Mired in a public health crisis due to depleted air quality, Delhi is taking action on air pollution. “Immediate measures will be taken against the complaints received on Central Pollution Control Board portal [CPCB] or Sameer app [which provides updates on Air Quality Index (AQI) readings],” commented a senior official. Complaints registered with the CPCB […]
environment
Surge in lung disease cases in Patna
Whilst much attention has been paid to air quality in Delhi, the issue is far from isolated to the Capital, affecting swathes of the country and blighting the health of millions. In Bihar state capital Patna, pollution is taking a significant toll on public health with the city witnessing a rise in lung disease cases. […]
Crop burning: Will it continue?
The practice of crop burning is among the drivers of the pollution crisis which has enveloped the National Capital Region (NCR) in India. However, even as the Supreme Court has taken a stringent line against it, will it continue? The practice of burning crop residue leads to between seven and eight million metric tonnes of […]
Delhi pollution: Supreme Court fumes as the city chokes
Delhi pollution has reached “unbearable” levels in the words of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, amidst plummeting air quality and the worst smog the National Capital Region has witnessed in almost three years. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi pollution – based on a 24-hour average – stood at 494 on the Air Quality […]
Supreme Court to hear on pollution Monday
As pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) reaches emergency proportions, the Supreme Court will hear a report on the issue prepared by the Environment (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). The Supreme Court constituted the EPCA to monitor air quality and effect improvements in the NCR. As the Air Quality Index (AQI) score for Delhi […]
Air quality plummets to emergency levels in Delhi
Air quality in the national capital has plummeted to emergency levels, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal once again likening the city to a ‘gas chamber’. In declaring the emergency, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) ordered that schools be shuttered in the National Capital Region (NCR), imposed a moratorium on construction activities, and […]
Dengue fever: More than 67,000 cases
India has reported more than 67,000 cases of dengue fever as of October 13th, according to data released by the Directorate of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). Of the 67,377 total cases reported, Karnataka bore the highest burden out of the country with 12,756 cases. It also accounted for eight of India’s […]
A marathon in a gas chamber
Pollution may have reached emergency proportions in Delhi, but it has not dissuaded a record number of people signing up to compete in its half marathon tomorrow. The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon this year has witnessed 40,633 people sign up, despite the numerous health risks of running in such conditions. Exposure to pollutants such as […]
Delhi a ‘gas chamber’ once more. Crop burning to blame?
Pollution has once again turned the national capital into a ‘gas chamber’ according to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal – and he says that crop burning in neighbouring states is to blame. Every year, paddy field farmers burn between seven and eight million tonnes of crop waste, principally in Haryana and Punjab. Crop burning has been […]
Share SAFAR tech to help fight against pollution: Delhi to Centre
The Delhi government has appealed to the Centre to share System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) technology in the fight against pollution, as the national capital grapples with a deterioration in its air quality. Ahead of Diwali, air quality in numerous parts of Delhi has been ranked as “very poor” with […]