Delhi Pollution Highlights: Air quality ‘very poor’ at 398, schools in NCR shut

Delhi Pollution Highlights: Noida and Ghaziabad district administrations to suspended physical classes in schools.

A view of Kartvya Path in Heavy smog as Air pollution rise in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday. (Photo by Raj K Raj/ Hindustan Times)

Delhi Pollution Highlightts: The air quality index (AQI) in the national capital turned ‘severe’ again on Wednesday morning after it marginally improved to the 'very poor' category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in Anand Vihar was recorded at 452, in RK Puram at 433, in Punjabi Bagh at 460 and in ITO at 413....Read More

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• 8 Nov 2023, 07:31:09 PM IST

  Preparations underway for ‘artificial rain’ in Delhi: Gopal Rai

  Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday that the government is preparing to bring ‘artificial rain’ in the national capital to tackle with the worsening pollution situation, news agency PTI reported.

  He said a meeting happened on Wednesday regarding the same where IIT Kanpur experts said they want the weather to be cloudy or there should be moisture in the air in order to proceed with the cloud seeding process.

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:24:16 PM IST

  ‘Not a single penny spent to tackle Delhi pollution’: BJP leader Gautam Gambhir

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:05:48 PM IST

  Taj Mahal lost in smog, fails to delight tourists amid worsening pollution levels

  A thick blanket of smog has enveloped the Taj Mahal in Agra. Tourists have expressed their dissatisfaction, noting that the monument is not clearly visible due to the pollution.

  Agra's air quality was categorized as 'moderate' on Wednesday afternoon. The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Shahjahan Garden, which is located 2 kilometers from the Taj Mahal, registered at 114 at 11:00 am on Wednesday, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.

  However, this is not the first time that the pristine white marble mausoleum has been concealed by pollutants. The city's air quality has been consistently poor since November 4. Visitors to the monument appeared disappointed by the haze surrounding the Taj Mahal.

  One tourist from Nagpur complained, “The Taj Mahal seemed to be covered in smoke and fog due to air pollution.” Another visitor commented, "The Taj Mahal is not clearly visible due to the thick, dense fog, and we are having difficulty walking because of the pollution."

  (With inputs from ANI)

• 8 Nov 2023, 05:03:51 PM IST

  Hisar administration bans burning garbage, waste material to check air pollution

  In a move to combat air pollution, the district administration of Hisar in Haryana issued a ban on burning garbage, leaves, plastic, rubber, and other flammable materials on Wednesday. District Magistrate Uttam Singh, in an official order, stated that the decision was prompted by the deterioration of air quality in Hisar due to adverse meteorological conditions during the pre-winter and winter season.

• 8 Nov 2023, 04:20:13 PM IST

  European Parliament calls on countries to strengthen their climate commitments

  Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have underlined that the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement, taking place during COP28, is a key moment to boost collective ambition on climate action and support.

  With 56 votes in favour, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted a resolution outlining its calls for action in view of the UN COP28 Climate Change Conference.

  The resolution calls on developed countries, including the EU and its member states, to ensure that the annual climate finance goal of 100 billion USD is met in 2023 and to work on a post-2025 goal that would go beyond this amount.

  It reiterates Parliament's request for a dedicated EU public finance mechanism to provide adequate support to meet the EU's climate finance commitments.

• 8 Nov 2023, 04:01:54 PM IST

  Tourists disappointed as Taj Mahal disappears in thick blanket of smog

  As air quality worsens in northern India, a dense smog shrouded the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, causing visibility issues for disappointed tourists. On Wednesday afternoon, Agra's air quality was classified as 'moderate.' The Air Quality Index (AQI) for Shahjahan Garden, located 2 kms from the Taj Mahal, registered 114 at 11:00 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Visitors expressed concerns as the pollution hindered a clear view of the monument, emphasizing the urgent need for measures to address the deteriorating air conditions in the region.

• 8 Nov 2023, 02:49:38 PM IST

  HC refused to entertain plea to allow Chhath Puja celebration at Yamun

  The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a petition seeking to allow Chhath Puja at the banks of the Yamuna river here.

  Justice Subramonium Prasad said the ban is to prevent pollution in Yamuna.

• 8 Nov 2023, 02:02:45 PM IST

  Odd-even scheme to be implemented after SC reviews its effectiveness: Gopal Rai

  Odd-even scheme to be implemented in national capital after SC reviews its effectiveness, announced Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai.

• 8 Nov 2023, 01:56:49 PM IST

  AAP blames Haryana for severe air pollution in Delhi

  The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday accused the Haryana government of being the “biggest culprit” behind pollution in Delhi. Earlier in the day, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said polluted air is not restricted by borders and stressed there should not be politics over the issue and that it is the collective responsibility of everyone to keep the environment clean.

• 8 Nov 2023, 01:17:06 PM IST

  Polluted air isn't restricted by borders: Haryana CM Khattar

  Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Wednesday that there should not be politics over the issue and that it is the collective responsibility of everyone to keep the environment clean.

  "There should be no politics. Unfortunately, a few people are doing politics over it, but they are not getting any benefit...," the chief minister said when asked by reporters in Pinjore on a Supreme Court bench on Tuesday taking a stern view of states trying to shift the blame on one another, and observing there cannot be a "political battle" all the time.

• 8 Nov 2023, 12:26:03 PM IST

  The 'Smog Tower' in Connaught Place has now been made operational

  The 'Smog Tower' in Connaught Place has now been made operational as a measure to curb air pollution, reports ANI. The Supreme Court yesterday directed the government to repair the smog tower, as the air quality in Delhi continues to remain in the 'severe' category.

• 8 Nov 2023, 12:12:41 PM IST

  DPCC chairperson stopped the release of funds to IIT-Bombay: Gopal Rai

  Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai had claimed that Kumar, who assumed the role of DPCC chairperson in December, "stopped the release of funds to IIT-Bombay and other agencies working on the smog tower project without informing the government".

  Delhi CM Kejriwal had inaugurated the smog tower at Connaught Place on August 23, 2021. The city government had formed a team of experts from IIT-Bombay to study its impact over two years.

• 8 Nov 2023, 11:56:44 AM IST

  Hardeep Singh Puri meets CEO of German Biogas Association; discusses stubble burning

  Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri met Claudius da Costa Gomez, CEO of the German Biogas Association, in Berlin on Wednesday and said they discussed the issue of stubble burning as Germany is a world leader in producing biogas from parali (stubble).

• 8 Nov 2023, 11:38:25 AM IST

  Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index of 424 at 11am

  According to the Central Pollution Control Board data, Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index of 424 at 11am and the air quality continues to remain in the Severe category.

  The prominent pollutants in the capital's air are PM2.5 and PM10. Punjabi Bagh area in West Delhi is currently the most polluted region with an AQI of 466. The most polluted areas in Delhi at 11am were Punjabi Bagh (466), Bawana (465), Jahangirpuri (461), Narela (458), Rohini (458) and Anand Vihar (454).

• 8 Nov 2023, 11:17:29 AM IST

  Minimum temperature settles above normal in Delhi

  The minimum temperature in the national capital settled at 15.1 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, on Wednesday.

  The relative humidity stood at 91% at 8:30 am, according to data by the India Meteorological Department.

• 8 Nov 2023, 10:48:54 AM IST

  The Supreme Court has given its observations of what needs to be implemented: Gopal Rai

  On the Supreme Court's directions on pollution, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said to ANI, "The Supreme Court has given its observations of what needs to be implemented in Delhi and we have called for a meeting with the concerned ministers and officers so that we can implement whatever instructions Delhi has got. The top court has given the order to end stubble burning in whichever state it has been happening..."

• 8 Nov 2023, 10:45:50 AM IST

  Odd-even scheme may keep 2-wheelers, women out; what would be the timings?

  Cars used for medical emergencies, driven by women or persons with disabilities along with children up to 12 years may get exemptions from the Delhi government's proposed odd-even road rationing system, which will be re-enacted from November 13 to 20 in order to curb the deteriorating air quality in the national capital region. Read more

• 8 Nov 2023, 10:39:05 AM IST

  Everyone have to try to curb the pollution together: Gopal Rai

  On the Supreme Court's directions on pollution, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said to ANI, "...All the parties be it BJP, Congress or AAP everyone will have to try (to curb) it together. It is sad that BJP thinks that it is important to release a statement..."

• 8 Nov 2023, 10:07:18 AM IST

  Farm fires major contributor in degrading air quality across NCR

  Several cities across the North India reported severe air quality. Neighbouring Ghaziabad (382), Gurugram (370), Noida (348), Greater Noida (474), and Faridabad (396) reported hazardous air quality on Wednesday.

  According to data from the Decision Support System, a numerical model-based framework identifying sources of particulate matter pollution in the national capital, stubble burning in neighbouring states, like Punjab and Haryana, accounted for 37 percent of the air pollution in Delhi on Tuesday. It is likely to be 33 percent on Wednesday.

• 8 Nov 2023, 09:52:57 AM IST

  A team of technical and operational staff reached 'Smog Tower' in Connaught Place

• 8 Nov 2023, 09:47:04 AM IST

  Gopal Rai calls urgent meeting after Supreme Court terms odd-even scheme ‘mere optics’

  Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai calls urgent meeting to discuss implementation of Supreme Court observations on odd-even car rationing scheme.

• 8 Nov 2023, 09:19:49 AM IST

  Delhi chokes on smog as AQI remains in 'severe' category

  A thick toxic haze or 'smog' continued to hang heavy over Delhi as the air quality remained in the 'severe' category on Wednesday. According to the data shared by the CPCB, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Anand Vihar was recorded at 452, while it was at 433, 460, 382, and 413 at RK Puram, Punjabi Bagh, Sri Aurobindo Marg and Shadipur, all in the 'severe' category.

• 8 Nov 2023, 09:01:00 AM IST

  Delhi woke up to shallow fog in the morning

  The city woke up to shallow fog with mist in the morning and the general visibility was at 800 m at 8am, according the India Meteorological Department. Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 395 (very poor) at 4 pm on Tuesday and a downward trend has been observed overnight and the general visibility on Tuesday morning was around 1100m. As per the IMD report, the city woke up to shallow fog in the morning and the sky will become further partially clear towards towards afternoon and evening. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 31 and 16 degrees Celsius respectively.

• 8 Nov 2023, 08:45:21 AM IST

  AQI reaches 999 in Delhi's Anand Vihar

  After little respite in smog conditions earlier this week, the situation has again turned red for Delhi-NCR region with AQI touching 999 in Anand Vihar.

• 8 Nov 2023, 08:32:40 AM IST

  IIT Kanpur readies for cloud seeding over Delhi-NCR

  IIT Kanpur, which was working on cloud seeding technology, said it has its own aircraft for the purpose and is fitted with flares that are needed to form such artificial rains.

  Manindra Aggarwal, Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Kanpur and leader of the project, said, “And it was also approved by DGCA. Through this, we can do cloud seeding anywhere. As far as the Delhi government is concerned, we have received some phone calls from the Delhi government."

• 8 Nov 2023, 08:11:31 AM IST

  ‘Online classes not a solution’, say parents over Delhi school closures

  "We have been neglected. The issue of pollution has persisted in Delhi for many years now and nothing has been done to resolve it. Online classes are not a solution because there are many students who lack the equipment necessary for online mode of learning," Ajit Mishra, the father of a class 2 student, told PTI.

• 8 Nov 2023, 08:01:21 AM IST

  Pollution control measures hold steady in Agra

  Agra’s district authorities have emphasised the need to adhere to the advisory issued by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) diligently, warning of penalties for any violations.

  Agra’s AQI, averaged over the last 24 hours, was recorded at 128, according to the daily bulletin on AQI released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at 4 PM on Tuesday. This marked a noticeable reduction from the AQI of 165 recorded on the previous day’s bulletin.

• 8 Nov 2023, 07:38:56 AM IST

  BS-III petrol, BS-IV diesel vehicles banned in Gurugram, Faridabad

  The Haryana transport commissioner has banned the plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel category of vehicles in Gurugram, Faridabad as the air quality in the districts have deteriorated.

  "Compliance with these orders will be seriously ensured in the district. The residents of the district should also cooperate with the administration to control pollution.

• 8 Nov 2023, 07:19:56 AM IST

  Stubble burning continues in Punjab's Patiala

  Despite worsening air quality, stubble burning continued in the Ghanaur village of Punjab's Patiala.

  According to an official statement, during the 45 days' period in the current paddy harvesting season i.e., September 15,2023 to October 29, 2023, the total stubble burning incidents in Haryana, Punjab, NCR - UP, NCR- Rajasthan and Delhi have come down from 13,964 in the corresponding period in 2022 to 6,391 in 2023 and from 11,461 in the corresponding period in 2021 to 6,391 in 2023 i.e., a reduction of 54.2 pc and 44.3 pc respectively.

• 8 Nov 2023, 07:02:58 AM IST

  Punjab reports over 1,500 farm fires

  On Tuesday, Punjab reported over 1,500 stubble-burning incidents while several parts in Haryana saw air quality indices in the 'severe' and 'very poor' categories. Out of 1,515 stubble burning incidents reported, Sangrur continued to top with 397 such cases, followed by 147 in Barnala, 137 in Mansa, 129 in Bathinda, 97 in Ferozepur, 93 in Moga and 86 in Ludhiana. On the same day in 2021 and 2022, the state had seen 5,199 and 2,487 active fires, respectively.

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:58:27 AM IST

  Delhi's 24-hour average AQI stood at 395 on Tuesday

  According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 395 on Tuesday, bringing a marginal improvement from the 421 recorded on Monday.

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:54:33 AM IST

  Polluting vehicles entering Delhi freely despite GRAP curbs: Delhi minister Gahlot

  Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Tuesday said polluting vehicles were entering the city freely despite restrictions under GRAP stage IV being imolmented in the NCR amid the high pollution levels.

  "The pollution situation in Delhi is grave and has resulted in the imposition of GRAP- IV by CAQM. However, it has come to my notice that polluting vehicles are entering Delhi borders at odd hours from neighbouring states without any hindrance.

  "It appears that no checking is being done at the borders to restrict entry of such polluting vehicles into Delhi. It is requested that all agencies and departments be directed to ensure proper checking of polluting vehicles whose entry is restricted as per stage IV of GRAP," read the directive from Gahlot.

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:52:17 AM IST

  Amid spike in pollution, Delhi’s high NO2 levels a sign of worry

  The concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), is slowly beginning to spike and is currently two-to-three times the permissible limit of 80 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) in parts of Delhi, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. Read more

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:50:46 AM IST

  Delhi CM recommends suspension of Delhi Pollution Control Body chief

  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday recommended the suspension of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) Chairman Ashwani Kumar over his persistent insubordination and laxity against public interest.

  Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that Kumar Suo-moto ordered the stopping of the functioning of smog towers in violation of the decision of the SC and the Council of Ministers.

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:40:35 AM IST

  Over 4,700 vehicle owners fined in Delhi without PUC certificates in last four days: Officials

  Delhi Traffic Police has issued over 4,700 challans to vehicle owners driving without a pollution under control (PUC) certificate in the last four days, PTI reported citing the officials on Tuesday.

  According to data shared by police, a total of 4,785 challans were issued to vehicle owners driving without PUC certificates, 4,482 challans and 4,207 notices were issued for improper parking and 1,496 vehicles were towed away. 814 challans were issued to BS-III petrol vehicles and 3,656 BS-IV diesel vehicles

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:38:01 AM IST

  People should avoid bursting firecrackers on Diwali: UP environment minister

  Uttar Pradesh minister Arun Saxena on Tuesday urged people to not burn firecrackers on Diwali "as far as possible".

  "The AQI (air quality index) is impacting the health of all people with diseases and increasing the vulnerability of those who do not have diseases. Pollution causes irritation, turns eyes red and also impacts the internal organs with the most severe and irreversible effect on the lungs. Hence it is necessary to take appropriate measures and our government is committed to fighting pollution,” the minister said.

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:26:32 AM IST

  Want CP smog tower working, orders top court

  The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the non-functional smog tower in Delhi’s Connaught Place (CP) to be made operational immediately, and also summoned the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) chairman Ashwani Kumar. Dig deeper

• 8 Nov 2023, 06:11:49 AM IST

  Air quality across Delhi continues to be in the 'Severe' category

  Air quality across Delhi continues to be in the 'Severe' category on Wednesday. As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), AQI in Anand Vihar was recorded at 452, in RK Puram at 433, in Punjabi Bagh at 460 and in ITO at 413.