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, he said, with children particularly vulnerable.

Pakistan’s Constitution says a clean environment is a fundamental right of all citizens, under provisions that guarantee a “right to life” and “right to dignity”, said Ahmad Rafay Alam, vice president of the Pakistan Environmental Law Association.

The court ruling earlier this month followed a lawsuit by a Karachi man challenging the government’s failure to control air pollution in that port city

Pakistan’s environmental protection agency is installing air quality monitors and warning factories to add pollution filters after a panel of the country’s top judges ordered the government to detail its efforts to control worsening air pollution. The court ruling earlier this month followed a lawsuit by a Karachi man challenging the government’s failure to control air pollution in that port city. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, head of a three-member high court panel, ruled that the government must provide details of what it is doing to curb air pollution across the country. He said he was shocked at how dirty the air had become, particularly in Pakistan’s cities. The ruling has spurred government authorities to action to try to reduce pollution levels, fearing they could face court orders or sanctions. Venu G. Advani, the Karachi lawyer who filed the court petition, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation he was seeking to have air quality regulations in the country enforced. He said he hoped the court would ensure “provision of the constitutional right to a clean environment, for which clean air is key”. “There is no hope without the Supreme Court’s intervention to awaken government officials from their deep slumber” on air quality, he said in a telephone interview from Karachi. Air pollution deaths According to a 2015 report published by the medical journal Lancet, nearly 22 per cent of annual deaths in Pakistan – or more than 310,000 each year - are caused by pollution, the majority of them due to air pollution. A 2014 World Bank study on Pakistan’s air quality recommended the country set aside funding to “install and operate a reliable air quality monitoring network”, and set other standards and frameworks to cut pollution. Since the court ruling, officials at the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency have said they are moving rapidly to comply. “We are now installing air quality monitoring instruments with the help of federal government funding and punishing the polluters,” said Ziauddin Khattak, director of the agency. “We have now told dozens of industrial units and brick kilns through warning notices to install air cleaning filters on smoke-emitting chimneys and have started monitoring vehicles on various thoroughfares and issuing fines to the polluting vehicle owners,” he said. Nearly 50 brick kilns have been issued notices, Khattak said, and more than 130 buses and other vehicles fined over the last two months. He said seven fixed and three mobile ambient air quality monitoring stations have been set up in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta, all cities that have suffered particular problems with air pollution. Saif Anjum, Punjab provincial environment secretary, said his agency also had installed six air quality monitoring units in Lahore, with 30 more being put in place. The units, along with an air quality action plan, “will help cut 50 per cent of air pollution in the next couple of years,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Other keys to improving air quality include planting more urban trees, replacing ageing city buses and increasing parking fees to encourage the use of public transport, Anjum said. Left Out? A 2016 study by the World Health Organisation ranked Rawalpindi, located near the capital Islamabad, as the second most polluted city of the country after the northwest city of Peshawar. So far no air quality monitors are being installed in Rawalpindi, however, because of a lack of funds, officials said. With few trees and an abundance of traffic, as well as brick kilns spewing black smoke and open incineration of waste, Rawalpindi has air pollution levels more than 10 times above levels considered safe by the World Health Organization, said Asif Shuja Khan, a former director general of the Pakistan Environmental Protection agency. Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad stand as 3rd, 4th and 5th most polluted cities in the country in terms of air quality, Khan said. Over 90 per cent of Rawalpindi’s population of over 2 million inhales contaminated air regularly, exposing them to a higher risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, he said, with children particularly vulnerable. Pakistan’s Constitution says a clean environment is a fundamental right of all citizens, under provisions that guarantee a “right to life” and “right to dignity”, said Ahmad Rafay Alam, vice president of the Pakistan Environmental Law Association.

Pakistan initiates to curb urban air pollution after high court ruling

The number of pollution sources in China has increased by more than half in eight years, the environment ministry said on Thursday as it embarks on a nationwide survey to determine the damage done by more than 30 years of untrammelled growth.

The announcement from the newly minted Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) underlines the challenges facing China, in its fifth year of a war on air, water and soil pollution, as it tries to crack down on data fraud and improve monitoring.

The government is currently conducting a second nationwide "environmental census" aimed at identifying pollution threats throughout the country. The first was published in 2010.

"The goal for the census is to do thorough data collection so that it can reflect the extent of the pollution," Hong Yaxiong, the head of the ministry's pollution survey office, told reporters at the first regular briefing since the beefed-up ministry was created this month.

The environment ministry absorbed new duties formerly held by the land, water and agriculture ministries as part of the biggest government shake-up in years. It will also now be in charge of climate change and carbon emissions.

The new census is due to be completed in 2019. According to preliminary estimates, the total number of pollution sources now stands at 9 million, including 7.4 million industrial sources, 1 million in rural areas and 0.5 million from urban locations, Hong said.

The first census conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics from 2007 to 2009, uncovered 5.9 million sources of pollution nationwide, with the industrial provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang at the top of the list.

The survey also identified 209.8 billion tonnes of wastewater, 63.7 trillion cubic metres of waste gas emissions and 3.852 billion tonnes of industrial solid waste nationwide.

Started last year, the second census will widen its scope to include industrial parks, rural pollution sources, boilers, municipal and wastewater outlets, and it will also survey soil pollution sources such as mercury, cadmium or lead.

The newly minted Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) announced

The number of pollution sources in China has increased by more than half in eight years, the environment ministry said on Thursday as it embarks on a nationwide survey to determine the damage done by more than 30 years of untrammelled growth. The announcement from the newly minted Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) underlines the challenges facing China, in its fifth year of a war on air, water and soil pollution, as it tries to crack down on data fraud and improve monitoring. The government is currently conducting a second nationwide "environmental census" aimed at identifying pollution threats throughout the country. The first was published in 2010. "The goal for the census is to do thorough data collection so that it can reflect the extent of the pollution," Hong Yaxiong, the head of the ministry's pollution survey office, told reporters at the first regular briefing since the beefed-up ministry was created this month. The environment ministry absorbed new duties formerly held by the land, water and agriculture ministries as part of the biggest government shake-up in years. It will also now be in charge of climate change and carbon emissions. The new census is due to be completed in 2019. According to preliminary estimates, the total number of pollution sources now stands at 9 million, including 7.4 million industrial sources, 1 million in rural areas and 0.5 million from urban locations, Hong said. The first census conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics from 2007 to 2009, uncovered 5.9 million sources of pollution nationwide, with the industrial provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang at the top of the list. The survey also identified 209.8 billion tonnes of wastewater, 63.7 trillion cubic metres of waste gas emissions and 3.852 billion tonnes of industrial solid waste nationwide. Started last year, the second census will widen its scope to include industrial parks, rural pollution sources, boilers, municipal and wastewater outlets, and it will also survey soil pollution sources such as mercury, cadmium or lead.

China pollution sources up by more than half since 2010: Official

In the wake of escalating air pollution and dipping air quality, Delhi has switched to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) fuel. According to oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan's directive, state-run fuel retailers were supposed to supply BS-VI fuel&nbsp;in the capital city from April 1, 2018.&nbsp;

The move makes Delhi the first city in the country to run on BS-VI fuels. The Centre had decided to roll-out BS-VI fuels across the country by 2020. &nbsp;

BS-VI fuels are believed to perform better than CNG when it comes to emissions. However, some say that introducing the fuel to vehicles not compatible will not yield benefits as desired.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Both NOx and PM emissions by Heavy Duty Vehicles will come down significantly. <a href="https://t.co/FAmzBGzraB">pic.twitter.com/FAmzBGzraB</a>
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) <a href="https://twitter.com/dpradhanbjp/status/930795001537183744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

According to reports, the decision to go ahead with BS-VI fuels before the set deadline came in the wake of worsening air quality in the capital city.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre to see if BS-VI fuel can be introduced in thirteen metro cities by April 2019.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Early migration to BS-VI fuels in the National Capital of Delhi will help in saving thousands of precious lives by bringing down vehicular pollution significantly. <a href="https://t.co/7r2lCCYeUP">pic.twitter.com/7r2lCCYeUP</a>
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) <a href="https://twitter.com/dpradhanbjp/status/930793329968562176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The next-generation fuel is equivalent to Euro-VI and will reduce sulphur emissions by 80 per cent, compared to the existing BS-IV fuel standards, according to reports. But the two-stage leapfrog to implement the world's toughest vehicle emission standards is also likely to spike prices of vehicles.

''Happy to share that government has decided to prepone the introduction of BS-VI grade Fuel in NCT of Delhi with effect from 1st April 2018 in place of 1st April 2020 as a sincere effort to curb the vehicular pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas,'' read Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's tweet that was posted last year in November.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Happy to share that Government has decided to prepone the introduction of BS-VI grade Fuel in NCT of Delhi w.e.f. 1st April 2018 in place of 1st April 2020 as a sincere effort to curb the vehicular pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas.
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) <a href="https://twitter.com/dpradhanbjp/status/930734329331834881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The move makes Delhi the first city in the country to run on BS-VI fuels

In the wake of escalating air pollution and dipping air quality, Delhi has switched to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) fuel. According to oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan's directive, state-run fuel retailers were supposed to supply BS-VI fuel in the capital city from April 1, 2018. The move makes Delhi the first city in the country to run on BS-VI fuels. The Centre had decided to roll-out BS-VI fuels across the country by 2020. BS-VI fuels are believed to perform better than CNG when it comes to emissions. However, some say that introducing the fuel to vehicles not compatible will not yield benefits as desired. Both NOx and PM emissions by Heavy Duty Vehicles will come down significantly. pic.twitter.com/FAmzBGzraB — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) November 15, 2017 × According to reports, the decision to go ahead with BS-VI fuels before the set deadline came in the wake of worsening air quality in the capital city. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre to see if BS-VI fuel can be introduced in thirteen metro cities by April 2019. Early migration to BS-VI fuels in the National Capital of Delhi will help in saving thousands of precious lives by bringing down vehicular pollution significantly. pic.twitter.com/7r2lCCYeUP — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) November 15, 2017 × The next-generation fuel is equivalent to Euro-VI and will reduce sulphur emissions by 80 per cent, compared to the existing BS-IV fuel standards, according to reports. But the two-stage leapfrog to implement the world's toughest vehicle emission standards is also likely to spike prices of vehicles. ''Happy to share that government has decided to prepone the introduction of BS-VI grade Fuel in NCT of Delhi with effect from 1st April 2018 in place of 1st April 2020 as a sincere effort to curb the vehicular pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas,'' read Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's tweet that was posted last year in November. Happy to share that Government has decided to prepone the introduction of BS-VI grade Fuel in NCT of Delhi w.e.f. 1st April 2018 in place of 1st April 2020 as a sincere effort to curb the vehicular pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas. — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) November 15, 2017 ×

BS-VI fuel makes debut in Delhi in fight against pollution

According to unpublished government data, the Modi government spent as much as rupees 35 lakh to buy and install air purifiers for Prime Minister&#39;s offices and other federal departments and government agencies like NITI Aayog between the year 2014 and 2017.&nbsp;

The country has been battling escalating air pollution over the past years with alarming levels in Delhi among other metro cities. In the wake of worsening air quality, as many as 140 air purifiers were purchased for Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s offices, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

According to Reuters, in the last three years, the home ministry spent about $20,000 (Rs 13 lakh) to buy 44 air purifiers; 25 of which were allocated for PM Modi&#39;s parliament house offices.

Reuters filed a right to information plea to which NITI Aayog responded stating that the devices were &quot;issued to officers at the level of joint secretary and equivalent and above, as per their requests&quot;.&nbsp;

Traditionally, government officials cannot really make demands for such devices, there is no federal policy allowing the same until the demands come from bureaucrats.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced an allocation of $177 million to curb air pollution resulting from crop residue burning in this year&#39;s budget. A scheme for pollution control was also outlined.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Traditionally, government officials cannot really make demands for such devices, there is no federal policy allowing the same

According to unpublished government data, the Modi government spent as much as rupees 35 lakh to buy and install air purifiers for Prime Minister's offices and other federal departments and government agencies like NITI Aayog between the year 2014 and 2017. The country has been battling escalating air pollution over the past years with alarming levels in Delhi among other metro cities. In the wake of worsening air quality, as many as 140 air purifiers were purchased for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s offices, Reuters reported. According to Reuters, in the last three years, the home ministry spent about $20,000 (Rs 13 lakh) to buy 44 air purifiers; 25 of which were allocated for PM Modi's parliament house offices. Reuters filed a right to information plea to which NITI Aayog responded stating that the devices were "issued to officers at the level of joint secretary and equivalent and above, as per their requests". Traditionally, government officials cannot really make demands for such devices, there is no federal policy allowing the same until the demands come from bureaucrats. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced an allocation of $177 million to curb air pollution resulting from crop residue burning in this year's budget. A scheme for pollution control was also outlined. (With inputs from Reuters)

Modi government spent over Rs 35 lakh on installing air purifiers in offices: Report 

There seems to be no relief for German car makers. After Volkswagen, it&rsquo;s time for Mercedes-maker Daimler to face the wrath of US authorities for cheating to pass diesel emissions tests.&nbsp;

In 2015, Volkswagen was found to be fitting millions of diesel engines worldwide with software to distort emission data. And now German carmaker Daimler has been accused of conducting a similar illegal practice in the US.&nbsp;

Mercedes-maker Daimler has been accused of equipping cars with software to pass diesel emissions tests in the US. Results of internal testing revealed that some of the Mercedes models emit ten times the country&#39;s nitrogen oxide limit.&nbsp;

&nbsp;It is important to understand that a huge amount of nitrogen oxides in the air is poisonous. It can contribute to acid rain, can lead to suffocating smog, and can cause breathing problems and headaches in humans.

It has been reported that Daimler used software devices in cars to regulate the amount of a special fluid known as ad blue, which is used in the engines to neutralise harmful nitrogen oxides.

It comes around three years after Volkswagen admitted to installing secret software on 580,000 US vehicles that allowed them to emit up to 40 times the legal limit.

U.S. Investigators are reported to have found a couple of software functions that helped Daimler cars pass emissions tests. For instance, the &ldquo;bit 15&rdquo; software switched off the car&rsquo;s emission control system after 26 kilometres of driving.

Slipguard, on the other hand, allowed the emissions cleaning system to recognise whether the car was being tested based on speed or acceleration patterns.&nbsp;

A Daimler spokesman declines to comment on the content of the documents that have been quoted in the media. He says the company is fully cooperating with the US authorities and has agreed upon strict confidentiality with the Department of Justice.&nbsp;

A Daimler spokesperson says: &ldquo;the documents available to Bild have obviously selectively been released in order to harm Daimler and its 290,000 employees,&rdquo; says a Daimler spokesperson.&nbsp;

U.S. Investigators are probing Mercedes-maker Daimler. Investigations could lead to significant penalties and recalls.&nbsp;

It&rsquo;s yet to be seen how the US authorities respond to the entire case, but here is an interesting thing to note. It&rsquo;s ironic to see that while Daimler has been accused in the US for cheating on emission tests, it is contributing to a government-funded project in Germany that aims to cut down on air pollution.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

While Daimler has been accused in the US for cheating on emission tests, it is contributing to a government-funded project in Germany that aims to cut down on air pollution.

There seems to be no relief for German car makers. After Volkswagen, it’s time for Mercedes-maker Daimler to face the wrath of US authorities for cheating to pass diesel emissions tests. In 2015, Volkswagen was found to be fitting millions of diesel engines worldwide with software to distort emission data. And now German carmaker Daimler has been accused of conducting a similar illegal practice in the US. Mercedes-maker Daimler has been accused of equipping cars with software to pass diesel emissions tests in the US. Results of internal testing revealed that some of the Mercedes models emit ten times the country's nitrogen oxide limit. It is important to understand that a huge amount of nitrogen oxides in the air is poisonous. It can contribute to acid rain, can lead to suffocating smog, and can cause breathing problems and headaches in humans. It has been reported that Daimler used software devices in cars to regulate the amount of a special fluid known as ad blue, which is used in the engines to neutralise harmful nitrogen oxides. It comes around three years after Volkswagen admitted to installing secret software on 580,000 US vehicles that allowed them to emit up to 40 times the legal limit. U.S. Investigators are reported to have found a couple of software functions that helped Daimler cars pass emissions tests. For instance, the “bit 15” software switched off the car’s emission control system after 26 kilometres of driving. Slipguard, on the other hand, allowed the emissions cleaning system to recognise whether the car was being tested based on speed or acceleration patterns. A Daimler spokesman declines to comment on the content of the documents that have been quoted in the media. He says the company is fully cooperating with the US authorities and has agreed upon strict confidentiality with the Department of Justice. A Daimler spokesperson says: “the documents available to Bild have obviously selectively been released in order to harm Daimler and its 290,000 employees,” says a Daimler spokesperson. U.S. Investigators are probing Mercedes-maker Daimler. Investigations could lead to significant penalties and recalls. It’s yet to be seen how the US authorities respond to the entire case, but here is an interesting thing to note. It’s ironic to see that while Daimler has been accused in the US for cheating on emission tests, it is contributing to a government-funded project in Germany that aims to cut down on air pollution. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Is German car company Daimler poisoning our air?

Air pollution&nbsp;in India is killing approximately 1.5 million people every year and is the fifth largest killer in India. According to the WHO, India also has the world&#39;s highest death rate from chest diseases and chronic diseases of the respiratory tract. An estimated 50% of children are permanently affected by the air pollution and have severe lung damage as a result.

&nbsp;

There has been a steady worsening in the status of air pollution in the city and it reached critical levels in November 2017, which has also been referred to as the Great Smog of Delhi. Levels of PM2.5 and PM 10 particulate matter hit 999 micrograms per cubic meter, while the safe limits for those pollutants are 60 and 100 respectively. It is said that breathing the air in Delhi during that period was the equivalent of smoking 50 cigarettes a day.

&nbsp;

And if that wasn&rsquo;t enough, there is more bad news. Air pollution has a direct inverse relationship with the fertility potential of a couple.

Fertility potential has been declining worldwide and a variety of factors have been attributed to this, including urbanisation, higher maternal and paternal age at conception, stress etc. Air pollution also has a severe negative impact on both maternal and paternal factors for reproduction.

&nbsp;

It is known to reduce sperm formation, affecting the quality of sperm and damage its DNA. This, in turn, reduces the conception rates and increases the risk of miscarriages.

&nbsp;

It also affects the quality of egg formation in women and reduces their ability to produce new eggs, a symptom known as the reduction in ovarian reserve.

&nbsp;

Data is available for varying degrees of impact where air pollution is categorised under low, medium and severe. Severe degrees of air pollution can have an acute impact on health parameters, including fertility, prematurity and infant mortality.

&nbsp;

Considering the fact that air pollution levels in Delhi peaked at very critical levels during the great smog and again on the New Year&#39;s day, it is safe to say that we are not only increasing our risk of respiratory diseases, cancer and death. We are also moving towards making New Delhi, the male infertility capital of the world.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

We have witnessed a spurt in the incidence of couples requiring assisted reproductive methods to achieve fertility. The level of air pollution in the city will make it compulsory for most couples to resort to artificial methods for reproduction, as they would have become subfertile. We are creating a population of children who will be born by assisted reproduction and will be further condemned to breathe the foul air, which will make them permanently asthmatic.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The level of air pollution in the city will make it compulsory for most couples to resort to artificial methods for reproduction, as they would have become subfertile.

Air pollution in India is killing approximately 1.5 million people every year and is the fifth largest killer in India. According to the WHO, India also has the world's highest death rate from chest diseases and chronic diseases of the respiratory tract. An estimated 50% of children are permanently affected by the air pollution and have severe lung damage as a result. There has been a steady worsening in the status of air pollution in the city and it reached critical levels in November 2017, which has also been referred to as the Great Smog of Delhi. Levels of PM2.5 and PM 10 particulate matter hit 999 micrograms per cubic meter, while the safe limits for those pollutants are 60 and 100 respectively. It is said that breathing the air in Delhi during that period was the equivalent of smoking 50 cigarettes a day. And if that wasn’t enough, there is more bad news. Air pollution has a direct inverse relationship with the fertility potential of a couple. Fertility potential has been declining worldwide and a variety of factors have been attributed to this, including urbanisation, higher maternal and paternal age at conception, stress etc. Air pollution also has a severe negative impact on both maternal and paternal factors for reproduction. It is known to reduce sperm formation, affecting the quality of sperm and damage its DNA. This, in turn, reduces the conception rates and increases the risk of miscarriages. It also affects the quality of egg formation in women and reduces their ability to produce new eggs, a symptom known as the reduction in ovarian reserve. Data is available for varying degrees of impact where air pollution is categorised under low, medium and severe. Severe degrees of air pollution can have an acute impact on health parameters, including fertility, prematurity and infant mortality. Considering the fact that air pollution levels in Delhi peaked at very critical levels during the great smog and again on the New Year's day, it is safe to say that we are not only increasing our risk of respiratory diseases, cancer and death. We are also moving towards making New Delhi, the male infertility capital of the world. We have witnessed a spurt in the incidence of couples requiring assisted reproductive methods to achieve fertility. The level of air pollution in the city will make it compulsory for most couples to resort to artificial methods for reproduction, as they would have become subfertile. We are creating a population of children who will be born by assisted reproduction and will be further condemned to breathe the foul air, which will make them permanently asthmatic. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Air pollution will make Delhi the infertility capital of the world

Next time a teenage girl steps out in the open, she might have to think about buying an anti-pollution mask as according to a recent study in the journal, Human Reproduction,&nbsp;extremely small particles of pollution have the potential to cause an irregular menstrual cycle in teenagers.&nbsp;

According to experts from Boston University in Massachusetts, US, the negative health effects of air pollution exposure range from infertility to metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Study author Shruthi Mahalingaiah said, &quot;While exposure to air pollution has been linked to cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, this study suggests that there may be other systems, such as the reproductive endocrine system, which is also affected.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-air-pollution-will-make-delhi-the-infertility-capital-of-the-world-30456" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;Opinion: Air pollution will make Delhi the infertility capital of the world</a>

The study reveals that as the menstrual cycle is responsive to hormonal regulation -- the&nbsp;particulate matter of air pollution has demonstrated hormonal activity.

Exposure to air pollution among teenage girls (ages 14-18) is linked to slightly increased chances of menstrual irregularity and longer time to achieve such regularity in high school and early adulthood.

&quot;Implications on human disease may come through reducing emissions on a global and individual level,&quot; Mahalingaiah added.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Well documented negative health effects from air pollution exposure include infertility, metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome

Next time a teenage girl steps out in the open, she might have to think about buying an anti-pollution mask as according to a recent study in the journal, Human Reproduction, extremely small particles of pollution have the potential to cause an irregular menstrual cycle in teenagers. According to experts from Boston University in Massachusetts, US, the negative health effects of air pollution exposure range from infertility to metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome. Study author Shruthi Mahalingaiah said, "While exposure to air pollution has been linked to cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, this study suggests that there may be other systems, such as the reproductive endocrine system, which is also affected." Also Read: Opinion: Air pollution will make Delhi the infertility capital of the world The study reveals that as the menstrual cycle is responsive to hormonal regulation -- the particulate matter of air pollution has demonstrated hormonal activity. Exposure to air pollution among teenage girls (ages 14-18) is linked to slightly increased chances of menstrual irregularity and longer time to achieve such regularity in high school and early adulthood. "Implications on human disease may come through reducing emissions on a global and individual level," Mahalingaiah added.

Air pollution may affect your menstrual cycle: Study

Around 47 million children in India under five years of age reside in areas where particulate matter levels exceed the prescribed limits, with 17 million among them inhabiting places where the pollution levels are twice the limits, says a recent report.

&#39;Airpocalypse-II&#39;, a Greenpeace India report, said children are worst affected in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Delhi respectively.

It said Delhi remained the worst impacted city with annual PM10 levels exceeding approximately five times the national ambient air quality standards.

According to the report, a massive part of the population i.e. 580 million or 47 per cent are living in areas where &quot;no air quality data is available&quot;.

It claimed that out of 630 million, close to 550 million people live in areas exceeding national standards for PM10, including 180 million living in areas where air pollution levels are &quot;more than twice the stipulated limit of 60g/m3 which has been set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

&quot;As many as 47 million children under the age of five years are residing in areas where PM10 levels exceeded CPCB annual limits, including 17 million children under the age of five who are in the areas where pollution levels are more than twice the limits,&quot; the report claimed.

Ranking of cities based on the annual average of PM10 levels reveals that Delhi is the worst polluted city with 290 ug/m3 followed by Faridabad, Bhiwadi, Patna with the annual average ranging from 272 ug/m3, 262 ug/u3 &amp; 261 ug/m3, respectively, it said.

It said Dehradun in Uttrakhand, once thought to be a &#39;salubrious preserve of retiring elite&#39;, also made it to the top 10 list of worst-polluted cities with 238 ug/m3 annual average of PM10.

The report added that the most-polluted cities are spread across the Indo-Gangetic basin with the southern cities being slightly better off than their northern counterparts.

However, cities in the south also need focused and time-bound action plan to bring the air quality to achieve the WHO standards, thus showing a pathway for other cities across India, it said.

'Airpocalypse-II', a Greenpeace India report, said children are worst affected in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra and Delhi respectively

Around 47 million children in India under five years of age reside in areas where particulate matter levels exceed the prescribed limits, with 17 million among them inhabiting places where the pollution levels are twice the limits, says a recent report. 'Airpocalypse-II', a Greenpeace India report, said children are worst affected in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Delhi respectively. It said Delhi remained the worst impacted city with annual PM10 levels exceeding approximately five times the national ambient air quality standards. According to the report, a massive part of the population i.e. 580 million or 47 per cent are living in areas where "no air quality data is available". It claimed that out of 630 million, close to 550 million people live in areas exceeding national standards for PM10, including 180 million living in areas where air pollution levels are "more than twice the stipulated limit of 60g/m3 which has been set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). "As many as 47 million children under the age of five years are residing in areas where PM10 levels exceeded CPCB annual limits, including 17 million children under the age of five who are in the areas where pollution levels are more than twice the limits," the report claimed. Ranking of cities based on the annual average of PM10 levels reveals that Delhi is the worst polluted city with 290 ug/m3 followed by Faridabad, Bhiwadi, Patna with the annual average ranging from 272 ug/m3, 262 ug/u3 & 261 ug/m3, respectively, it said. It said Dehradun in Uttrakhand, once thought to be a 'salubrious preserve of retiring elite', also made it to the top 10 list of worst-polluted cities with 238 ug/m3 annual average of PM10. The report added that the most-polluted cities are spread across the Indo-Gangetic basin with the southern cities being slightly better off than their northern counterparts. However, cities in the south also need focused and time-bound action plan to bring the air quality to achieve the WHO standards, thus showing a pathway for other cities across India, it said.

47 million children in India reside in most polluted areas: Report

The Union environment ministry has notified specific rules for certain cities to implement measures to reduce dust.&nbsp;

The directive comes under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 according to which cities with particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) above recommended levels must take up measures to improve the quality of air.&nbsp;

Particulate matter (PM10 and PM25) measures the amount and size of dust particle present in the air.&nbsp;

The environment ministry issued detailed guidelines on dust mitigation close to a couple of months back.&nbsp;

The standards are developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

The environment ministry is now equipped with the power to issue notices against local authorities and state agencies for non-implementation of actions.&nbsp;

While Delhi/NCR already has stringent pollution-control measures in place, the new guidelines will also bring in other cities to start implementing these measures.

The rule came into force on January 25 and states that building or infrastructure projects will not get environmental clearance without implementing dust mitigation measures.

Some of the key measures to be adopted by building and construction projects require&nbsp;them to black-top&nbsp;all roads that lead to the construction sites. Excavation activities will also not be permitted without adequate dust mitigation measures in place. Sand, soil and construction-related waste must be kept covered within an earmarked area.&nbsp;

According to official CPCB over 190 Indian cities and towns exceeded the prescribed PM10 limit in 2016; 31 recorded hazardous PM2.5 standard.

 
&nbsp;

The directive comes under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

The Union environment ministry has notified specific rules for certain cities to implement measures to reduce dust. The directive comes under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 according to which cities with particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) above recommended levels must take up measures to improve the quality of air. Particulate matter (PM10 and PM25) measures the amount and size of dust particle present in the air. The environment ministry issued detailed guidelines on dust mitigation close to a couple of months back. The standards are developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The environment ministry is now equipped with the power to issue notices against local authorities and state agencies for non-implementation of actions. While Delhi/NCR already has stringent pollution-control measures in place, the new guidelines will also bring in other cities to start implementing these measures. The rule came into force on January 25 and states that building or infrastructure projects will not get environmental clearance without implementing dust mitigation measures. Some of the key measures to be adopted by building and construction projects require them to black-top all roads that lead to the construction sites. Excavation activities will also not be permitted without adequate dust mitigation measures in place. Sand, soil and construction-related waste must be kept covered within an earmarked area. According to official CPCB over 190 Indian cities and towns exceeded the prescribed PM10 limit in 2016; 31 recorded hazardous PM2.5 standard.

Polluted cities must manage dust to control pollution: Environment Ministry

The 100 million-and-counting views of Chinese air pollution documentary Under the Dome is dramatic, but shouldn&rsquo;t come as any surprise in a country where discussion of smog is more commonplace than discussion of the weather.

It is of course hard to ignore air pollution in most Chinese cities once you step outside. Where Los Angeles in the 70s was famous for its brown skyline, resulting from nitrogen dioxide and photochemical smog, China is now renowned for its white haze of fine droplets, formed when particulate matter pollution and water vapour combine and grow. China isn&rsquo;t alone in having a problem with air pollution, (go visit New Delhi, Mexico City, Lagos or London), but you simply can&rsquo;t ignore it when the impacts on visibility are so great.

Until relatively recently, reliable data on Chinese air pollution was hard to come by, but much changed in 2009 when the US started measuring certain pollutants at their Embassy in Beijing and placing the information online. Soon afterwards there was a rapid expansion in openness and now anyone, anywhere, can see real&ndash;time pollution all over China.

Of course much of this data simply confirms what most residents can tell for themselves &ndash; there are good and bad days (more often bad) but the availability of quantitative information does now change peoples behaviour.

National acceptance of air pollution as a serious problem, via public dissemination and heated debate, followed by mitigation measures and regulation, is a very well-trodden path that virtually all developed nations have gone through during periods of rapid economic expansion. In this respect the pollution problem now in China is systemically no different to the transition periods that led ultimately to the Clean Air Act in the UK, or the introduction of catalytic converters in the US.

<figure><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MhIZ50HKIp0?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440"></iframe></figure>

An old problem on a new scale

The sources of pollution in Beijing are many and varied, but they have much in common with examples from history. Expanding provision of energy at the lowest possible cost has always been a lever in driving economic growth, and growth in China has been no exception. Its fuel of choice has been coal, and coal used in a somewhat uncontrolled and, until recently, poorly regulated manner.

Increases in transportation infrastructure have also characterised expanding economies; in the 21st century this means private cars, lorries, aircraft and shipping. While there has been moderate progress in reducing emissions on a per-car or per-aircraft basis, this is easily overwhelmed if the absolute numbers of each increase.

Agricultural emissions are a final but often overlooked contribution to pollution, and again China is no exception. Large populations with growing incomes want feeding, and this drives the increased use of fertilisers for productivity. In the atmosphere ammonia from often remote agriculture is a potent contributor to particulate matter found in cities.

There are scant few historical examples of major economic expansion without air pollution as a consequence. In the absence of a really game-changing energy technology or fuel or food source, national strategies need to be designed to transition as quickly as possible through the polluted period, where low cost trumps all other considerations.

This is something that can be see as analogous to the demographic transition that also accompanies economic development. It may be uncomfortable to accept, but the UK probably experienced a transition period of more than 100 years of terrible urban air pollution before the problem was brought under any degree of control. It seems unlikely the government or citizens of China will accept a transition anything like that long.

Not all doom and gloom

Control of air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power stations are effective in other countries, so there is no reason why strong regulation and enforcement can&rsquo;t achieve the same in China. Fertilisers and agriculture have proved technically and politically difficult to control in Europe and the US, but the science at least is understood.

There is also much that could be learned from the recent mistakes of others. It would be disappointing if the poor performance of modern diesel engines seen in European cities were allowed to play out again in China, or indeed in other less reported on pollution megacities in India, Africa and South America.

Although measurement data is sketchy and incomplete it is reasonable to assume that China is now past its &ldquo;peak pollution&rdquo; in absolute terms. The rate of implementation of cleaner technologies is on a scale greater than anything ever attempted before. Things are getting better, but the distance still to travel is pretty vast.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/38399/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />Investing domestically in cleaner power, cleaner transport, and cleaner urban living has a cost, but so does the healthcare and reduced productivity that air pollution induces. Cleaner air investments should be viewed as part of the engine of economic development, rather than the brake.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-china-must-do-to-fix-its-air-pollution-problem-38399" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

China needs cleaner power, cleaner transport, and cleaner urban living no matter what the expenses are.

The 100 million-and-counting views of Chinese air pollution documentary Under the Dome is dramatic, but shouldn’t come as any surprise in a country where discussion of smog is more commonplace than discussion of the weather. It is of course hard to ignore air pollution in most Chinese cities once you step outside. Where Los Angeles in the 70s was famous for its brown skyline, resulting from nitrogen dioxide and photochemical smog, China is now renowned for its white haze of fine droplets, formed when particulate matter pollution and water vapour combine and grow. China isn’t alone in having a problem with air pollution, (go visit New Delhi, Mexico City, Lagos or London), but you simply can’t ignore it when the impacts on visibility are so great. Until relatively recently, reliable data on Chinese air pollution was hard to come by, but much changed in 2009 when the US started measuring certain pollutants at their Embassy in Beijing and placing the information online. Soon afterwards there was a rapid expansion in openness and now anyone, anywhere, can see real–time pollution all over China. Of course much of this data simply confirms what most residents can tell for themselves – there are good and bad days (more often bad) but the availability of quantitative information does now change peoples behaviour. National acceptance of air pollution as a serious problem, via public dissemination and heated debate, followed by mitigation measures and regulation, is a very well-trodden path that virtually all developed nations have gone through during periods of rapid economic expansion. In this respect the pollution problem now in China is systemically no different to the transition periods that led ultimately to the Clean Air Act in the UK, or the introduction of catalytic converters in the US. An old problem on a new scale The sources of pollution in Beijing are many and varied, but they have much in common with examples from history. Expanding provision of energy at the lowest possible cost has always been a lever in driving economic growth, and growth in China has been no exception. Its fuel of choice has been coal, and coal used in a somewhat uncontrolled and, until recently, poorly regulated manner. Increases in transportation infrastructure have also characterised expanding economies; in the 21st century this means private cars, lorries, aircraft and shipping. While there has been moderate progress in reducing emissions on a per-car or per-aircraft basis, this is easily overwhelmed if the absolute numbers of each increase. Agricultural emissions are a final but often overlooked contribution to pollution, and again China is no exception. Large populations with growing incomes want feeding, and this drives the increased use of fertilisers for productivity. In the atmosphere ammonia from often remote agriculture is a potent contributor to particulate matter found in cities. There are scant few historical examples of major economic expansion without air pollution as a consequence. In the absence of a really game-changing energy technology or fuel or food source, national strategies need to be designed to transition as quickly as possible through the polluted period, where low cost trumps all other considerations. This is something that can be see as analogous to the demographic transition that also accompanies economic development. It may be uncomfortable to accept, but the UK probably experienced a transition period of more than 100 years of terrible urban air pollution before the problem was brought under any degree of control. It seems unlikely the government or citizens of China will accept a transition anything like that long. Not all doom and gloom Control of air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power stations are effective in other countries, so there is no reason why strong regulation and enforcement can’t achieve the same in China. Fertilisers and agriculture have proved technically and politically difficult to control in Europe and the US, but the science at least is understood. There is also much that could be learned from the recent mistakes of others. It would be disappointing if the poor performance of modern diesel engines seen in European cities were allowed to play out again in China, or indeed in other less reported on pollution megacities in India, Africa and South America. Although measurement data is sketchy and incomplete it is reasonable to assume that China is now past its “peak pollution” in absolute terms. The rate of implementation of cleaner technologies is on a scale greater than anything ever attempted before. Things are getting better, but the distance still to travel is pretty vast. Investing domestically in cleaner power, cleaner transport, and cleaner urban living has a cost, but so does the healthcare and reduced productivity that air pollution induces. Cleaner air investments should be viewed as part of the engine of economic development, rather than the brake. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Will world's largest purifier in China solve its severe air quality?

Fog continues to disrupt train&nbsp;and flight operations due to low visibility in the national capital.&nbsp;

About 17 flights have been delayed at the Delhi Airport due to prevailing fog conditions&nbsp;on Friday.&nbsp;

Also, 62 trains have been delayed, 20 rescheduled and 18 have been cancelled due to low visibility in the capital on Friday.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
62 trains in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> delayed, 20 rescheduled and 18 cancelled due to low visibility as fog continues to grip the region: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Visuals</a> from India Gate <a href="https://t.co/rKJ7R6WlDf">pic.twitter.com/rKJ7R6WlDf</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949102194845827072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Air Quality Index of Delhi&#39;s Lodhi Road area have been recorded at PM 2.5 &amp; PM 10 and remain in &#39; very poor&#39; category.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Air Quality Index of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>&#39;s Lodhi Road area, prominent pollutants PM 2.5 &amp; PM 10 remain in &#39; very poor&#39; category. <a href="https://t.co/HVCPvCmtjV">pic.twitter.com/HVCPvCmtjV</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949098909053235200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Delhi experienced the coldest day of the season on Thursday with temperatures falling to&nbsp;5 degrees Celsius.

According to the MeT&nbsp;department, the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be around 20 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius on Friday.

Air Quality Index of Delhi's Lodhi Road area have been recorded at PM 2.5 & PM 10 and remain in ' very poor' category

Fog continues to disrupt train and flight operations due to low visibility in the national capital. About 17 flights have been delayed at the Delhi Airport due to prevailing fog conditions on Friday. Also, 62 trains have been delayed, 20 rescheduled and 18 have been cancelled due to low visibility in the capital on Friday. 62 trains in #Delhi delayed, 20 rescheduled and 18 cancelled due to low visibility as fog continues to grip the region: #Visuals from India Gate pic.twitter.com/rKJ7R6WlDf — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × Air Quality Index of Delhi's Lodhi Road area have been recorded at PM 2.5 & PM 10 and remain in ' very poor' category. Air Quality Index of #Delhi's Lodhi Road area, prominent pollutants PM 2.5 & PM 10 remain in ' very poor' category. pic.twitter.com/HVCPvCmtjV — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × Delhi experienced the coldest day of the season on Thursday with temperatures falling to 5 degrees Celsius. According to the MeT department, the maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be around 20 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius on Friday.

Delhi fog continues: 17 flights, 62 trains delayed, 18 cancelled

Shenzen city of China has announced that it has finally got rid of all buses running on gas and replaced it with&nbsp;electronic buses in the city.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P_MxK-RMjCM" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

With the replacement of gas buses into electric, Shenzhen has become world&#39;s first city to &quot;electrify&quot;&nbsp;its entire bus transit.

According to the official estimate of Shenzhen, electric buses save 345,000 tons of fuel each year and it cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 1.35 million tons.

16,359 buses in total have been transitioned to all-electric buses.

With an investment of hundreds of millions of dollar&nbsp;in the project, it was finished ahead of its schedule.

Some 8,000 charge points and 510 charging stations have also been built to make it&nbsp;work efficiently.

As per reports, the next step for Shenzhen is to replace its taxi service with electric vehicles.

Right now about 62.5 per cent of the city&#39;s 12,518 cabs are already electric running cabs.

The target of making the entire taxi fleet into electric is set for 2020.

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

With the replacement of gas buses to electric buses made Shenzhen world's first city to electrify its entire bus transit

Shenzen city of China has announced that it has finally got rid of all buses running on gas and replaced it with electronic buses in the city. × With the replacement of gas buses into electric, Shenzhen has become world's first city to "electrify" its entire bus transit. According to the official estimate of Shenzhen, electric buses save 345,000 tons of fuel each year and it cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 1.35 million tons. 16,359 buses in total have been transitioned to all-electric buses. With an investment of hundreds of millions of dollar in the project, it was finished ahead of its schedule. Some 8,000 charge points and 510 charging stations have also been built to make it work efficiently. As per reports, the next step for Shenzhen is to replace its taxi service with electric vehicles. Right now about 62.5 per cent of the city's 12,518 cabs are already electric running cabs. The target of making the entire taxi fleet into electric is set for 2020.

Shenzhen in China replaces buses running on gas with electric

Low visibility in the national capital left 20 flights delayed, six cancelled and 64 trains delayed, 24 rescheduled and 21 cancelled on Tuesday.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
20 flights delayed, six cancelled at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> airport due to prevailing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fog?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fog</a> conditions resulting in low visibility <a href="https://t.co/tDaiecQhK7">pic.twitter.com/tDaiecQhK7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948009346125905920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Cold wave conditions continued unabated in parts of Delhi with the temperature dropping to 8-degree Celsius on Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

Delhi has been covered with a heavy blanket of fog for the last few days which las lead to disruptions in flight and train operations due to low visibility.&nbsp;

Yesterday&#39;s average air quality index (AQI) was at 400 and the levels of Particulate Matter were in the &quot;Very Poor&quot; category, according to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research).

Delhi woke up to a thick fog on Monday morning, the first day of the new year, and hundreds of passengers were stranded at the airport for several hours as flight operations were temporarily suspended after visibility on the runways dropped below 50 metres.

Five domestic and seven International flights were earlier delayed in the morning because of poor visibility.

Low visibility in the national capital has left 20 flights delayed, six cancelled and 64 trains delayed, 24 rescheduled and 21 cancelled

Low visibility in the national capital left 20 flights delayed, six cancelled and 64 trains delayed, 24 rescheduled and 21 cancelled on Tuesday. 20 flights delayed, six cancelled at #Delhi airport due to prevailing #fog conditions resulting in low visibility pic.twitter.com/tDaiecQhK7 — ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2018 × Cold wave conditions continued unabated in parts of Delhi with the temperature dropping to 8-degree Celsius on Tuesday morning. Delhi has been covered with a heavy blanket of fog for the last few days which las lead to disruptions in flight and train operations due to low visibility. Yesterday's average air quality index (AQI) was at 400 and the levels of Particulate Matter were in the "Very Poor" category, according to SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research). Delhi woke up to a thick fog on Monday morning, the first day of the new year, and hundreds of passengers were stranded at the airport for several hours as flight operations were temporarily suspended after visibility on the runways dropped below 50 metres. Five domestic and seven International flights were earlier delayed in the morning because of poor visibility.

Delhi fog continues; flights and trains delayed, cancelled

Several environmental experts on Saturday issued a warning against the high level&nbsp;of pollution in New Delhi and adjoining region&nbsp;and said that&nbsp;if the pollution level continues to remain at this level, the citizens&nbsp;will soon have to walk around with oxygen cylinders on their backs.

A person would need at least five oxygen cylinders a day, they&nbsp;warned.&nbsp;

The warning was issued after the national capital&#39;s air became the cause of several ailments, including premature birth, reducing lung immunity, allergies or aggravation of existing allergies, strokes, heart and lung disease, cancer and other acute respiratory diseases, as per media reports.

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that about 92 per cent of the world&#39;s population, including in India, lives in areas where air quality is below acceptable standards.&nbsp;

It further said that 88 per cent of premature deaths occur in low and middle-income countries where air pollution is high and escalating.

Air pollution in Delhi-NCR occurs due to a complex mix of pollution from human activities such as vehicle emissions, industry, construction, residential fuel burning, dust and sea salt, according to the website delhiair.org.

The NCR generates 10,000 tons per day of municipal solid waste, much of which is eventually burned, and thus, adding particulate pollution to the air.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Union Environment Ministry gave a week&#39;s time to agencies to respond whether deadlines listed in a plan to clean Delhi&#39;s air by a Supreme Court-monitored panel suits them or not.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has also come out with several recommendations in the &#39;Comprehensive Action Plan for Air Pollution&#39;, which was submitted in the apex court last month.&nbsp;

The warning was issued after Delhi's air became the cause of several ailments

Several environmental experts on Saturday issued a warning against the high level of pollution in New Delhi and adjoining region and said that if the pollution level continues to remain at this level, the citizens will soon have to walk around with oxygen cylinders on their backs. A person would need at least five oxygen cylinders a day, they warned. The warning was issued after the national capital's air became the cause of several ailments, including premature birth, reducing lung immunity, allergies or aggravation of existing allergies, strokes, heart and lung disease, cancer and other acute respiratory diseases, as per media reports. Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that about 92 per cent of the world's population, including in India, lives in areas where air quality is below acceptable standards. It further said that 88 per cent of premature deaths occur in low and middle-income countries where air pollution is high and escalating. Air pollution in Delhi-NCR occurs due to a complex mix of pollution from human activities such as vehicle emissions, industry, construction, residential fuel burning, dust and sea salt, according to the website delhiair.org. The NCR generates 10,000 tons per day of municipal solid waste, much of which is eventually burned, and thus, adding particulate pollution to the air. Meanwhile, on Friday, the Union Environment Ministry gave a week's time to agencies to respond whether deadlines listed in a plan to clean Delhi's air by a Supreme Court-monitored panel suits them or not. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has also come out with several recommendations in the 'Comprehensive Action Plan for Air Pollution', which was submitted in the apex court last month.

Soon Delhiites will need 5 oxygen cylinders a day to survive: Experts

Coordinated action to combat stubble burning, commissioning studies and launch of a hotline and an app to report violations are some of the measures in the 12-point draft plan formulated by a high-level task force to combat air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.

The draft action plan also calls for formulating a journey planner app which integrates the Metro, the DIMTS and the DTC services and integrated ticketing across the DTC, cluster and metro within six months.

The high-level task force headed by the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formulated the draft Air Action Plan ? Abatement of Air Pollution in the Delhi NCR and has invited suggestions in 15 days to make it more &quot;effective and practical&quot;.

&quot;The action plan lists key actions that the task force will monitor. It is recognised that the agencies responsible for the various determinants of air quality will take a number of other steps based on their assessment of need.

&quot;The secretary, MoEF will be responsible for overall coordination of the action agenda,&quot; said the draft which has been put up on the Environment Ministrys website.

The draft proposes coordinated action to combat stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and also monitor enforcement measures to reduce stubble burning.

It also calls for implementing rollout of a plan for properly disposing of crop stubble and ensuring that independent data on stubble burning is available in real time in collaboration with department of science and technology among others.

The plan says that in collaboration with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), it should be ensured that the Delhi-NCR has an adequate network of air quality monitoring stations.

&quot;Commission and validate source attribution studies for the NCR (annually). Set up an anti-pollution helpline in the NCR districts to register complaints of specific violations.

&quot;A pollution app should also be prepared wherein citizens can take a picture of the violation and upload it for quick remedial action,&quot; the plan said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3AJ-pXd7PMo"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
The deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR means that babies in the region are inhaling a cigarette the moment they are born. (WION Web Team)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

For power plants in the NCR region, it calls for NOx curtailment measures in a time-bound manner by the NTPC and other operators and asks the Environment Ministry to develop a Dashboard of all the Red Category polluting units in the NCR.

Each of these units should install a certified pollution meter within their premises, it said.

&quot;Strict action should be taken regarding brick kilns operating in the NCR, especially in areas like Bagpat (UP), Jhajjar (Haryana) without environmental clearance. Enforce all brick kilns to migrate to zig-zag technology,&quot; the draft said.

Noting that mechanised road sweeping is about 15 per cent in Delhi, the draft plan also says that it should be increased to at least 40 per cent in the next four months.

It also asks the Delhi PWD, the Irrigation Department and the MCDs to take up green paving of central verges, roadside berms, sides of drains, over the next one year with monitorable targets.

It has asked the corporations in Delhi to reduce dust and ensure that SoPs are followed at construction sites in terms of curtaining and sprinkling water among other measures.

The draft also asks for procurement of additional buses and improvement of last mile connectivity while increasing the number of metro coaches.

&quot;Ensure that non-destined trucks do not enter Delhi. Ensure compliance of the toll and municipal charges for entering of trucks in Delhi,&quot; the draft said.

The draft also asks divisional commissioners to assess the management of municipal solid waste in their jurisdictions and within 15 days, prepare a plan to ensure 100 per cent collection and processing.

&quot;The plan must have monitorable timelines and an independent verification mechanism. Steps will be taken to combat road dust and dust arising from construction activities, broadly following the model set by Delhi,&quot; it said.

It also asks for completion of Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways within target dates.

&quot;Encouraging electric vehicles and promoting shared and connected mobility. Policy support to encourage electric vehicles, prioritising the use of EVs for public transport and promoting shared and connected mobility.

&quot;In collaboration with the traffic police, identify choke points and take up projects to reduce congestion at these points. Similar exercise may be done in respect of Meerut, Rohtak and Gurugram divisions,&quot; the draft says.

In the draft, the MCDs have also been asked to increase decentralised processing of bio-degradable waste and to fill the gap between the waste collected and processed.

&quot;An independent verification mechanism should be set up to check whether 100 per cent solid waste is actually being collected--with specific focus on poor communities such as slums and JJ clusters,&quot; it said.

The draft also calls for steps to be taken to ensure that no fires break out at sanitary landfills among others.

The draft action plan also calls for formulating a journey planner app which integrates the Metro, the DIMTS and the DTC services

Coordinated action to combat stubble burning, commissioning studies and launch of a hotline and an app to report violations are some of the measures in the 12-point draft plan formulated by a high-level task force to combat air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. The draft action plan also calls for formulating a journey planner app which integrates the Metro, the DIMTS and the DTC services and integrated ticketing across the DTC, cluster and metro within six months. The high-level task force headed by the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formulated the draft Air Action Plan ? Abatement of Air Pollution in the Delhi NCR and has invited suggestions in 15 days to make it more "effective and practical". "The action plan lists key actions that the task force will monitor. It is recognised that the agencies responsible for the various determinants of air quality will take a number of other steps based on their assessment of need. "The secretary, MoEF will be responsible for overall coordination of the action agenda," said the draft which has been put up on the Environment Ministrys website. The draft proposes coordinated action to combat stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and also monitor enforcement measures to reduce stubble burning. It also calls for implementing rollout of a plan for properly disposing of crop stubble and ensuring that independent data on stubble burning is available in real time in collaboration with department of science and technology among others. The plan says that in collaboration with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), it should be ensured that the Delhi-NCR has an adequate network of air quality monitoring stations. "Commission and validate source attribution studies for the NCR (annually). Set up an anti-pollution helpline in the NCR districts to register complaints of specific violations. "A pollution app should also be prepared wherein citizens can take a picture of the violation and upload it for quick remedial action," the plan said. The deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR means that babies in the region are inhaling a cigarette the moment they are born. (WION Web Team) × For power plants in the NCR region, it calls for NOx curtailment measures in a time-bound manner by the NTPC and other operators and asks the Environment Ministry to develop a Dashboard of all the Red Category polluting units in the NCR. Each of these units should install a certified pollution meter within their premises, it said. "Strict action should be taken regarding brick kilns operating in the NCR, especially in areas like Bagpat (UP), Jhajjar (Haryana) without environmental clearance. Enforce all brick kilns to migrate to zig-zag technology," the draft said. Noting that mechanised road sweeping is about 15 per cent in Delhi, the draft plan also says that it should be increased to at least 40 per cent in the next four months. It also asks the Delhi PWD, the Irrigation Department and the MCDs to take up green paving of central verges, roadside berms, sides of drains, over the next one year with monitorable targets. It has asked the corporations in Delhi to reduce dust and ensure that SoPs are followed at construction sites in terms of curtaining and sprinkling water among other measures. The draft also asks for procurement of additional buses and improvement of last mile connectivity while increasing the number of metro coaches. "Ensure that non-destined trucks do not enter Delhi. Ensure compliance of the toll and municipal charges for entering of trucks in Delhi," the draft said. The draft also asks divisional commissioners to assess the management of municipal solid waste in their jurisdictions and within 15 days, prepare a plan to ensure 100 per cent collection and processing. "The plan must have monitorable timelines and an independent verification mechanism. Steps will be taken to combat road dust and dust arising from construction activities, broadly following the model set by Delhi," it said. It also asks for completion of Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways within target dates. "Encouraging electric vehicles and promoting shared and connected mobility. Policy support to encourage electric vehicles, prioritising the use of EVs for public transport and promoting shared and connected mobility. "In collaboration with the traffic police, identify choke points and take up projects to reduce congestion at these points. Similar exercise may be done in respect of Meerut, Rohtak and Gurugram divisions," the draft says. In the draft, the MCDs have also been asked to increase decentralised processing of bio-degradable waste and to fill the gap between the waste collected and processed. "An independent verification mechanism should be set up to check whether 100 per cent solid waste is actually being collected--with specific focus on poor communities such as slums and JJ clusters," it said. The draft also calls for steps to be taken to ensure that no fires break out at sanitary landfills among others.

12-point draft plan formulated to combat air pollution in Delhi-NCR

As dense fog enveloped Delhi on Saturday, 15 trains were reportedly cancelled&nbsp;and 34 trains were running&nbsp;late due to low visibility.

Four trains had to be&nbsp;rescheduled by the Railways.

According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be&nbsp;rescheduled.

At&nbsp;8:30am(local time) the visibility in Delhi was recorded at 800 meters.

On December 20, 54 trains were delayed and 12 were rescheduled. Around ten cars had collided on the Lucknow-Agra expressway due to low visibility in Uttar Pradesh. 
&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Delhi: 34 trains arriving late, 15 cancelled &amp; 4 rescheduled due to decreased visibility/operational reasons.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944386736993443840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

As fog engulfed&nbsp;Delhi, air quality was recorded at PM 205 at 242, PM 10 at 233 in&nbsp;Lodhi Road area, which comes in the &quot;severe&quot;&nbsp;category.

The national capital&#39;s air quality has been dropping since Friday.

In November, Delhi&#39;s air quality had&nbsp;dropped to the lowest level on the Air Quality Index forcing the government to shut down schools and halt construction work in the capital and adjoining areas.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Air Quality Index of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>&#39;s Lodhi Road area, prominent pollutants PM 2.5 at 242 and PM 10 at 233 <a href="https://t.co/NdrJNe6GCS">pic.twitter.com/NdrJNe6GCS</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944393502309224449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

According to the reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route are late or getting rescheduled

As dense fog enveloped Delhi on Saturday, 15 trains were reportedly cancelled and 34 trains were running late due to low visibility. Four trains had to be rescheduled by the Railways. According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled. At 8:30am(local time) the visibility in Delhi was recorded at 800 meters. On December 20, 54 trains were delayed and 12 were rescheduled. Around ten cars had collided on the Lucknow-Agra expressway due to low visibility in Uttar Pradesh. Delhi: 34 trains arriving late, 15 cancelled & 4 rescheduled due to decreased visibility/operational reasons. — ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017 × As fog engulfed Delhi, air quality was recorded at PM 205 at 242, PM 10 at 233 in Lodhi Road area, which comes in the "severe" category. The national capital's air quality has been dropping since Friday. In November, Delhi's air quality had dropped to the lowest level on the Air Quality Index forcing the government to shut down schools and halt construction work in the capital and adjoining areas. Air Quality Index of #Delhi's Lodhi Road area, prominent pollutants PM 2.5 at 242 and PM 10 at 233 pic.twitter.com/NdrJNe6GCS — ANI (@ANI) December 23, 2017 ×

34 trains late, 15 cancelled due to low visibility in Delhi

&nbsp;

By Asit K. Biswas and Kris Hartley*

Delhi&rsquo;s air pollution crisis made international headlines in early December when a cricket match between India and Sri Lanka was suspended due to poor air quality.

Smog has also led to numerous school closures and flight cancellations in India&rsquo;s capital and largest city. It has also been blamed for highway accidents.

Delhi is home to 20 million residents, and the city&rsquo;s more than 10 million vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution. Industrial emissions are also to blame. Thirteen coal-fired power stations operate within a 300 kilometre radius of the city. Conditions reach crisis level every winter, when the capital&rsquo;s already poor air quality is further degraded by smoke from post-harvest burning in the neighbouring agricultural states of Haryana and Punjab.

The concentration of airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) recently reached 999 in parts of Delhi. This measurement was literally off the charts of maximum thresholds for air pollutants. The alarming fact is that Delhi is not even India&rsquo;s smoggiest city. By one measure, four other Indian cities typically suffer even worse air pollution.

There is little evidence that either the central or Delhi government has any effective policy strategy for air pollution. Now is the time for India to peer through the smog and learn how another major city, Beijing, is taking meaningful steps to stabilise its own air pollution crisis. While China still has progress to make, some lessons from the country&rsquo;s capital are a useful guide for clearing Delhi&rsquo;s air.

China&rsquo;s response

According to the World Health Organisation, ten of the world&rsquo;s 20 most polluted cities are in India, and three in China. The two countries top the ignoble list of deaths related to air pollution, with more than one million each in 2015. The two are the world&rsquo;s most populous countries and also have among the highest proportions of deaths related to air pollution.

Nevertheless, China is making progress. The central government has taken a systematic and coordinated approach to managing air pollution. It has adopted a suite of policies that promote alternative energy and punish regulatory breaches.

The country is rapidly scaling back capacity for coal-fired power and steel, whose production is suspected of threatening respiratory health. China is also soliciting foreign investment in green energy technologies, and has intensified inspections of major polluters around Beijing.

In Beijing alone, fines for pollution topped USD$ 28 million in 2015. To combat vehicle exhaust smoke, which is responsible for one-third of Beijing&rsquo;s emissions, an annual quota of 150,000 new cars was established for 2017, with 60,000 allotted only to fuel efficient cars. Beginning in 2018, this quota will be reduced by one third, to 100,000 annually. This will limit the total number of cars to around 6.3 million.

Beijing is also aiming to reduce coal consumption from the current 11 million tons per year to under 5 million by 2020.

There is some evidence that these measures are working. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, PM2.5 levels decreased by 27% between 2013 and 2016.

India&rsquo;s apathy

By comparison, India&rsquo;s political inefficiency is making regional air pollution a nearly intractable problem. Although the states of Haryana and Punjab have banned farmers from burning straw, implementation has been minimal. Policy coordination is also weak across states governed by rival political parties. For example, the leaders of Delhi and Haryana have publicly clashed about who is to blame for air pollution. They have also failed to hold discussions about the problem or to find feasible solutions.

Farmers constitute a significant voting base in Haryana and Punjab. This has led state governments to demand compensation from central government for losses farmers incur by ceasing burning. Such focus on short-term political gain is distracting policymakers from collaborating on regional solutions. The consequences of territorial grandstanding are deadly.

Another difference between India and China is the level of apathy among the government and general public. In China, years of seething public anger prompted Prime Minister Li Keqiang to &ldquo;declare war&rdquo; on pollution in 2014.

In India, public outrage over air pollution is still &ldquo;seasonal&rdquo; and rarely swells beyond social media. The central government has remained largely silent about pollution while state leaders indulge in meaningless inter-party squabbling and political theatre.

Amid this discouraging accountability vacuum, India&rsquo;s Supreme Court recently assumed the mantle of leadership on air pollution. It banned fireworks in the capital during the Diwali festival and pushed for response focused <a href="http://cpcb.nic.in/final_graded_table.pdf">action planning</a>. While these are encouraging steps, bypassing the legislative process on such fundamental public health issues is hardly ideal or sustainable.

Progress is needed

India has made remarkable progress lifting millions of people out of poverty in recent years. It aspires to be a global superpower, but has singularly failed to curb air pollution. Central government must intervene to coordinate collaborative policy among states and hold officials accountable for inaction. Central government should also reinforce state-level initiatives to minimise burning and promote sustainable farming.

More broadly, it may be time to ask whether highly argumentative democratic models are always the best solution for problems that transcend city and provincial boundaries. Sensible and informed policy leadership is needed to solve environmental challenges. India must rise above petty politics, lest the country bicker its way into smoggy irrelevance.

&nbsp;*Kris Hartley, Lecturer in City and Regional Planning, Cornell University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

The central government of China has taken a systematic and coordinated approach to managing air pollution. India dabbles in petty politics.

By Asit K. Biswas and Kris Hartley* Delhi’s air pollution crisis made international headlines in early December when a cricket match between India and Sri Lanka was suspended due to poor air quality. Smog has also led to numerous school closures and flight cancellations in India’s capital and largest city. It has also been blamed for highway accidents. Delhi is home to 20 million residents, and the city’s more than 10 million vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution. Industrial emissions are also to blame. Thirteen coal-fired power stations operate within a 300 kilometre radius of the city. Conditions reach crisis level every winter, when the capital’s already poor air quality is further degraded by smoke from post-harvest burning in the neighbouring agricultural states of Haryana and Punjab. The concentration of airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) recently reached 999 in parts of Delhi. This measurement was literally off the charts of maximum thresholds for air pollutants. The alarming fact is that Delhi is not even India’s smoggiest city. By one measure, four other Indian cities typically suffer even worse air pollution. There is little evidence that either the central or Delhi government has any effective policy strategy for air pollution. Now is the time for India to peer through the smog and learn how another major city, Beijing, is taking meaningful steps to stabilise its own air pollution crisis. While China still has progress to make, some lessons from the country’s capital are a useful guide for clearing Delhi’s air. China’s response According to the World Health Organisation, ten of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are in India, and three in China. The two countries top the ignoble list of deaths related to air pollution, with more than one million each in 2015. The two are the world’s most populous countries and also have among the highest proportions of deaths related to air pollution. Nevertheless, China is making progress. The central government has taken a systematic and coordinated approach to managing air pollution. It has adopted a suite of policies that promote alternative energy and punish regulatory breaches. The country is rapidly scaling back capacity for coal-fired power and steel, whose production is suspected of threatening respiratory health. China is also soliciting foreign investment in green energy technologies, and has intensified inspections of major polluters around Beijing. In Beijing alone, fines for pollution topped USD$ 28 million in 2015. To combat vehicle exhaust smoke, which is responsible for one-third of Beijing’s emissions, an annual quota of 150,000 new cars was established for 2017, with 60,000 allotted only to fuel efficient cars. Beginning in 2018, this quota will be reduced by one third, to 100,000 annually. This will limit the total number of cars to around 6.3 million. Beijing is also aiming to reduce coal consumption from the current 11 million tons per year to under 5 million by 2020. There is some evidence that these measures are working. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, PM2.5 levels decreased by 27% between 2013 and 2016. India’s apathy By comparison, India’s political inefficiency is making regional air pollution a nearly intractable problem. Although the states of Haryana and Punjab have banned farmers from burning straw, implementation has been minimal. Policy coordination is also weak across states governed by rival political parties. For example, the leaders of Delhi and Haryana have publicly clashed about who is to blame for air pollution. They have also failed to hold discussions about the problem or to find feasible solutions. Farmers constitute a significant voting base in Haryana and Punjab. This has led state governments to demand compensation from central government for losses farmers incur by ceasing burning. Such focus on short-term political gain is distracting policymakers from collaborating on regional solutions. The consequences of territorial grandstanding are deadly. Another difference between India and China is the level of apathy among the government and general public. In China, years of seething public anger prompted Prime Minister Li Keqiang to “declare war” on pollution in 2014. In India, public outrage over air pollution is still “seasonal” and rarely swells beyond social media. The central government has remained largely silent about pollution while state leaders indulge in meaningless inter-party squabbling and political theatre. Amid this discouraging accountability vacuum, India’s Supreme Court recently assumed the mantle of leadership on air pollution. It banned fireworks in the capital during the Diwali festival and pushed for response focused action planning. While these are encouraging steps, bypassing the legislative process on such fundamental public health issues is hardly ideal or sustainable. Progress is needed India has made remarkable progress lifting millions of people out of poverty in recent years. It aspires to be a global superpower, but has singularly failed to curb air pollution. Central government must intervene to coordinate collaborative policy among states and hold officials accountable for inaction. Central government should also reinforce state-level initiatives to minimise burning and promote sustainable farming. More broadly, it may be time to ask whether highly argumentative democratic models are always the best solution for problems that transcend city and provincial boundaries. Sensible and informed policy leadership is needed to solve environmental challenges. India must rise above petty politics, lest the country bicker its way into smoggy irrelevance. *Kris Hartley, Lecturer in City and Regional Planning, Cornell University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Delhi should follow Beijing in tackling air pollution

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi government to consider shutting schools whenever air quality touches emergency levels to save the children from inhaling pollutants.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the AAP government to look into this aspect and incorporate it in its action plan to deal with the problem of air pollution.

&quot;Why don&#39;t you close schools whenever the particulate matter levels are found to be beyond 900 microgram per cubic meter. Ask the schools to run on Saturday and Sunday if required,&quot; the bench observed.

Advocate Tarunvir Singh Khehar, appearing for the Delhi government, said that this was difficult to implement because the children will have to suffer academically.

He said that air quality is bad in winter season for three months and if schools are closed during this period it would be difficult to complete their syllabus and examinations will have to be postponed.

The bench, however, expressed dissatisfaction and said, &quot;You don&#39;t do your duty and now you are giving reasons. You are spoiling the lives of children. Infants are taking antibiotics in Delhi. Why should they suffer?

&quot;In the last 12 years, the Delhi government has not taken a single step to bring down the ambient air quality within permissible limits. If the lungs of children are affected today, imagine the disease they will have after 20 years,&quot; it said while directing it to consider the suggestion.

The NGT also rapped the AAP government for not installing air purifier in government schools as per its earlier direction.

During the proceedings, the Delhi government submitted its action plan for the period when air quality touches emergency levels which it divided in three categories dealing with different levels of pollution.

The NGT said that it would pass a detailed order on ways to handle air pollution after perusing the action plans submitted by the Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh governments.

The tribunal had on December 6 slammed the AAP government and the neighbouring states over their action plan on ways to deal with severe air pollution in the city and directed them to file a detailed document to tackle the problem.

It had observed that air pollution was never at &quot;normal level&quot; in the national capital and directed the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan to file the action plan afresh.&nbsp;

The Delhi government said it would be difficult to implement because the children would suffer academically

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi government to consider shutting schools whenever air quality touches emergency levels to save the children from inhaling pollutants. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the AAP government to look into this aspect and incorporate it in its action plan to deal with the problem of air pollution. "Why don't you close schools whenever the particulate matter levels are found to be beyond 900 microgram per cubic meter. Ask the schools to run on Saturday and Sunday if required," the bench observed. Advocate Tarunvir Singh Khehar, appearing for the Delhi government, said that this was difficult to implement because the children will have to suffer academically. He said that air quality is bad in winter season for three months and if schools are closed during this period it would be difficult to complete their syllabus and examinations will have to be postponed. The bench, however, expressed dissatisfaction and said, "You don't do your duty and now you are giving reasons. You are spoiling the lives of children. Infants are taking antibiotics in Delhi. Why should they suffer? "In the last 12 years, the Delhi government has not taken a single step to bring down the ambient air quality within permissible limits. If the lungs of children are affected today, imagine the disease they will have after 20 years," it said while directing it to consider the suggestion. The NGT also rapped the AAP government for not installing air purifier in government schools as per its earlier direction. During the proceedings, the Delhi government submitted its action plan for the period when air quality touches emergency levels which it divided in three categories dealing with different levels of pollution. The NGT said that it would pass a detailed order on ways to handle air pollution after perusing the action plans submitted by the Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh governments. The tribunal had on December 6 slammed the AAP government and the neighbouring states over their action plan on ways to deal with severe air pollution in the city and directed them to file a detailed document to tackle the problem. It had observed that air pollution was never at "normal level" in the national capital and directed the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan to file the action plan afresh.

Close schools when air quality hits emergency mark: NGT to Delhi government

air-pollution

Air Pollution, News on Air Pollution, stories on Air Pollution, articles on Air Pollution, Air Pollution stories at Wion, Air Pollution news, Air Pollution latest news