Category: Air Pollution
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It’s not just Delhi that has been making headlines for poor air quality, but two more major Indian cities, Kolkata and Mumbai, have joined the alarming trend. The air quality index (AQI) in Kolkata on Wednesday surged to 192 while Mumbai’s air quality fell under the poor category with an AQI of 112. On November […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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Every year, as winter approaches, Delhi is enveloped in a thick shroud of smog, leading to hazardous levels of air quality that pose serious health risks to its residents. In the Capital city, air pollution shortens the lives of its residents by around 11.9 years, according to data released by Air Quality Life Index (AQIL). […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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In a world grappling with the relentless challenges of climate change, a new study shines a spotlight on a perilous and often overlooked consequence: landscape fires and their insidious link to air pollution.  The research, recently published in the prestigious journal Nature, reveals a disheartening reality—air pollution stemming from these fires disproportionately affects the world’s […]
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By LMB Staff
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Ahead of the winter season, Delhi has declared war against air pollution and has taken various measures into consideration to make the national capital free from toxic air. Delhi Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, chaired a meeting with various stakeholders to identify problem areas and solutions to tackle them. During the meeting, 15 points were highlighted […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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For the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, we talk with the founders of two cleantech startups from India — Swachh and Chakr Innovation — working towards tackling the problem of air pollution. Where the former works towards the ambient air, the latter works targets the emissions from diesel generators, both are committed […]
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By Danish Alam
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Air pollution is a pressing global issue that affects the health, environment, and overall quality of life. It requires collective efforts and collaborative actions to mitigate its impact and pave the way for a healthier and sustainable future. The roundtable discussion around the theme for 2023, ‘Together for Clean Air’, seeks to bring together industry, […]
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By LMB Staff
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A study revealed on Tuesday that air pollution poses a greater health risk to the average individual on planet Earth compared to smoking or alcohol. This threat is escalating, particularly in Asia, which remains the global epicentre of this issue. The average Indian resident is set to lose five years of life expectancy if the […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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Stubble burning has been a problem in the Northern-belt of India for years now. According to the Central Government data, Punjab has 80% of stubble burning cases in North India. But the rise in air pollution due to stubble burning and its impact on health has compelled people to look for alternative solutions when it […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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In this episode of Vayu Sakhi, our destination was the interior of Punjab. We visited a small village, Jaitu in Bathinda, where we spoke to the women about a multitude of problems around the farming sector. While stubble burning remains a huge contributing factor when it comes to air pollution, pesticide and fertiliser also affect […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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According to National Green Tribunal, Municipal Corporation of Delhi has spent Rs 275 crore on flattening the three landfills in Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla. Yet over 45% of the city’s daily municipal solid waste is still getting dumped at the three landfills. In this episode of Vayu Sakhi, we spoke to women living in the […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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According to UNEP, 3.8 million people die each year from household air pollution. Air pollution has a profound impact on women, affecting their health, livelihoods, and overall well-being. Women, particularly those living in near industrial zones or in villages, are often exposed to high levels of pollutants due to their daily activities and roles within […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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The country’s National Clean Air Programme has started bearing fruits. Mitigations around air pollution have seen a positive response, with a new study showing a significant decline in air pollution level in various parts of the country. One of the key highlights of the study is that the air pollution levels were uniform in both […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed a low-cost Internet of Things (IoT)-based mobile air pollution monitoring framework that can be mounted on buses, cars and two-wheelers to gather spatio-temporal air quality data. Named as ‘Project Kaatru’ (air in Tamil), it leverages IoT, big data and data science to provide pan-India […]
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By LMB Staff
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A recent report by UN agencies reveals that although high-income countries contribute the most to climate change, the ones bearing the brunt of its impacts are those who have contributed the least. The report, titled ’Born Too Soon: Decade of Action on Preterm Birth’, released by World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Partnership for Maternal […]
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By LMB Staff
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A dust storm accompanied by strong winds hit Delhi, on Tuesday, causing reduced visibility and impacting air quality. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that the dust storm will continue for the next two days. The sudden gusts of wind lifted localised dust particles, exacerbating air pollution in the capital city. The IMD’s daily update […]
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By LMB Staff
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The Delhi government has launched a campaign to tackle dust pollution, a major contributor to air pollution during the summer season, according to Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai. Controlling dust pollution is an important step towards reducing air pollution and improving public health. The government has taken several measures to combat the issue, including deploying […]
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By LMB Staff
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The Indian government is considering a complete ban on diesel-powered four-wheelers to combat air pollution in the country. According to the Energy Transition Advisory Committee’s recent report, diesel-powered four-wheelers should be phased out by 2027 in all cities with a million-plus population. Last year, as many as 39 Indian cities featured on IQAir’s annual list […]
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By LMB Staff
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A patch of green in any city is a welcome sight. Not just for the eyes, but even for the lungs. Adding to that if the tree is endemic to the country then it aids in reducing air pollution at a faster rate. The next time you think of planting a tree it could not […]
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By Smitha Verma
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After a seven-member expert committee submitted its recommendation to BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), suggesting measures to tackle air pollution in the city, the civic body has formulated its ward-wise action plan. In a circular issued by additional municipal commissioner Dr Sanjeev Kumar last month, the BMC had notified the need for ward-level task forces to […]
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By Smitha Verma
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Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a house? What are the building materials used in construction? And how does it affect our environment? In this episode of Soil Sense, we dig deeper to find out how bricks are made, how eco-friendly they are and what major threats they pose.  From the bylanes […]
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By LMB Staff
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India’s air quality may have improved a bit but a large number of cities continue to be in the top list of polluted cities across the world.  On Tuesday, IQAir, a Swiss company, released its ‘World Air Quality Report’ which ranked India as the eighth most polluted country in 2022, indicating a drop from its […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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Pollution has gripped Thailand and crippled the lives of people. Chiang Mai, a popular tourist city in the north, was declared the world’s second most polluted city according to reports. As per Thailand’s public health official, the PM2.5 level has been over 51 micrograms per cubic metre of air for more than three consecutive days […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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Apart from smartphones, London’s teenagers now have another nemesis that can abnormally increase their blood pressure. King’s College London recently conducted a new study published in PLOS One journal, which observes that air pollution in London can cause an increase in the systolic blood pressure of adolescents. The study suggests that a nominal increase of […]
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By Danish Alam
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It’s that time of the year again when poor air quality, respiratory diseases, and a rise in hospitalisation increases in most parts of Northern India. While an air quality tracker report by NCAP put India’s capital Delhi as the most polluted city of 2022, poor air is not just restricted to one country. Two days […]
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By Smitha Verma
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India’s national capital remains at the top when it comes to polluted cities in 2022, as per a report released by the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Based on an analysis of air quality monitoring data, Delhi ranked the most polluted Indian city in 2022, with an annual average PM 2.5 concentration of 99.71 ug/m3. […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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In a bid to make India energy-independent and decarbonise major sectors, the country has approved an incentive plan of $2.11 billion to promote green hydrogen. It is the country’s big announcement this year in a bid to cut emissions and become a major exporter in the field.  The Union Cabinet on January 4 approved the […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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Climate Change looks like small words but the impact it has on the planet is unmissable. In 2022, we saw the worst of wildfires and flash floods, landslides and heatwaves. We heard people asking “What can I do about climate change?” Let Me Breathe told you what we can do together. The need to act […]
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By Smitha Verma
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On December 19, the biggest biodiversity conference COP15 came to a historic conclusion.  In a landmark decision aimed at safeguarding biodiversity, nations have agreed to protect a third of the planet for nature by 2030. The most significant part of the agreement is a commitment to protect 30% of land and water considered important for […]
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By LMB Staff
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Ambient air pollution is a public health crisis for South Asia, not only imposing high economic costs but also causing an estimated two million premature deaths each year, according to the World Bank report. The report released last week cites how nine out of ten most polluted cities are from South Asia.  Countries like India, […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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Meet 16-year-old Maya Anandan, who has come up with an innovative idea of providing hyperlocal air pollution data to the people impacted by its effects. Delhi will remain one of the top three polluted cities in the world and population exposures to PM 2.5 are likely to increase by over 40 percent by 2050. “With […]
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By LMB Staff