MUMBAI: The state cabinet was on Wednesday presented with the global warming report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with an overall focus on Maharashtra and an emphasis on its coastal belt, particularly Mumbai.   Calling for mitigating measures, the environment department, while making the presentation, reiterated that if temperatures rise by 2-2.5 degrees …

To stop Mumbai from sinking, govt to set up CM-led panel on climate change Read More »

MUMBAI: Since 1998, the average annual particulate pollution in India has increased 15 per cent, cutting 5.9 years off the life of the average resident over those years.   Now, nearly 40 per cent of India’s population is exposed to pollution levels not seen in any other country, with 510 million residents of northern India …

People in Maharashtra can lose 2.5-2.9 years of life expectancy due to air quality: Report Read More »

As people say artificial intelligence will be taking over the world. Taking it positively, we can say that AI is taking over the harmful aspects of the world. Today’s AI and IoT have the potential to provide solutions to many real-life problems. One of the problems requiring urgent attention, where AI can demonstrably make an …

HOW CAN AI AND IOT MAKE INDIAN CITIES BREATHABLE BY ADDRESSING AIR POLLUTION? Read More »

NEW DELHI: While the health and economic impact of air pollution has been well documented over the last decade, a new research has thrown light on its possible repercussions on monsoon too. An increase in anthropogenic aerosols could lead to a reduction in the mean monsoon rainfall by as much as 10% to 15% in …

Bad air may cause monsoon to weaken, finds new study Read More »

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Get regular exercise. Don’t smoke. Control high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol. These are age-old words of wisdom for a healthful life. But when was the last time your doctors told you to avoid exposure to pollution? Accumulating evidence about the impact of pollution on our health suggests that …

Air pollution: How to reduce harm to your health Read More »

In 2019, I submitted a Private Member’s Bill (PMB), drafted in consultation with civil society and experts, proposing amendments in the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021 passed in the Monsoon Session resonates with multiple proposals put …

How to plug gaps in the law to prevent and control air pollution Read More »

India, and especially its capital, Delhi, have been annual witnesses to apocalyptic-looking winters in the past half-decade. Delhi’s residents have especially gasped for air as smoke from paddy straw fires, Diwali firecrackers, industrial and vehicular emissions have besieged their city every year.   Now, the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s …

Concentration of air pollutants significantly increasing over India: IPCC Read More »

Denver bolted Saturday afternoon to the top of a foul list, No. 1 in air pollution among major cities of the world.   The city took first place with an air quality index ranking of 162, edging out Johannesburg, South Africa, which had a 160 ranking, according to IQAir, world air quality rankings.   Salt …

Denver ranks No. 1 in list of international cities for air pollution Saturday Read More »

You may have seen the before-and-after-lockdown photos of major cities that appear to show dramatic changes in air quality. In one, the India Gate war memorial in New Delhi is barely visible amid the smog. Then, during lockdown, it’s clearly visible in its red Bharatpur stone grandness. Getting vehicles off the road may do wonders for smog, …

Air pollution exposure is shifting from outdoor to indoor – here’s why Read More »

The Bill seeks to create an overarching body to consolidate all pollution-monitoring bodies, and bring them on one platform so that air-quality management can be carried out in a more comprehensive, efficient, and time-bound manner.   The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021, was recently introduced …

Explained: What the commission for air quality management in NCR aims to achieve and why are some opposing it? Read More »