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Cse In News

Delhi's free-pass for mid-size electric trucks finds no takers

Delhi’s bid to shift medium-sized goods vehicles from fossil fuels to electric by exempting electric trucks from the city’s ‘no-entry’ restrictions has found no takers so far. Nearly three months into the new electric vehicle (EV) policy, not a single mid-sized, or N2, e-truck has been registered in the capital, government portal Vahan’s data showed, raising questions over whether an entry exemption alone is enough to push a switch to the way pricier electric option.

Delhi saw only one ‘Good’ air day this monsoon despite heavy rain: CSE report

Delhi recorded just a single day of ‘Good’ air quality during the entire 92-day monsoon season despite heavy rainfall, according to a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report, released on Wednesday (September 30, 2026), noted that the Capital’s ‘Good’ Air Quality Index (AQI) day occurred on July 9, when the combined mean rainfall across the Safdarjung and Palam meteorological stations hit 67.75 mm. The report defied the summer season, as April 1 to May 31 (61 days) and the monsoon as June 1 to August 31 (92 days). “Out of 92 analysed days, ‘Poor’ days plummeted to just three (3.3 per cent). ‘Satisfactory’ days rose to 35 (38.0 per cent), while ‘Moderate’ days held the single largest share at 53 (57.6 per cent),” the CSE statement noted. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI scale marks 0–50 as ‘Good’, 51–100 as ‘Satisfactory’, 101–200 as ‘Moderate’, and 201–300 as ‘Poor’. According to the report, even during the monsoon — when natural atmospheric “washout” and wet deposition effects peak — Delhi’s ambient air quality struggled to sustain clean levels. Despite heavy precipitation, baseline pollution remained elevated, and particulate matter rebounded rapidly within 48 hours of rainfall, it added. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at CSE, said, “While monsoon rains bring temporary relief, they only mask the underlying crisis. The fact that even heavy rainfall failed to bring consistent ‘Good’ air quality, and that pollution rebounded within 48 hours during dry spells, shows that our baseline emissions remain dangerously high. As we enter winter, we are starting from a baseline where continuous, elevated emissions will inevitably trigger severe seasonal spikes.” Ms. Roychowdhury added that Delhi cannot rely on nature’s washout in the monsoon or emergency winter bans to manage its air. “What we need is ambitious, year-round, airshed-wide action to permanently cut emissions at their source across all sectors in the NCR,” she said. Every winter, air pollution spikes drastically across Delhi-NCR and the larger Indo-Gangetic Plains. This seasonal crisis is triggered by meteorological shifts like lower wind speeds and dropping temperatures, and is severely worsened by vehicular emissions, road dust, stubble burning in October and November, and festive firecrackers.

AI, Data, Fact-Checking Skills Critical for Credible Environmental Reporting

The growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI), data and digital verification tools has made technological competence increasingly critical to credible research, communication and evidence-based decision-making in environment, science and development. MachineLearning & Artificial Intelligence Against this backdrop, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a leading think tank in the Global South on development, environment and climate change, has announced a Global Online Certificate Course designed to equip professionals with practical skills in AI, data analysis and fact-checking. The programme is targeted at researchers, academics, communicators, policymakers, development practitioners, government officials, civil society organisations, NGOs and corporate professionals seeking to strengthen their research and communication capacities. According to CSE, the rapid evolution of AI and digital tools is transforming how professionals research issues, process information, analyse data and communicate complex subjects to diverse audiences. The organisation said the technologies could be particularly valuable in addressing environmental and developmental challenges, including climate change and biodiversity loss, where large volumes of data increasingly have to be processed and translated into accessible information. It, however, stressed that the growing availability of AI tools also makes responsible use, verification and fact-checking essential to maintaining professional and institutional credibility. The certificate course, therefore, seeks to enable participants to use AI responsibly while improving their ability to conduct research, analyse evidence, detect misinformation and produce effective communication materials. The programme will teach participants how to use AI to streamline research workflows, including data collection, analysis, writing and reporting, while introducing practical approaches to AI-assisted fact-checking and verification. MachineLearning & Artificial Intelligence Participants will also learn how to apply AI to data visualisation, multimedia content, presentations and public outreach, as well as develop strategies for integrating the technology responsibly into their projects and institutions. CSE said the programme would be particularly relevant to professionals working in environmental studies, data science, science communication, sustainability, climate action, corporate communication and environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities. The course is structured as a self-paced online programme comprising video lectures, presentations, tutorials, quizzes and assignments. Participants will also have an opportunity to undertake a project of their choice. The flexible structure, according to the organisers, is designed to enable participants to complete the programme alongside regular employment or academic commitments. The six-module programme begins with an introduction to AI, covering its concepts, applications to global challenges and implications. MachineLearning & Artificial Intelligence The second module focuses on the foundations of science, environment and development communication, including communication barriers and frameworks through which AI tools can be effectively integrated. The third module examines AI for research, including generating and refining research questions, conducting literature reviews with AI tools and developing effective prompts. The fourth module focuses on AI and data analysis, with emphasis on analysing and visualising environmental and development data. Fact-checking and verification form the focus of the fifth module, covering misinformation detection, source validation, image verification and the responsible use of AI in evidence-based communication. The final module examines AI for effective communication and outreach, including audience-focused communication, multilingual content and prompt design. CSE said the course was open to researchers and academics, environment and science communicators, policy professionals, development practitioners, government and institutional officers, civil society and NGO personnel, and corporate professionals working in sustainability, ESG and communications. Participants are required to have access to a computer or laptop and a high-speed internet connection. The course is being directed by Kiran Pandey, Programme Director, Information Management, CSE, while Susan Chacko, Manager, Information Management, CSE, is the course coordinator.

Delhi Air Pollution Rises Again After Rain, Exposing a Year-Round Crisis

Delhi’s monsoon offered only brief relief from air pollution, with the city’s average PM2.5 concentration rising sharply after rainfall stopped. A Centre for Science and Environment assessment found that Delhi recorded just one day of “good” air quality across the 92 days from June to August, while PM2.5 levels rose 37.9% within 48 hours of rain events. The findings challenge the assumption that heavy rainfall can substantially resolve Delhi’s air pollution problem. The city received 576.9 mm of rain during the monsoon period, but the improvement in air quality was temporary. Rain removed some particulate pollution from the atmosphere, yet gaseous pollutants remained, allowing pollution levels to rebound soon after the weather cleared. That distinction matters because Delhi’s air quality problem is not limited to the winter months. The CSE assessment shows that the city experienced pollution across the monsoon, although at lower average levels than during summer. Delhi’s average PM2.5 concentration during the monsoon was 40.2 micrograms per cubic metre, 33.2% lower than the summer average of 60.2 micrograms per cubic metre. Lower pollution, however, did not translate into consistently clean air. Of the 92 monsoon days analysed, 53, or 57.6%, fell in the “moderate” air quality category. Another 35 days were classified as “satisfactory”, three as “poor” and only one as “good”. The single good-air day was recorded on 9 July, when 67.75 mm of rain fell. On 8 August, Delhi received the season’s highest rainfall of 101.05 mm, but air quality reached only the “satisfactory” category. The pattern indicates that rainfall can temporarily suppress particulate matter without removing the emissions that continuously enter the urban atmosphere. In its analysis of six separate rainfall events, CSE found that the average PM2.5 level stood at 40.6 micrograms per cubic metre before rain. It fell to 32.7 during rainfall, a reduction of 19.5%. The improvement began to reverse almost immediately. PM2.5 rose to 36.2 micrograms per cubic metre 24 hours after rainfall and reached 45.1 micrograms per cubic metre after 48 hours. The level two days after rain was therefore 37.9% higher than during the rainfall event and 11.1% higher than the pre-rain average. This rebound is the central evidence in the assessment. Rainfall changes atmospheric conditions for a short period, but it does not address the sources producing pollution on the ground. Once rainfall ends, emissions from transport, industry, waste burning, construction-related activity and other urban sources continue to enter the air. The data supplied by CSE does not assign a precise share of the post-rain increase to each source, but it demonstrates that weather-driven improvement is not equivalent to emissions reduction. The pollutant mix also complicates the idea that rain alone can deliver clean air. CSE found that ground-level ozone was the dominant pollutant on 20 monsoon days. Nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide were also significant. While rain can wash particulate pollutants out of the air, gaseous pollutants can persist, allowing air quality to deteriorate even during a season associated with frequent showers. This is an important governance distinction. A city can record a visible and measurable fall in PM2.5 during rain without having improved its underlying emissions profile. If pollution returns within one or two days, the immediate atmospheric benefit has not been matched by a change in the systems that generate emissions. The result is a cycle in which residents receive intermittent relief but remain exposed to pollution for much of the year. The findings also place Delhi’s winter pollution debate in a wider annual context. CSE’s executive director for research and advocacy, Anumita Roychowdhury, said rainfall provides temporary relief but does not eliminate the root sources of pollution. She called for year-round emission reduction across the National Capital Region rather than reliance on temporary measures during winter. That recommendation points to the institutional challenge created by Delhi’s air basin. Pollution does not stop at municipal or state boundaries, and the assessment specifically calls for an integrated “airshed” approach across the NCR. Such an approach would require authorities to treat the region’s air as a shared environmental system rather than as a problem belonging to Delhi alone. The policy measures cited by CSE cover several urban systems. These include an electricity-based transport system, cleaner industrial fuels, a ban on open waste burning, recycling of construction waste, uninterrupted electricity supply and integrated air-quality management across the NCR. Together, they show that air pollution is connected to mobility, industrial production, waste management, construction and power reliability. Each of these areas is administered through different institutions and enforcement arrangements. Transport policy involves public agencies, vehicle operators and commuters. Industrial fuel decisions involve factories, regulators and energy suppliers. Waste burning is linked to collection, disposal and enforcement by local authorities. Construction-waste recycling depends on the capacity to collect and process material. Reliable electricity can reduce dependence on polluting backup systems. An airshed strategy would have to coordinate these responsibilities across jurisdictions. The monsoon data also exposes the limits of using seasonal averages as the sole measure of progress. Delhi’s average PM2.5 level was substantially lower during the monsoon than in summer, but the city still had only one good-air day. The average therefore captures an overall reduction while obscuring the frequency with which residents experienced air that remained moderate or worse. The six rainfall events provide a more dynamic picture. They show how quickly air quality changes before, during and after rain. A decline from 40.6 to 32.7 micrograms per cubic metre may appear significant while the rain is falling, but the subsequent rise to 45.1 within 48 hours shows that the improvement was not durable. For urban policy, duration matters as much as the size of a temporary decline. The evidence also raises a question about how authorities define success. If clean-air conditions appear only during exceptional weather and disappear soon afterwards, weather is doing more of the work than policy. A durable improvement would require pollution levels to remain lower after atmospheric conditions return to normal. The assessment does not establish that such a shift has occurred in Delhi. For residents, the implications are practical. The end of a rainfall spell cannot be treated as the end of an air-pollution episode. People may experience visibly clearer conditions during rain, followed by a rapid return of fine particulate pollution and continued exposure to ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. The city’s daily experience of air quality is therefore shaped by both weather and the performance of urban systems. What the CSE assessment confirms is that Delhi’s monsoon pollution is not a contradiction but a structural signal. Rain can lower PM2.5 temporarily, yet the city’s emissions sources remain active. What remains unresolved is how quickly and effectively institutions across the NCR can reduce those emissions throughout the year. The next test is whether the measures identified by CSE are implemented as coordinated systems rather than activated only when winter pollution becomes an emergency.

Will India’s new Rs 1.86 lakh crore grid fix renewable bottlenecks?

According to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment, renewable energy has seen a 3.5x increase within six years to exceed 140 GW of installed capacity. But the report warned that the rapid surge had “fundamentally altered the demand–supply balance in the grid”. CSE highlighted deep intra-day variability and operational stress on conventional generation that now presented a significant challenge to the stability of the national power grid. Union Minister Shripad Naik also told Parliament in late July that the government held back 8,133 GWh of solar power in the April-June quarter owing to transmission constraints. News agency Reuters calculated at the end of July that India had been unable to run 7% of its solar capacity at full output due to infrastructure curbs.

Only 3.3% of 8,702 parliamentary questions in 10 years accounted for Climate Change in India

According to Puthige, the findings are significant in view of the growing human and economic impact of extreme weather events. She cited a joint report by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth, according to which 4,064 people died in extreme weather events in India during the first nine months of 2025. The events affected 9.47 million hectares of crops, destroyed nearly 100,000 houses and killed around 58,982 animals.

Monsoon turns most polluted in 7 years as average AQI hits 105

Delhi’s monsoon this year turned out to be its most polluted in seven years, with the average AQI between July and September climbing to 105, the highest for the period since 2019, according to an analysis of official data. The monsoon lasted for about 84 days between July and September, and during the period the city recorded one “good” AQI day, 49 “satisfactory” days, 39 “moderate” days and two “poor” days. The average AQI during July-September stood at 105 this year, just below the 2019 average of 106, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) analysis of official data. Among the two major particulate pollutants, PM10 was the more prominent pollutant this year. Its average concentration stood at 108 micrograms per cubic metre, the highest since 2019, when it was 109 micrograms per cubic metre. PM2.5 averaged 37 micrograms per cubic metre this year, the same as in 2024 and the highest since then, though it remained below the 39 recorded in 2023 and 40 in 2019. The average AQI during July-September was 91 in both 2024 and 2025, 103 in 2023, 95 in 2022, 99 in 2021 and 88 in 2020. The rise in PM10 was particularly notable compared with recent years. The average stood at 88 micrograms per cubic metre in 2025, 87 in 2024, 105 in 2023, 92 in 2022, 98 in 2021 and 85 in 2020. The PM2.5 average, meanwhile, was 32 micrograms per cubic metre in 2025, 37 in 2024, 39 in 2023, 36 in 2022, 37 in 2021 and 35 in 2020. The monsoon arrived over Delhi on July 2, five days after its normal onset date of June 27, marking the first July onset in five years. It withdrew on September 23, two days earlier than its normal withdrawal date of September 25. In 2019, the monsoon had arrived on July 5 and withdrawn on October 10, lasting 97 days, considerably longer than this year. In 2019, Delhi recorded two “good” days, 51 “satisfactory” days, 34 “moderate” days, four “poor” days and one “very poor” day during the July to September period. Despite the shorter monsoon, Delhi received 728.6 mm of rainfall during the season against the normal 629.7 mm, an excess of nearly 16 per cent. An IMD official had earlier told PTI that no major rainfall record was broken this year despite the rainfall being above normal, noting that Delhi had received more than 900 mm of rainfall in each of the previous two years. A separate study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which analysed this year’s monsoon from June to August, found that pollution relief during rainy spells was often short-lived, with PM2.5 levels rising sharply again once the rain stopped. CSE’s analysis tracked six isolated monsoon rainfall events, defined as rain days preceded by at least one dry day and followed by three consecutive dry days. Before rain, average baseline PM2.5 stood at 40.6 micrograms per cubic metre. During active rainfall, wet scavenging pushed this down to 32.7, a 19.5% drop. Within 24 hours of the rain stopping, PM2.5 rebounded to 36.2, a 10.7 per cent rise from the washout level. By 48 hours, levels climbed to 45.1, a 37.9 per cent surge, ending 11.1 per cent higher than the pre-rain baseline. “While monsoon rains bring temporary relief, they only mask the underlying crisis. The fact that even heavy rainfall failed to bring consistent ‘Good’ air quality, and that pollution rebounded within 48 hours during dry spells, shows that our baseline emissions remain dangerously high. As we enter winter, we are starting from a baseline where continuous, elevated emissions will inevitably trigger severe seasonal spikes,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, CSE. “Moderate” air quality remained the single largest category through the monsoon, covering 57.6 per cent of days, or 53 out of 92. A “Moderate” reading corresponds to PM2.5 levels of 61 to 90 micrograms per cubic metre, well above the national 24-hour safe limit of 60. Comparing seasons, Delhi’s average PM2.5 dropped from 60.2 in summer (April-May) to 40.2 during monsoon (June-August), a 33.2 per cent decline, while “Poor” days fell sharply from 17 in summer to just three during monsoon The study also found that the monsoon pollution story was not limited to particulate matter. As PM2.5 levels fell, gaseous pollutants emerged as prominent contributors to the daily AQI on several days. Ground-level ozone was the prominent pollutant on 20 per cent of monsoon days, nitrogen dioxide on 10 per cent of the days and carbon monoxide on seven per cent.

दिल्ली की हवा पर बारिश भी बेअसर! 92 दिनों में सिर्फ 1 दिन मिली 'अच्छी' हवा

दिल्ली में इस साल मॉनसून के दौरान खूब बारिश हुई, लेकिन इससे हवा लंबे समय तक साफ नहीं रह सकी. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट यानी सीएसई की नई स्टडी के मुताबिक, 1 जून से 31 अगस्त 2026 तक 92 दिनों में सिर्फ एक दिन दिल्ली की एयर क्वालिटी ‘गुड’ रही. इस दौरान सफदरजंग और पालम में दर्ज बारिश के आधार पर कुल 576.9 एमएम बारिश हुई. इसके बावजूद 53 दिन यानी 57.6 फीसदी दिनों में एयर क्वालिटी ‘मॉडरेट’ रही.

Delhi Pollution: 92 दिन में सिर्फ 1 दिन साफ हवा, बारिश के बाद भी नहीं थमा दिल्ली-NCR का प्रदूषण

Delhi Pollution: मानसून की बारिश दिल्ली-एनसीआर की प्रदूषित हवा को कुछ समय के लिए राहत जरूर देती है, लेकिन इसका असर ज्यादा देर तक कायम नहीं रहता। बारिश रुकने के बाद वायु प्रदूषण दोबारा बढ़ने लगता है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, जून से अगस्त 2026 के दौरान दिल्ली में 92 दिनों के मानसून में सिर्फ एक दिन हवा ‘अच्छी’ श्रेणी में रही। वहीं बारिश के दौरान पीएम2.5 का स्तर कम होने के बाद 48 घंटे के भीतर इसमें 37.9 फीसदी की बढ़ोतरी दर्ज की गई। मानसून की विदाई के साथ अब दिल्ली-एनसीआर में सर्दियों के दौरान प्रदूषण बढ़ने की आशंका भी सामने आने लगी है। विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि बारिश प्रदूषण के कणों को अस्थायी रूप से नीचे बैठा देती है, लेकिन वाहनों, उद्योगों, कचरा जलाने और बिजली उत्पादन जैसे स्रोतों से उत्सर्जन जारी रहने के कारण बारिश खत्म होने के बाद प्रदूषण फिर वातावरण में जमा होने लगता है। 92 दिनों में सिर्फ एक दिन हवा रही ‘अच्छी’ CSE की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, जून से अगस्त 2026 के बीच दिल्ली में कुल 576.9 मिलीमीटर बारिश हुई। इसके बावजूद मानसून के 92 दिनों में केवल 9 जुलाई को वायु गुणवत्ता ‘अच्छी’ श्रेणी में दर्ज की गई। उस दिन सफदरजंग और पालम मौसम केंद्रों पर बारिश का संयुक्त औसत 67.75 मिलीमीटर रहा। वहीं 8 अगस्त को मानसून की सबसे ज्यादा एक दिन की बारिश दर्ज हुई। उस दिन 101.05 मिलीमीटर बारिश हुई, लेकिन इसके बावजूद वायु गुणवत्ता सिर्फ ‘संतोषजनक’ श्रेणी में रही। इससे संकेत मिलता है कि ज्यादा बारिश होने के बावजूद दिल्ली की हवा लंबे समय तक साफ नहीं रह सकी। बारिश में घटा PM2.5, 48 घंटे बाद फिर बढ़ गया विशेषज्ञों ने बारिश की छह घटनाओं का विश्लेषण किया। इसके मुताबिक बारिश शुरू होने से पहले पीएम2.5 का औसत स्तर 40.6 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर था। बारिश के दौरान यह घटकर 32.7 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर रह गया। यानी बारिश के दौरान पीएम2.5 में करीब 19.5 फीसदी की कमी दर्ज हुई। हालांकि, यह राहत अस्थायी रही। बारिश खत्म होने के 24 घंटे बाद पीएम2.5 बढ़कर 36.2 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर हो गया। 48 घंटे बाद इसका स्तर 45.1 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर तक पहुंच गया। यानी बारिश के दौरान आई कमी के मुकाबले दो दिन बाद पीएम2.5 में 37.9 फीसदी की बढ़ोतरी हुई। यह स्तर बारिश शुरू होने से पहले के औसत से भी 11.1 फीसदी ज्यादा था। मानसून में 53 दिन हवा ‘मध्यम’ श्रेणी में मानसून के दौरान दिल्ली में पीएम2.5 का औसत स्तर 40.2 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर रहा। इसके मुकाबले अप्रैल-मई की गर्मियों में पीएम2.5 का औसत स्तर 60.2 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर था। यानी मानसून के दौरान औसत पीएम2.5 स्तर गर्मियों की तुलना में करीब 33.2 फीसदी कम रहा। इसके बावजूद दिल्ली की हवा लगातार साफ नहीं रही। 92 दिनों में 53 दिन यानी 57.6 फीसदी समय वायु गुणवत्ता ‘मध्यम’ श्रेणी में रही। वहीं 35 दिन हवा ‘संतोषजनक’, तीन दिन ‘खराब’ और सिर्फ एक दिन ‘अच्छी’ श्रेणी में दर्ज हुई। बारिश रुकते ही क्यों बढ़ता है प्रदूषण? CSE अर्बन लैब की डिप्टी प्रोग्राम मैनेजर शरणजीत कौर के मुताबिक, दिल्ली में बारिश के दौरान प्रदूषण कम होने और बारिश खत्म होने के बाद उसके दोबारा तेजी से बढ़ने का स्पष्ट पैटर्न दिखाई देता है। बारिश पीएम2.5 जैसे महीन कणों को वातावरण से नीचे बैठा देती है, लेकिन प्रदूषण के स्रोतों से उत्सर्जन बंद नहीं होता। वाहनों, उद्योगों, कचरा जलाने और बिजली उत्पादन से निकलने वाले प्रदूषक बारिश रुकने के बाद फिर वातावरण में जमा होने लगते हैं। बारिश के बाद जब पीएम2.5 का स्तर कम होता है, तब ओजोन, नाइट्रोजन डाइऑक्साइड और कार्बन मोनोऑक्साइड जैसे अन्य प्रदूषक भी एक्यूआई को प्रभावित करने लगते हैं। मानसून के दौरान 20 दिनों में ओजोन प्रमुख प्रदूषक रहा। वहीं नाइट्रोजन डाइऑक्साइड की प्रमुख प्रदूषक के रूप में मौजूदगी गर्मियों के तीन फीसदी दिनों से बढ़कर मानसून में 10 फीसदी दिनों तक पहुंच गई। कार्बन मोनोऑक्साइड भी मानसून के सात फीसदी दिनों में प्रमुख प्रदूषक रहा। 30 सितंबर को दिल्ली का AQI 129 पहुंचा मानसून की विदाई के बाद दिल्ली-एनसीआर में वायु प्रदूषण बढ़ने के संकेत 30 सितंबर के आंकड़ों में भी दिखाई दिए। दिल्ली का एक्यूआई 29 सितंबर को 71 था, जो 30 सितंबर को बढ़कर 129 पहुंच गया। यानी एक दिन में 58 अंकों की बढ़ोतरी हुई और हवा ‘संतोषजनक’ से ‘मध्यम’ श्रेणी में पहुंच गई। एनसीआर के दूसरे शहरों में भी स्थिति में बदलाव देखा गया। फरीदाबाद में एक्यूआई 97 से बढ़कर 101 हो गया। गाजियाबाद में 137, नोएडा में 138, ग्रेटर नोएडा में 123 और गुरुग्राम में 130 एक्यूआई दर्ज किया गया। इस तरह दिल्ली-एनसीआर के कई प्रमुख शहरों में हवा एक साथ ‘मध्यम’ श्रेणी में पहुंच गई। 2026 में जनवरी में AQI 440 तक पहुंचा 2026 में दिल्ली में सबसे साफ हवा 9 जुलाई को दर्ज की गई, जब एक्यूआई 48 रहा। इसके बाद 8 जुलाई को एक्यूआई 59 और 6 सितंबर को 55 दर्ज किया गया। 4 अगस्त और 22 जुलाई को यह 64 रहा। इसके विपरीत 18 जनवरी को दिल्ली में साल का सबसे खराब एक्यूआई दर्ज किया गया था। उस दिन एक्यूआई 440 तक पहुंच गया था, जो ‘गंभीर’ श्रेणी में आता है। इससे पता चलता है कि मौसम और स्थानीय परिस्थितियों के साथ दिल्ली की वायु गुणवत्ता में काफी उतार-चढ़ाव हो सकता है। NCR में PM2.5 और PM10 दोनों का दबाव दिल्ली-एनसीआर के अलग-अलग शहरों में प्रदूषण के स्रोत और प्रमुख प्रदूषक भी अलग-अलग रहे। 30 सितंबर के आंकड़ों में बड़ौत, गुरुग्राम, नोएडा और गाजियाबाद समेत कई एनसीआर क्षेत्रों में पीएम2.5 का प्रभाव दिखाई दिया। वहीं दिल्ली, फरीदाबाद, नोएडा, गाजियाबाद, ग्रेटर नोएडा और आसपास के कई इलाकों में पीएम10 भी प्रमुख प्रदूषकों में शामिल रहा। इसका मतलब है कि एनसीआर में वाहनों से निकलने वाले धुएं के साथ सड़क, निर्माण गतिविधियों और धूल से होने वाला प्रदूषण भी वायु गुणवत्ता को प्रभावित कर रहा है। मानसून की विदाई के बाद सर्दियों की चुनौती भारत मौसम विज्ञान विभाग के मुताबिक दक्षिण-पश्चिम मानसून 23 सितंबर को दिल्ली से लौट गया, जबकि इसकी सामान्य वापसी की तारीख 25 सितंबर है। मानसून की विदाई के साथ बारिश से मिलने वाली प्राकृतिक सफाई का दौर भी खत्म हो गया है। अब पोस्ट-मानसून के बाद सर्दियों की परिस्थितियां बनने लगेंगी। इस दौरान हवा की ऊपरी परत की ऊंचाई कम होने, तापमान में उलटफेर और हवा के ठहराव जैसी परिस्थितियों में प्रदूषक जमीन के करीब फंस सकते हैं। ऐसे में दिल्ली-एनसीआर में पहले से मौजूद प्रदूषण स्रोतों के साथ मौसम की परिस्थितियां भी वायु गुणवत्ता को प्रभावित कर सकती हैं। CSE की कार्यकारी निदेशक अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी के मुताबिक, बारिश से मिलने वाली राहत अस्थायी है। उनका कहना है कि यदि भारी बारिश भी दिल्ली को लगातार ‘अच्छी’ हवा नहीं दे पा रही और बारिश खत्म होने के 48 घंटे के भीतर पीएम2.5 फिर बढ़ रहा है, तो यह शहर के ऊंचे आधारभूत प्रदूषण स्तर की ओर संकेत करता है। सिर्फ सर्दियों में प्रतिबंध लगाने से नहीं चलेगा काम दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण की समस्या से निपटने के लिए केवल सर्दियों में आपातकालीन प्रतिबंध लगाने के बजाय पूरे साल प्रदूषण के प्रमुख स्रोतों को नियंत्रित करने की जरूरत है। इनमें वाहन, उद्योग, निर्माण गतिविधियां, खुले में कचरा जलाना और डीजल जनरेटर प्रमुख हैं। इसके लिए सार्वजनिक परिवहन को मजबूत करने, इलेक्ट्रिक वाहनों को बढ़ावा देने, माल ढुलाई में शून्य-उत्सर्जन विकल्प बढ़ाने, उद्योगों में स्वच्छ ईंधन और विद्युतीकरण को बढ़ावा देने, खुले में कचरा जलाने पर प्रभावी रोक लगाने, निर्माण कचरे के बेहतर प्रबंधन और डीजल जनरेटर पर निर्भरता कम करने जैसे उपायों पर जोर दिया जा सकता है। हालांकि, अध्ययन में यह भी स्पष्ट किया गया है कि बारिश और पीएम2.5 के संबंध का आकलन किया गया है, लेकिन बारिश के प्रभाव को हवा की गति, हवा की दिशा, मिक्सिंग हाइट, आर्द्रता और स्थानीय उत्सर्जन में बदलाव जैसे अन्य मौसम संबंधी कारकों से पूरी तरह अलग करके नहीं देखा गया है। AQI की छह श्रेणियां 0-50: अच्छी 51-100: संतोषजनक 101-200: मध्यम 201-300: खराब 301-400: बहुत खराब 401-500: गंभीर

बारिश के बावजूद दिल्ली की हवा रही खराब, 7 साल में सबसे प्रदूषित रहा मॉनसून...PM10 ने बढ़ाई चिंता

CSE के विश्लेषण में जून से अगस्त के बीच 92 दिनों को देखा गया। इनमें केवल एक दिन AQI अच्छा रहा। 35 दिन हवा संतोषजनक, 53 दिन मध्यम और तीन दिन खराब श्रेणी में रहे।8 अगस्त को दिल्ली में सफदरजंग और पालम में औसतन 101.05 मिलीमीटर बारिश दर्ज की गई थी। इसके बावजूद उस दिन दिल्ली का AQI अच्छा नहीं बल्कि संतोषजनक श्रेणी में रहा।

दिल्ली में बारिश थमते ही बढ़ा प्रदूषण, 92 दिनों में सिर्फ एक दिन मिली 'स्वच्छ हवा'; 48 घंटे में 38 बढ़ा पॉल्यूशन

मानसून की भारी वर्षा के बावजूद, जून से अगस्त तक दिल्ली में केवल एक दिन वायु गुणवत्ता 'अच्छी' रही। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट सीएसई के आकलन के अनुसार, वर्षा थमने के 48 घंटे बाद पीएम 2.5 का स्तर 37. मानसून की भारी वर्षा के बावजूद, जून से अगस्त तक दिल्ली में केवल एक दिन वायु गुणवत्ता 'अच्छी' रही। सेंटरमानसून में दिल्ली की हवा 92 में से एक दिन 'अच्छी' रही।सीएसई ने प्रदूषण के मूल स्रोतों पर नियंत्रण की वकालत की। मानसून की 576.

एक्यूआई: बारिश थमी तो फिर बिगड़ी दिल्ली-एनसीआर की हवा, 48 घंटे में पीएम2.5 37.9 फीसदी बढ़ा

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (सीएसई) की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार जून से अगस्त 2026 के दौरान दिल्ली में कुल 576.9 मिलीमीटर बारिश हुई, लेकिन 92 दिनों में केवल 9 जुलाई को हवा अच्छी श्रेणी में रही। उस दिन सफदरजंग और पालम मौसम केंद्रों पर बारिश का संयुक्त औसत 67.75 मिलीमीटर था। वहीं 8 अगस्त को मानसून की सबसे ज्यादा एक दिन की बारिश 101.05 मिलीमीटर दर्ज हुई, लेकिन इसके बावजूद उस दिन हवा केवल संतोषजनक रही।

दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण ने फिर पकड़ी रफ्तार, पीएम2.5 37.9 फीसदी बढ़ा

मानसून की बारिश दिल्ली-एनसीआर को प्रदूषण से कुछ समय की राहत देती है, लेकिन बारिश थमते ही हवा फिर खराब होने लगती है। इस साल मानसून के 92 दिनों में दिल्ली को केवल एक दिन अच्छी वायु गुणवत्ता मिली। बारिश के बाद 48 घंटे के भीतर पीएम2.5 के स्तर में 37.9 फीसदी की बढ़ोतरी दर्ज की गई। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक जून से अगस्त 2026 के बीच दिल्ली में 576.9 मिलीमीटर बारिश हुई। इसके बावजूद सिर्फ 9 जुलाई को हवा अच्छी श्रेणी में रही। बारिश की छह घटनाओं के विश्लेषण में पाया गया कि बारिश के दौरान पीएम2.5 का स्तर 40.6 से घटकर 32.7 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर हो गया, लेकिन 48 घंटे बाद यह बढ़कर 45.1 माइक्रोग्राम तक पहुंच गया।

Warnings from a Warming Himalayas

As I write this, over 1,300 lives are confirmed lost and many thousands are still missing in the floods in Nepal, as the mighty Himalayas came down as rubble. This is an enormous and painful human tragedy, but it is also about wilful actions and inactions of humans. It is about our mindset, the belief that we can re-engineer everything; that we are in control of the universe and all things in it. This is on us. Let me break this down. What happened in Nepal on August 26? The images are of the mountain coming down as the flash flood and massive quantity of debris buried everything in its path. We know now that this flash flood was not caused by an extreme cloudburst. It was triggered by the collapse of a high-altitude glacier near the Langtang Lirung peak. An estimated 142 million cubic metres of ice and rocks were dislodged, creating a 5.2 magnitude seismic event. This led to the formation of natural dams, behind which water and moraine accumulated. When the dams broke, they unleashed devastating floods downstream.

Monsoon cleans up air, but emissions beatit, shows CSE study

New Delhi: Monsoon rain may offer Delhi temporary relief from air pollution, but it can’t stop emissions driving the city’s poor air quality, states a study by Centre for Science and Environment. Monsoon: Delhi’s baseline air quality (2026), a study by CSE’s Anumita Roychowdhury and Sharanjeet Kaur, examined air quality during April-Aug 2026 to understand how much monsoon actually improves Delhi’s pollution levels. It argues that rainfall provides a natural “washout”, but pollution quickly returns once the rain stops.