In 2022, India was ranked as the eighth most polluted country with an average PM2.5 concentration of 53.3 micrograms per cubic metre.
Report by Greenpeace also presented a grim picture of India's pollution level.
In a gross violation of a Supreme Court order, people in several cities burst firecrackers until at least midnight, two hours after the 10 pm deadline. Loud bangs rent the air in New Delhi.
The dramatic reversal in the situation caught people and weather scientists unaware.
13 out of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in India. Most shockingly, the latest Central Pollution Control Board statistics reveal that the pollution levels in Gwalior, Raipur and even little known Kashipur are higher than that of Delhi which means we have some of the most polluted zones in the world.
The Supreme Court on Monday asked all the states to explain within six weeks as to why they should not be made liable to pay compensation to persons affected by bad air quality saying it is their bounden duty to provide basic civic amenities, clean air and drinking water to citizens.
'Our politicians solely depend on bureaucrats who are unaccountable and follow their own agenda.' 'Our politicians would dare not dream of establishing a DOGE,' argues Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
The air quality in Delhi continues to deteriorate and it slipped into the 'severe plus ' category on Friday.
As weather patterns grow more unpredictable due to climate crisis, India is taking a giant leap with "Mission Mausam" to improve weather understanding and forecasting through expanded observation networks, better modeling and advanced tools like AI and machine learning.
'It's almost like the tissue of the lung has a cancer spreading to it, which is causing scarring and rapidly progresses.'
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday said the odd-even car rationing scheme will not be implemented from November 13 to November 20 as there has been a significant improvement in the national capital's air quality due to rain.
In view of air pollution in the national capital, the December winter break of all schools has been rescheduled and it will be now from November 9 to November 18, a circular of the Delhi Directorate of Education stated on Wednesday.
'Trump will absolutely back New Delhi on its position that Pakistan must do more to crack down on terrorists that threaten India.'
BCCI banned the display of fireworks during the World Cup games in Delhi and Mumbai due to worsening air quality.
A day before the U-17 FIFA world cup kicks off in Delhi, environment NGO Greenpeace said today the level of coarse air pollutants PM10 "far exceeded" the safe levels in the host cities of the tournament last October.
'Whether it was air quality or what, it was definitely an experience I've not had before.'
After a long and harsh spell of heatwave, Delhi witnessed a pleasant morning on Thursday, with the weather department saying parts of the national capital received light rains.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed the match will go on as planned in the national capital.
Squandering the relief due to rain, Delhi recorded a jump in pollution levels and a smoky haze returned on Monday after people flouted the ban on firecrackers on Diwali night.
With Delhi recording air pollution levels seven to eight times above safe standards on Monday, the city government announced the return of its flagship odd-even scheme after four years anticipating further deterioration of air quality post-Diwali.
India captain Rohit Sharma expressed deep concerns about the vitiated air quality in Indian cities.
The official data maintained by the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research put the condition at severely polluted. The Particulate Matter 2.5 level was recorded at 146 while the PM 10 was at 233 in New Delhi.
The air quality is expected to improve further due to wind speed favourable for the dispersion of pollutants.
Squandering the relief due to rain, Delhi recorded a jump in pollution levels and a smoky haze returned on Monday morning after residents flouted the ban on firecrackers on Diwali night.
The Taj Mahal in Agra was engulfed in a layer of haze on Monday morning amid the rise in air pollution levels, with tourists unable to believe their eyes.
'If we don't control the additional pollutants that come from various human activities then, the pollution level will not come down.'
The city's average air quality index (AQI) stood at 220 at 12 noon, improving from 263 at 4 pm on Monday.
The ICC says it is monitoring the air quality in smog-shrouded New Delhi ahead of the World Cup match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Monday.
Six weather stations across Delhi recorded over 100 mm of rain in a single day, the India meteorological department (IMD) said on Thursday, categorising it as an "extremely intense spell".
Over eight million deaths in 2021 were attributed to air pollution, affecting both children and adults alike.
The sustainable impact of this process is under scrutiny, Tripathi added.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that inducing artificial rain can only be attempted when there are clouds or moisture available.
A thick layer of fog was seen in several parts of the city, weather officials said.
Don't ignore symptoms like coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath, warns Dr Sandeep Tilve.
Byrnihat in Meghalaya topped the list of most polluted cities in India in 2023, closely followed by Begusarai in Bihar and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, according to a report released on Wednesday.
'We want to provide data, we want to provide consultation, but we don't want to lecture.' 'The consciousness about this issue in India is starting to get quite high and if we can help contribute to solving this air quality issue in a spirit of partnership with the Indians, it would be a big achievement.'
Delhi BJP vice president Kapil Mishra hailed people for defying the cracker ban.
Communication skills, negotiation skills, social skills, etiquette, behavioural skills, etc, should be part of your learning. Develop confidence because that's the key to success, advises rediffGURU Archana Deshpande.
Pollution levels in the national capital entered the "severe" zone for the first time this season on Thursday, with scientists warning of a further spike over the next two weeks.
With Christmas and the New Year approaching, doctors at some hospitals in the city also referred to the detection of the first case of the new JN.1 variant of the coronavirus in the country and asked people to exercise extra caution.
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