Delhi Air Quality

Delhi breathes clean air for 128 days in first half of 2024: Report

The national capital breathed clean air for 128 days of the first half of 2024, according to a Delhi government report. The report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said that the "Good days' (good/satisfactory/moderate days together) during the January-July, 2024, period was 128. The number of 'good days' from August 1 to August 20 was 20, it said. The number of 'good days' referring to air quality, increased from 159 in 2018 to 206 in' 2023, it said. An air quality index (AQI) between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". The identified sources of air pollution are vehicular and industrial emissions, open burning and other combustion sources. The report cited various steps taken by the Delhi government to mitigate air pollution in the city. A total of 385 dedicated enforcement teams of the Transport Department and Traffic Police have been formed to

WFH, awareness campaigns to combat Delhi air pollution, says minister Rai

Policies for work from home and awareness campaigns are likely to be part of the Delhi government's Winter Action Plan to combat air pollution in the national capital, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday. Rai said during a press conference that the Delhi government held a meeting with environment experts and officials from various government departments to seek their opinions. "These inputs will play a crucial role in crafting an effective Winter Action Plan," Rai said. The minister also emphasised the need for a shift in human behaviour and said one could contribute to reducing air pollution by taking small measures such as turning off engines at traffic lights. "We are the ones using private vehicles, engaging in construction work and failing to turn off our vehicles at red lights. A change in our behaviour is essential to reduce pollution," Rai said. "Self awareness is important. Small steps by everyone will bring a big change," the minister said. Previously, ...

Delhi breathes easy after long as rains wash down pollutants. What next?

With the monsoon expected to last longer in 2024, at least well into September, there is a good possibility that the AQI will remain tolerable for the next few weeks

No letter received from Delhi on air pollution: Union environment ministry

The Union environment ministry clarified on Thursday that it had not recently received any communication from Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, seeking a discussion on air pollution. On Tuesday, Rai said he had sent a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, proposing a meeting to prepare a joint plan to combat air pollution. The ministry said the last letter it received from Rai was dated September 20, 2023, in which he requested a meeting with National Capital Region (NCR) states to discuss air quality management. In response, Yadav chaired a meeting with the environment ministers of the NCR states on October 20, 2023. "No letter has been received recently from the Hon'ble Environment Minister, GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi), on this subject," the ministry said in its statement. The ministry also said that its secretary chaired a meeting on July 25 to discuss the action plan for the next one year, including preparations for the coming

Delhi records cleanest air quality for Jan-Aug in six years, AQI hits 53

Delhi recorded its best AQI for any day between January 1 and August 8 from 2018 to 2024, with a reading of 53 at 4 pm on Thursday

Relief from prolonged humidity after parts of Delhi receive rainfall

Several parts of the national capital witnessed rain on Sunday, finding relief from prolonged humidity. The maximum temperature on Sunday was recorded as 37.1 degree Celsius, two notches above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department. The weather department has predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rain during the evening. The minimum temperature was 27.6 degree Celsius. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded in the "moderate" category with a reading of 109 at 6 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

7% of daily deaths in 10 Indian cities linked to PM2.5 pollution: Study

On average, 7.2 per cent of all daily deaths in 10 of the largest and most polluted cities in India, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, were linked to PM2.5 levels higher than World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe exposure, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Delhi was found to have the largest fraction of daily and yearly deaths attributable to PM2.5 air pollution, caused by particles sized 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. Sources of such pollution include vehicular and industrial emissions. Researchers said that daily exposure to PM2.5 pollution in Indian cities is linked with a higher risk of death, and locally created pollution could be possibly causing these deaths. The international team included researchers from Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi. They found that an increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre in the average of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) polluti

Delhi Govt to grow the city's green cover with plantation drive on July 11

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that two crore saplings were planted in the city in the last four years, against a target of five years set by the government. The tree plantation drive will be expanded with planting of 64 lakh more saplings of various species in the next one year, Rai said during a press conference here. The minister said the Delhi government and its various agencies will kick-start the initiative, which commences with the onset of the monsoon, from Narela on July 11. He emphasised the importance of residents' cooperation in supporting the Delhi government's efforts to increase the city's green cover and said that as part of this campaign, seven lakh saplings will be distributed among citizens free of cost. The first phase of the tree plantation campaign will cover 30 assembly constituencies and will run until August 9, Rai said. During this period, awareness will be raised among the public and free saplings will be distributed, he added. Rai

Uncomfortable decisions required to clean up Delhi's air: Sunita Narain

Cleaning up Delhi's air requires "uncomfortable and inconvenient" decisions, and it cannot be achieved by being nice to everyone, particularly the affluent residents who significantly contribute to the problem, leading environmentalist Sunita Narain has said. In an interaction with PTI editors, Narain said although central and state governments have taken several steps to control air pollution in the national capital, including banning coal and introducing BSVI fuel, erratic weather patterns due to climate change and the inadequate speed of addressing the crisis continue to exacerbate the problem. Narain, the Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, said the episodic burning of crop residue by farmers in winter is not the primary concern. Instead, the persistent and major sources of pollution within the city, including transport and industries, are more worrisome, she said. "My only request for the new government is to take some uncomfortable, inconvenient decisio

Airbrushed existence

Bad air is an equaliser, uncontained by physical borders and social boundaries, but dialogues around air pollution don't extend to everybody. They have blind spots

100,000 commuters fined for pollution certificate violations in Delhi

A total of 101,164 instances of Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCC) violations were recorded in the first four months of 2024, the Delhi Traffic Police said on Sunday. This is 30 per cent higher than the violations recorded last year, which stood at 78,169 challans, during the same period -- between January 1 and April 30, official data of the Delhi Traffic Police revealed. "We have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the top ten traffic circles, including Model Town, Karol Bagh, Najafgarh, Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh and Tilak Nagar, among others, with the highest number of challans issued in 2024," a senior police officer of the Delhi Traffic Police said. The officer said the spike in the violation also highlights the persistent challenge of vehicular pollution in the city, which is notorious for its alarming levels of air pollution. "This detailed examination has pinpointed regions where such traffic violations occur most frequently. By identifying these areas, targeted ...

AQI: Delhi world's most polluted capital, Begusarai most polluted city

India has slipped in the world air quality index to be the third most polluted country, ranking just behind Bangladesh and Pakistan with average PM2.5 levels at 54.4 micrograms, up from 53.3 last year

Delhi records below average minimum temperature of 8.8 degrees, says IMD

It was a chilly morning in the national capital on Thursday as the minimum temperature settled five notches below the season's average at 8.8 degrees Celsius, the Met office said. The city is likely to experience a partly cloudy sky during the day and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 25 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The relative humidity at 8.30 am was 75 per cent, the IMD bulletin said. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 179. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

Delhi logs best air quality for Feb in 9 years, AQI below 200 on most days

The data also showed that the national capital did not see a single day with an AQI above 400 in February. An AQI of above 400 marks the 'severe' category

MCD develops 1.75 acre green cover in Wazirpur area to curb pollution

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has developed a 1.75 acre green cover in northwest Delhi's Wazirpur locality, a heavily industrialised region and among the top pollution hotspots in the capital, to mitigate the impact of the local sources of air pollution in the area. The civic body planted a total of 16,000 saplings of indigenous varieties on a vacant land that had turned into a garbage dumping point to develop a mini forest in the region using the Miyawaki technique, an official aware of the development told PTI. "The Horticulture department of the MCD in collaboration with an NGO converted the vacant land used for garbage dumping to create a mini forest in the area that will help in improving the air quality levels in the region. We have utilised 1 acre of land for plantation and the rest of the land is used to develop pedestal crossing, install swings, and benches," he said. Wazirpur is among the 13 identified pollution hotspots in the national capital that contribute to the

Locals complain of 'gas leak', eye irritation in parts of north, east Delhi

Panic gripped some parts of north and east Delhi when locals and commuters complained of eye irritation and suffocation on Saturday evening, officials said. Calls were made to the fire department about a "gas leak", but officials could not confirm finding any suspicious gas. Delhi Police said anti-riots mock drill exercise was conducted at Yamuna Khadar, which falls between some parts of east and north Delhi. An officer said it appeared that the smoke due to tear gas shell might have been behind the incident, but added that it was not yet verified. Sources said that Delhi Police has been preparing for a potential farmers agitation intended to be held on February 13. According to officials of Delhi Fire Service (DFS), a call of gas leak was received at 6.30 pm from near Geeta Colony flyover. Two fire tenders reached the spot and tried to locate the suspicious gas they could not find it. Farmer groups have announced a 'Delhi Chalo' march on February 13 to press the Centre for acce

After rainfall, dry spell expected in northwest India; Delhi temp to drop

From Tuesday onwards, schools in the national capital will resume normal timings as weather conditions improve

Delhi weather update: Dense fog disrupts travel; visibility woes continue

Flight and train services hit, zero visibility at IGI Airport; weather department predicts improvement after February 5

Delhi fog dilemma: Anticipating clear skies, when will capital get relief?

Delhi fog: According to IMD, the fog has intensified in the capital due to the western disturbances

Delhi temperature dips to 9 degrees Celsius, trains delayed over 10 hrs

Centre holds off on imposing stricter curbs on pollution as Delhi continues to grapple with 'very' poor to 'severe' air quality