Environment

New Delhi, Nov 9 (PTI) The national capital's air quality remained severe for the fifth consecutive day on Monday, with calm wind speed exacerbating the effect of stubble burning.

V K Soni, the head of the India Meteorological Department's environment research centre, said a major improvement in Delhi-NCR's air quality was highly unlikely in the coming days.

New Delhi, Nov 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court Friday asked the Centre to ensure there is no smog in Delhi-NCR as it was informed that the commission for air quality management will start functioning from today.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian posted the pleas related to air pollution for hearing after the Diwali vacation.

The Centre on Thursday appointed former Chief Secretary of Delhi M M Kutty chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management (AQM) in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas.

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) A layer of haze lingered over the national capital and its suburbs on Thursday morning, with raging farm fires and a fall in the wind speed and temperatures pushing air quality to the worst levels in around a year.

As the skies hung heavy and acrid over the region, people complained of itchy throat and watery eyes.

Kanpur: The city's air quality is not healthy as the weather gazers say. The air quality index rests at 366 on Sunday evening here. The hourly temperature at 4 pm has been recorded at 33 degrees Celsius here.

The air quality being unhealthy brings trouble to the residents. Even elders are not feeling safe from the feverish state, headache and body pain. The children up to 12 years of age suffer from cough and other symptoms.

New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) The national capital's air quality was recorded in the very poor category on Friday morning, while a government forecasting agency said some improvement is likely due to favourable wind speed.

On Thursday, the city's air quality index (AQI) touched severe levels for a brief period before slipping back into the very poor category.

According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitoring agency, SAFAR, the share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution was 36 percent on Thursday -- the maximum so far this season.

New Delhi, Oct 29 (PTI) The national capital's overall air quality inched closer to the 'severe' category on Thursday morning as pollution levels rose sharply after a marginal reduction, primarily due to calm winds and spike in farm fires.

The city recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 392 at 10 am. The 24-hour average AQI was 297 on Wednesday, 312 on Tuesday, 353 on Monday, 349 on Sunday, 345 on Saturday and 366 on Friday.

Ghaziabad, Oct 27 (PTI) A total of 121 polluting factories have been razed in Ghaziabad's Loni town since October 15, with a dozen units being demolished on Tuesday, District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said.

To contain air pollution, the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) has been implemented in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) from October 15.

Pandey told PTI that the district administration is taking all steps to curb air pollution, with polluting units being demolished and hefty fines being imposed on violators.

New Delhi, Oct 27 (PTI) With Delhi continuing to grapple with increasing levels of pollution, the Centre has decided to soon bring in a new legislation to curb air pollution in the city and NCR, a top official from the Ministry of Environment said.

The new law will be only for Delhi and NCR. It will come out soon. I cannot comment on what penalties it will entail. It is a new law to curb pollution in Delhi NCR region only. Air Act is for the nation and it will be as it is, Environment Secretary, R P Gupta, told PTI.

New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) The national capital's air quality was recorded in the 'very poor' category on Monday morning and the share of stubble burning in the city's PM2.5 pollution is likely to increase, according to a central government agency.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said the wind direction and the wind speed is favourable for the transport of the pollutants from farm fires in Haryana, Punjab, and other neighbouring regions to Delhi.

Washington, Oct 23 (PTI) US President Donald Trump on Thursday accused China, India and Russia of not taking care of their filthy air as he justified America's withdrawal from the landmark Paris climate agreement.

"Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia. Look at India. The air is filthy," Trump said during the final presidential debate with his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in Nashville, Tennessee.