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 »

Parliament on Thursday approved a bill that seeks to set up a commission for air quality management in the National Capital Region and its adjoining areas.   The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021, was passed in the Rajya Sabha with a voice of vote amid din …

Parliament approves Air Quality Bill to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR Read More »

Scientists are growing more confident that air pollution—especially from particulate matter less than 2.5 microns wide, known as PM 2.5—significantly raises the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, according to a series of separate studies published in July. The link between neurological disease and air pollution has been suspected for some time, and now data …

New research on air pollution and Alzheimer’s is a warning for Asia Read More »

India has made remarkable progress on several economic fronts since independence in 1947. While the data suggests that there has been a significant rise in literacy, per capita income and life expectancy, India still hosts the highest number of malnourished children in the world. Recent research has established that water and sanitation issues are the …

In Addressing Sanitation Woes, India Needs Separate Approaches for Rural, Urban Areas Read More »

MUMBAI: Mumbai’s suburbs such as Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Mulund, Kurla, Andheri, Vile Parle and Kandivli are more prone to Covid-19 due to prolonged and excessive exposure to air pollutants, states a new study. The first-of-its-kind ward-level study by the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS) points to a significant association between pollution and Covid-19 in …

Mumbai: ‘Suburbs more vulnerable to Covid as air pollutants linger’ Read More »

Cleaning products… candles… cookers… How much does indoor air pollution really affect us, and what can we do about it? Respiratory specialist Dr Jonathan Grigg explains all.   We know that cooking releases particulates into the air, and that levels can remain elevated long after cooking is finished. Open a window when you cook and …

A scientist’s guide to life: How to protect yourself from indoor air pollution Read More »

Tiny, deadly particles in Mumbai’s air from vehicular movement have nearly doubled over the past five years, making it the biggest contributor to the city’s already . A 2019-20 source estimation analysis for PM2.5 pollutants recently done by System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), under Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune, …

Vehicle pollution doubled in 5 years in Mumbai, shows study Read More »