Telangana has witnessed one extreme weather event almost every five days on an average during the first nine months of 2025, as reported by a study from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
Kochi: In the first nine months of this year, Kerala witnessed extreme weather on 147 days, across winter, summer, and the southwest monsoon seasons. As many as 114 people lost their lives and more than 5,352 houses were fully or partially damaged, according to a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi. The assessment examined weather patterns across India from Jan 1 to Sept 30, 2025. The report, "Climate India 2025: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events", states that the country experienced extreme weather on 270 out of 273 days—meaning almost 99% of the year's first nine months saw at least one extreme event somewhere in India. The year also broke several climate records. Jan 2025 was India's fifth driest Jan since 1901 and Feb became the warmest in 124 years. In March, the country's mean maximum temperature was 1.02°C above normal, even after IMD revised its temperature baseline from the 1981–2010 average to the warmer 1991–2020 period. This shift means today's "normal" temperatures are already elevated. Sept 2025 continued the trend, recording the seventh-highest mean temperature for the month, with the fifth-highest minimum temperature on record. The south peninsular region recorded extreme weather on 205 of the 273 days, resulting in 745 deaths and damage to 67,321 hectares of crops. Kerala alone recorded extreme weather on 147 days—including heavy rainfall, flooding, thunderstorms, and lightning—based on IMD's orange and red alert indicators. The CSE report sourced its data from two key govt bodies: IMD and the disaster management division under the Union ministry of home affairs. It also relied on media reports, especially during the pre-monsoon period when official documentation is limited.
India recorded an extreme weather event nearly every day between January 2025 and September 2025, an annual study released by the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth magazine has said. The study, titled “Climate India 2025: An Assessment of Extreme Weather Events”, stated that the country recorded extreme weather events on 270 of the 273 days from January 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025. “This means that for almost 99% of the first nine months of this year, India had an extreme weather event breaking in one or more parts of the country,” it said. These included heat and cold waves, lightning and storms, heavy rain, floods and landslides, it added. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines extreme weather events as occurrences that are “rare at a particular place and time of year”. India does not have an official definition of the term. However, the India Meteorological Department, in its annual “Statement of Climate of India” reports, classifies lightning and thunderstorms, heavy to very heavy, and extremely heavy rainfall, landslides and floods, coldwaves, heatwaves, cyclones, snowfall, dust and sandstorms, squalls, hailstorms and gales as extreme weather events. The study stated that India experienced extreme weather events every day for seven of the nine months: February, April, May, June, July, August and September. “Thirty states/UTs recorded extreme weather events for eight consecutive months – February to September 2025,” it added. These events claimed 4,064 lives, affected 9.47 million hectares of crops, destroyed 99,533 houses, and killed approximately 58,982 animals, it said, adding that the reported damage was likely an underestimate due to incomplete data collection on event-specific losses. The study also stated that Himachal Pradesh experienced extreme weather on almost 80% of the 273 days in the first nine months of 2025, which was the most in the country. “However, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest fatalities at 532, followed by Andhra Pradesh (484 deaths) and Jharkhand (478 deaths),” it added. Regionally, the northwest experienced the highest frequency of extreme weather events in 2025, with 257 event days, followed by the east and northeast at 229 days, the study said. The year 2025 also broke several climate records, with January being India’s fifth driest since 1901 and February being the warmest in 124 years. “These record-breaking statistics are a stark reminder of climate change’s intensifying grip,” the study said. “Events that once occurred once in a century are now happening every few years.” The frequency is overwhelming India’s most vulnerable populations, who lack the resources to recover from the unending cycle of loss and damage, it added. The study stated that the findings underscored the urgent need for systems that record the full extent of these losses, both economic and human, to give a clearer picture of climate change’s true impact. “The findings also signal a crucial shift needed in India’s approach: from disaster response to risk reduction and resilience-building,” it said. “Flood management, for instance, requires more than contingency plans – it demands robust drainage and water-recharge infrastructure, along with the restoration of green spaces and forests that can act as natural water buffers in future storms.” The study added: “Climate models are unequivocal: extreme weather events will only become more frequent and severe. This is no longer a projection – it is today’s reality.” The assessment used data from several government sources and media reports to assess the frequency of such extreme events.
ഒന്നുകിൽ തീവ്രമഴ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മണ്ണിടിച്ചിൽ, ഇതൊന്നും അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കഠിനമായ വേനൽ. മിതമായ കാലാവസ്ഥ ഇന്ത്യക...
India was hammered by extreme weather on 99 per cent of the days between January and September 2025, the highest ever recorded, a new assessment by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth shows. The unrelenting mix of heatwaves, lightning strikes, storms, floods, landslides and cloudbursts killed 4,064 people, damaged 9.47 million hectares of crops, destroyed 99,533 homes, and left nearly 59,000 animals dead — a toll unmatched in recent years. The year 2025 also smashed multiple 124-year climate records. January was the fifth driest since 1901; February was the warmest ever. September recorded the seventh-highest mean temperature, with minimum temperatures ranking fifth-highest since records began. At least 18 states and UTs saw their highest number of extreme weather days in four years. The seasonal pattern was equally alarming. Winter — despite being dry — saw 51 incidents of heavy rain, floods and landslides, along with the earliest heatwave days since 2022. The pre-monsoon season flipped its long-term trend: heavy rain and floods replaced hailstorms as the dominant extreme event. Heatwaves gripped 19 states, including Himalayan regions such as Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The monsoon was the most punishing, with extreme weather recorded on all 122 days for the fourth consecutive year, covering 35 states and UTs. State-level impact was severe. Himachal Pradesh faced extreme events on 80% of the 273 days studied — the highest in India — while Madhya Pradesh recorded the most deaths (532), followed by Andhra Pradesh (484) and Jharkhand (478). Maharashtra emerged as the biggest agricultural casualty, with 8.4 million hectares of crop damage — more than 30 times Punjab’s loss. Regionally, the northwest was hit hardest with 257 extreme weather days and 1,342 deaths, followed by central India, which endured 200 days, 1,093 deaths, and 8.42 million hectares of crop loss. The east and northeast recorded 229 days of extreme conditions. Between January and September, floods, heavy rain and landslides were the deadliest, killing 2,440 people, followed by lightning and storms, which claimed 1,456 lives. Cloudbursts led to 135 deaths, while heatwaves and even snowfall added to the toll.
गुमला संवाददाता सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) और मलिंडा सस्टेनेबल एनवायरनमेंट प्रालि. द्वारा गुरूवार को जिला मुख्यालय में सौर मिनी-ग्रिड को अधिक प्रभावी,टिकाऊ और जनोपयोगी बनाने को लेकर जिला स्तरीय कार्यशाला आयोजित की गई। कार्यक्रम में जिले अधिकारियों, सामाजिक संगठनों, समुदाय प्रतिनिधियों,तकनीकी विशेषज्ञों और उर्जा क्षेत्र से जुड़े कर्मियों ने भाग लिया। कार्यशाला का उद्देश्य ग्रामीण विद्युतीकरण में उपयोग हो रहे सौर मिनी-ग्रिड की चुनौतियों और संभावनाओं पर मंथन करना था। कार्यशाला में बताया गया कि झारखंड में वर्तमान में 548 गांव सोलर मिनी और माइक्रो ग्रिड से जुड़े हुए हैं। जिनसे 29 हजार से अधिक घरों को बिजली मिल रही है। राज्य सरकार की नई सौर नीति में इस दायरे को और बढ़ाने का लक्ष्य तय किया गया है। इसी पृष्ठभूमि में कार्यशाला में जमीनी स्तर पर आने वाली दिक्कतों,खासकर संचालन,रख-रखाव और सामुदायिक सहभागिता की स्थिति पर जोर दिया गया। सीएसई के कार्यक्रम प्रबंधक बिनीत दास ने कहा कि सामुदायिक भागीदारी सौर मिनी-ग्रिड की सफलता की रीढ़ है। जहां ग्रामीण स्वंय निवेश करते हैं या सामूहिक रूप से संचालन संभालते हैं,वहां अनधिकृत कनेक्शन कम होते हैं और सिस्टम की जवाबदेही बढ़ती है। उन्होंने झारखंड के महिला नेतृत्व वाले उर्जा मंडल मॉडल को देश में सबसे प्रभावी उदाहरण बताया। कार्यशाला में यह भी सामने आया कि किसान उत्पादक संगठन (एफपीओ) सौर मिनी-ग्रिड के बड़े और लाभकारी उपयोगकर्ता बन सकते हैं। बिजली मिलने पर किसान गांव में ही मिलिंग,सुखाने, भंडारण और उत्पादों की ब्रांडिंग कर सकते हैं। इससे न केवल किसानों की आमदनी बढ़ेगी,बल्कि ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में छोटे उद्यमों को बढ़ावा मिलेगा। मलिंडा सस्टेनेबल एनवायरनमेंट प्राइवेट लिमिटेड के वित्त एवं संचालन प्रबंधक प्रणव भारती साह ने कहा कि मिनी-ग्रिड के संचालन के लिए सिर्फ पूंजी निवेश पर्याप्त नहीं है। उपकरणों की उपलब्धता, बाजार से जुड़ाव और नियमित राजस्व व्यवस्था अनिवार्य है। वहीं मलिंडा चैरिटेबल ट्रस्ट की महाप्रबंधक शैली केरकेट्टा ने स्थानीय युवाओं को तकनीकी प्रशिक्षण देने पर जोर दिया। उन्होंने कहा कि अगर इंस्टालेशन,मरम्मत और रख-रखाव का काम स्थानीय युवा संभालें, तो सिस्टम अधिक समय तक चल सकेगा और ग्रामीणों को रोजगार भी मिलेगा।
स्विस एयर क्वालिटी मॉनिटरिंग कंपनी ने बुधवार सुबह 7 बजे दिल्ली में AQI 506 रिकॉर्ड किया, जबकि भारत के सेंट्रल पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड (CPCB) ने 399 से कम की रीडिंग बताई। दोनों आंकड़ों के बीच इतने बड़े अंतर ने सभी को हैरान कर दिया। इस अंतर से एक बड़ा सवाल उठता है: इंडिपेंडेंट मॉनिटर और ऑफिशियल AQI रीडिंग में इतना बड़ा अंतर क्यों है? दूसरा सवाल यह है कि जनता को किसके डेटा पर भरोसा करना चाहिए? इसलिए 500 से ऊपर के AQI को खतरनाक नहीं माना जाता है NDTV की एक रिपोर्ट में, नेशनल इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ एडवांस्ड स्टडीज (NIAS) के चेयर प्रोफेसर डॉ. गुफरान बेग ने कहा, "400 से ऊपर का AQI खतरनाक माना जाता है। ऐसा माना जाता है कि 500 और 900 के AQI का हेल्थ पर एक जैसा असर होता है, तो ज़्यादा नंबर बताकर पैनिक क्यों पैदा किया जाए?" लेकिन, एनवायरोकैटालिस्ट्स के फाउंडर और लीड एनालिस्ट सुनील दहिया ने कहा कि ज़्यादा वैल्यू कैलकुलेट करने की काबिलियत के बावजूद, AQI को 500 पर कैप करने का कोई साइंटिफिक कारण नहीं है। इसलिए, अगर एक्सपर्ट्स की मानें, तो दोनों रीडिंग सही हैं, लेकिन अलग-अलग वजहों से। आइए AQI की पूरी कहानी समझते हैं। अब समझते हैं कि AQI क्या है अब समझते हैं कि AQI क्या है। AQI एक ऐसा टूल है जो लोगों को आसान शब्दों में एयर पॉल्यूशन का मौजूदा लेवल बताता है। यह उन पार्टिकल्स पर आधारित है जो पॉल्यूशन फैलाते हैं। इनमें आठ पॉल्यूटेंट शामिल हैं: PM 10, PM 2.5, ओजोन, सल्फर डाइऑक्साइड, नाइट्रोजन डाइऑक्साइड, वगैरह। इसलिए, किसी एरिया के लिए AQI कैलकुलेट करते समय, इन आठ पैरामीटर्स को बेसिस के तौर पर इस्तेमाल किया जाएगा। पॉल्यूशन लेवल को कलर कोड के आधार पर मापा जाता है सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के कंसल्टेंट मोहन जॉर्ज ने बताया कि AQI मापने के अलग-अलग क्राइटेरिया हैं। AQI के अलग-अलग कलर कोड होते हैं, जो किसी इलाके की एयर क्वालिटी बताते हैं, चाहे वह अच्छी हो या बहुत खराब। उदाहरण के लिए, 401 और 500 के बीच या 'गंभीर' कैटेगरी में AQI, स्वस्थ लोगों के लिए भी खतरनाक है। CPCB और WHO के प्रदूषण स्टैंडर्ड में काफी अंतर है दिल्ली में लगे एयर क्वालिटी मॉनिटरिंग स्टेशन प्रदूषण फैलाने वाले कणों और गैसों की मात्रा को प्राथमिकता देते हैं। जॉर्ज ने बताया कि सही हालात में, वे AQI मापने के लिए पिछले 24 घंटों के डेटा का इस्तेमाल करते हैं। CPCB का डेटा 24 घंटे के औसत के लिए PM2.5 के 60 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति क्यूबिक मीटर को सुरक्षित मानता है। हालांकि, वर्ल्ड हेल्थ ऑर्गनाइज़ेशन (WHO) ने 15 माइक्रोग्राम की बहुत सख्त लिमिट तय की है।
स्विस एयर क्वालिटी मॉनिटरिंग कंपनी ने बुधवार सुबह 7 बजे दिल्ली में AQI 506 दर्ज किया, जबकि इसी समय भारत के सेंट्रल पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड (CPCB) ने 399 से कम का आंकड़ा दिखाया। दोनों के आंकड़ों में इतने अंतर ने सबको चौंका दिया। इस अंतर ने सबसे बड़ा सवाल पैदा किया- आखिर इंडिपेंडेंट मॉनिटर और ऑफिशियल AQI रीडर में इतना बड़ा अंतर क्यों आ रहा है? दूसरा सवाल यह कि जनता किसके आंकड़ों पर विश्वास करे? इसलिए 500 से ज्यादा नहीं दिखाई देता AQI एनडीटीवी की रिपोर्ट में नेशनल इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ एडवांस्ड स्टडीज (NIAS) के चेयर प्रोफेसर डॉ. गुफरान बेग ने बताया, "400 से ज़्यादा AQI खतरनाक होता है। यह माना जाता है कि AQI 500 और AQI 900 पर सेहत पर असर एक जैसा होता है, तो ज़्यादा नंबर दिखाकर लोगों में पैनिक क्यों पैदा किया जाए।" हालांकि, एनवायरोकैटेलिस्ट्स के फाउंडर और लीड एनालिस्ट सुनील दहिया ने कहा कि ज़्यादा वैल्यू कैलकुलेट करने की क्षमता के बावजूद AQI को 500 पर कैप करने का कोई साइंटिफिक कारण नहीं है। इस तरह अगर विशेषज्ञों की मानें तो दोनों रीडिंग ठीक हैं, लेकिन अलग-अलग वजहों से। अब आगे समझिए AQI की पूरी कहानी। अब समझिए AQI क्या होता है? अब समझिए कि आखिर ये AQI क्या चीज है? AQI एक ऐसा टूल है, जो जनता को आसान भाषा में समझाता है कि अभी हवा में पलूशन का स्तर क्या है। इसके लिए प्रदूषण फैलान वाले कणों को आधार बनाया गया है। इसमें आट पॉल्यूटेंट शामिल हैं। PM 10, PM2.5, ओजोन, सल्फर डाईऑक्साइड, नाइट्रोजन डाइऑक्साइड आदि। इस तरह अगर किसी इलाके का AQI निकाला जाएगा, तो इन्हीं तरह के 8 पैरामीटर को आधार बनाया जाएगा। कलर कोड के आधार पर बताता पलूशन का स्तर सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट के कंसल्टेंट मोहन जॉर्ज ने बताया कि इस AQI को मापने के लिए अलग-अलग आधार हैं। AQI में अलग-अलग रेंज के कलर कोड हैं, जो बताते हैं कि इलाके की हवा का स्तर कैसा है, यानी ठीक ठाक है या फिर बहुत खराब। उदाहरण के लिए, 401 और 500 के बीच या 'गंभीर' कैटेगरी में AQI सेहतमंद लोगों के लिए भी खतरनाक होती है। CPCB और WHO के पलूशन मानक में है बड़ा अंतर दिल्ली में लगाए गए एयर क्वालिटी मॉनिटरिंग स्टेशन, प्रदूषण फैलाने वाले कणों और गैसों की मात्रा को तरजीह देते हैं। जॉर्ज ने बताया- आदर्श परिस्थिति में देखें, तो बीते 24 घंटे के डाटा को AQI नापने में इस्तेमाल करते हैं। CPCB के आंकड़ों को देखें, तो 24 घंटे के औसत के लिए PM2.5 के 60 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति क्यूबिक मीटर को सुरक्षित मानता है। हालांकि, वर्ल्ड हेल्थ ऑर्गनाइज़ेशन (WHO) ने 15 माइक्रोग्राम की बहुत सख्त सीमा तय की है।
मध्य प्रदेश में चरम मौसमी घटनाओं पर सीएसई की रिपोर्ट सीएसई (सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट) डाउन टू अर्थ की रिपोर्ट में खुलासा हुआ कि जनवरी से सितंबर 2025 तक, मध्य प्रदेश में चरम मौसमी घटनाओं (जैसे बाढ़, ओलावृष्टि, बिजली गिरना) के कारण देश में सबसे ज्यादा 532 मौतें हुईं। राज्य ने 273 दिनों में से 144 दिन अत्यधिक मौसम का सामना किया। भारी बारिश, बाढ़ और भूस्खलन के कारण 348 मौतें हुईं, जबकि बिजली गिरने से 183 मौतें हुईं। इसके अलावा, 12,000 हेक्टेयर फसल और 489 घरों का नुकसान हुआ। यह रिपोर्ट दर्शाती है कि मध्य प्रदेश का मौसमी परिदृश्य अप्रत्याशित बन रहा है और यह राज्य पिछले कुछ सालों से एक्सट्रीम वेदर इवेंट्स के मामले में टॉप पर रहा है।
India is facing one of its most alarming climate years on record, with the latest national assessment revealing that extreme weather gripped 99% of days in India during the first nine months of 2025. The “Climate India 2025” research, published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth magazine, demonstrates that the country is experiencing unprecedented weather instability due to rapidly worsening climate change, driven by the steepest global CO2 rise since 1957. India saw extreme weather on 270 out of 273 days between January and September alone. Heatwaves, floods, storms, and landslides occurred virtually continuously throughout the country. Unprecedented Frequency Across States and Seasons Extreme weather gripped 99% of days in India, according to the evaluation, demonstrating how profoundly climate disruption has affected day-to-day living. Key findings include: Extreme weather in 7 of 9 months: Every day in February, April, May, June, July, August, and September saw extreme incidents. All 36 states and UTs impacted: This is the first occasion in four years that intense events occurred nationwide at the same time. Severe anomalies: Severe abnormalities included heat waves, cold waves, lightning, snowfall, dust storms, squalls, torrential rainfall, floods, and landslides. The most extended period of impact: 8 months in a row of harsh weather were experienced across 30 states and UTs. The analysis, which shows a broad and consistent pattern rather than individual spikes, is based on official databases and nearly real-time event tracking. Such catastrophes are considered “rare occurrences” in a normal climate cycle, according to the IPCC, but they have grown frighteningly familiar in India. Also Read: EU Rejected Claims CBAM Is Unilateral, Urges Discipline On Baku Finance Deal Regional Hotspots and State-Level Impact Region-wise trends reveal deep vulnerabilities, further proving that extreme weather gripped 99% of days in India during the assessment period. Key regional patterns include: Northwest India is the worst affected: Out of 273 extreme weather days, 257 occurred in this region, which includes Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Himachal Pradesh is most impacted: Most affected, with 217 days of extreme weather, which is indicative of the increasing fragility of Himalayan ecosystems. Kerala and Madhya Pradesh were also heavily affected: Severely impacted, with storm occurrences and heavy rainfall patterns for 147 and 144 days, respectively. Unusual geographies hit: Several first-time or uncommon events occurred in areas typically not vulnerable to harsh conditions, demonstrating the expanding geographic distribution.
The COP30 Presidency released the first iteration of the draft text, based on the four outstanding issues that have hogged the spotlight at Belem. Titled ‘Global Mutirão’ — which translates to collective effort in Portuguese — it is a response to Presidency consultations on the issues of trade, finance, transparency and the temperature limiting cause of 1.5°C, as agreed at the Paris Agreement. This inclusiveness raises more questions than answers. Firstly, the text highlights a major dispute over the $100 billion goal, which hasn’t been met entirely. Secondly, for achieving the goal of climate finance of $1.3 trillion annually, multiple conflicting options have been offered. These include a legally-binding action plan to a focus on the new $1.3$ trillion per year by 2035 goal as well as a proposal for a ‘Belem Global De-Risking and Project Preparation and Development Facility’. On the issue of adaptation, which has been a big ask from developing nations at the conference, the urgency is stressed, along with insufficient capitalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund. The draft offers three ways to scale up adaptation finance, including an explicit goal to triple adaptation finance from 2025 levels by 2030 or 2035. “The latest draft of the Mutirao text captures important elements of what developing countries are demanding especially on climate finance, adaptation, and unilateral trade measures. It is up to the Parties to ensure that the most ambitious elements are moved forward in the political process. Developed countries must engage in good faith,” said Avantika Goswami, programme manager, Climate Change at the think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Off center According to Harjeet Singh, founding director of the Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, this might weaken the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), according to which rich nations have to distribute public finance to other countries for their climate resilient needs. This follows the same course as the Baku to Belem roadmap. “The text is an implementation disaster. While it gestures toward the $1.3 trillion finance goal and the need for international cooperation, its focus remains disproportionately fixed on private finance, capital markets, and concessional loans from MDBs, which are poison for countries already struggling with debt. It utterly fails to instruct developed countries to meet their legal, public finance obligations,” said Singh. “On adaptation, the proposed option of tripling finance by 2030 or 2035 is immediately compromised by mentioning both grants and highly concessional finance. Concessional loans are a debt trap, and this document fails to close the huge gap in adaptation and Loss and Damage funding with the grant-based support communities desperately need.” The divergent options related to climate finance in the text also don’t offer much hope for developing countries. “On the sticky issue of finance, there are widely different proposals in the text. The position supported by India relates to a legally binding action plan for mandatory delivery of finance while other proposals support creation of work programs to deal with the quantity and quality of the climate finance goal, an annual high-level ministerial round table on NCQG implementation, as well as Belem Facility for Implementation’ to de-risk projects in the developing world,” said Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi of CEEW.
Doctors say infant respiratory admissions have increased noticeably in recent weeks, placing the city’s youngest residents at the centre of the pollution crisis. Infants at greater risk “Infants breathe almost twice as fast as adults,” explained Dr Vishal Gupta, Senior Consultant in Neonatology at Fortis La Femme, Greater Kailash-II, and Fortis Shalimar Bagh. “This means they inhale more air, and therefore more pollutants, relative to their body weight. These fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, triggering respiratory infections, wheezing, and asthma very early in life.” He added that prolonged exposure to toxic air can lead to long-term harm. “Prolonged exposure to this toxic air can stunt lung development, impair brain growth, and even increase the risk of long-term heart and metabolic diseases,” he said.\ Dr Medha, Paediatrician at Madhukar Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Delhi, said rising air pollution has become a serious health threat, particularly for infants whose lungs and immune systems are still developing. “Infants breathe faster and take in more air relative to their body weight than adults, which means greater exposure to pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone,” she said. “These fine particles penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, causing inflammation and long-term respiratory issues.” She added that frequent exposure to polluted air has been linked to recurrent cough, wheezing, breathlessness, and bronchiolitis in infants. “Continuous exposure weakens immunity, making infants more prone to cold, pneumonia, and other respiratory infections,” Dr Medha noted, warning that toxic metals in the air and dust can also hinder neurological growth and cognitive development. Hospitals report rise in respiratory cases Paediatric and neonatal units in major hospitals across Delhi have reported an increase in infants with breathing difficulties since October. Dr Amit Jindal, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and In-charge of the Pollution Clinic at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, said the surge is significant. “We are seeing a 25–30% increase in respiratory infections among infants and toddlers. Most of them present with symptoms like persistent cough, congestion, and difficulty in breathing.” He explained that particulate matter, especially PM2.5, poses a grave risk. “Infants have smaller airways, so even minor inflammation can obstruct airflow. The pollutants cause irritation in the respiratory tract, making it harder for babies to breathe and feed properly,” he said. At Lok Nayak Hospital, similar trends are being observed. Dr Ritu Saxena, Deputy Medical Superintendent and Chief Medical Officer, said, “We are treating a growing number of infants with acute bronchitis and viral respiratory infections. Many of these cases are directly related to poor air quality. The air they breathe is literally poisoning their developing systems.” Supporting these observations, Dr Medha said paediatricians across major hospitals have reported a 25–30% rise in respiratory illnesses among children under five during peak pollution months, with infants representing a significant share. “Available hospital data show that one in three children visiting emergency departments during winter months present with breathing difficulties or infections linked to poor air quality,” she said. Invisible and long-term damage Beyond immediate respiratory symptoms, doctors warn of more subtle and permanent damage. “Exposure during infancy can have lifelong consequences,” said Dr Megha Consul, Senior Consultant and Unit Head of Neonatology at Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon. “Studies link early exposure to air pollution with reduced cognitive performance, slower motor development, and even an increased risk of attention disorders later in life.” She added that research indicates higher risks of low birth weight and compromised immunity among newborns exposed to severe pollution. “Some evidence also suggests a potential link with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS),” she added. Dr Medha also pointed to findings from The Lancet Planetary Health, which reported that air pollution contributes to nearly 17% of premature infant deaths in India, with Delhi among the worst-affected regions. “The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) estimates that toxic air exposure in Delhi has led to a 30–40% increase in hospital admissions among infants and toddlers in recent years,” she said. Parents face limited options For many parents, the smog season brings anxiety and helplessness. Indoor environments also pose risks due to dust, cooking fumes, and limited ventilation. Dr Gupta advised limiting exposure. “During days of severe pollution, keep windows closed and use HEPA air purifiers wherever possible. Avoid stepping out with infants, especially in the early mornings and late evenings. If going out is unavoidable, keep the baby in a covered stroller.” He also emphasised hydration, nutrition, vaccinations, and regular paediatric check-ups. Dr Medha noted that given infants spend most of their time indoors, indoor pollution caused by cooking fumes, dust, and poor ventilation compounds the problem. “Therefore, controlling both indoor and outdoor pollution is crucial to safeguard infant health in Delhi’s increasingly toxic air environment,” she said.
The smog crisis in Delhi has triggered protest marches in the capital. Air pollution caused 15% of all deaths in Delhi in 2023. More alarmingly, it shortens the life span of residents by almost 8 years on average. Experts say India’s solutions fail due to poor enforcement and reliance on temporary fixes. But if China could reduce pollution in a decade, why can’t India do it? The Chinese embassy spokesperson for India, Yu Jing, has offered China’s assistance to Delhi to fight air pollution, saying Beijing was ready to share its learnings. Beijing reduced pollution by 89% within a decade, making it a model for other cities. The city became acutely aware of the impact of emissions, vehicular pollution and economic expansion on the environment in the early 2000s and decided to take aggressive steps. But clean air and blue skies were not achieved in a day. China had to come up with a strategic action plan to combat the pollution. The country became aware of its severe air pollution in the 1990s. The population of Beijing was increasing at a rapid pace, having touched 13.6 million in the 90s. The number of cars on the city's roads crossed the one million mark, and Beijing was making headlines due to its deadly smog. By 2013 Beijing’s air quality had hit rock bottom with PM 2.5 levels soaring to 101.56 micrograms per cubic meter of air while the WHO recommends an average daily concentration of 50 micrograms per cubic meter. In response, China released the Air Pollution Action Plan in September 2013, which became China’s most influential environmental policy. It helped Beijing reduce PM 2.5 levels by 33% between 2013 and 2017. Here's what China did. Boosting sustainable transport China was once considered the ‘Kingdom of the Bicycle’. Beijing authorities reintroduced bike-sharing schemes to encourage bike use and get people to pedal again. China also restricted the number of cars on the roads and introduced all-electric bus fleets. It controlled truck traffic within the city, encouraging trucks to use the bypasses and created Low Emission Zones (LEZs).The city’s subway system was expanded. The odd-even scheme of traffic rationing was also one of the ways to reduce vehicular emissions on the streets of Beijing. Switching to cleaner fuels China’s other focus was cleaner fuels. It limited the use of coal-fired boilers. Beijing focused on reducing coal consumption by shutting down industrial sites and improving heating systems. The city added 4 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity. Afforestation and reforestation programmes The government launched afforestation and reforestation programmes like the Great Green Wall and planted more than 35 billion trees. State-of-the-art air quality monitoring Beijing focused on monitoring air pollution better by using high quality technologies like HD Satellite, remote sensing and laser radar. These sensors helped identify the pollution hotspots. Increased spending China spent a huge amount towards reducing air pollution. Beijing’s budget to fight air pollution increased from little over 3 billion yuan (US$434 million) in 2013 to more than 18 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) in 2017. The result? By 2020, coal consumption had reduced by 150 million tonnes. Respiratory cases had fallen 20%. Over all these years, Beijing has maintained its momentum towards achieving clean air in a structured manner. So why can’t India manage to clean its air? What is the urgent need of the hour? This is India's response to its air pollution crisis. Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for NCR It’s an emergency action plan that kicks in during the pollution emergency. It escalates anti-pollution measures across the national capital region. But as the Supreme Court noted, “Perennial GRAP is not the solution” as a sustained strategy is needed. National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) It was a time-bound national strategy launched in 2019 to achieve a 20-30% reduction in PM concentrations by 2024. Controlling stubble burning Promoting the use of stubble management machinery and providing subsidies to farmers to stop them from burning crop residue. Cutting domestic and industrial emissions Banning the use of polluting fuels like Pet Coke and furnace oil in NCR Cloud Seeding Delhi attempted its first trial of cloud seeding in October 2025, but the effort was a waste due to a lack of enough moisture in the clouds Delhi’s efforts to control the pollution crisis have not made much of a difference as they rely on short-term emergency measures and do not address the year-round pollution sources. Systemic failures in implementation and coordination have also derailed the efforts. Most experts push for long-term measures and not just short-term reactive steps. Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), has asked for implementation of an annual, strategic plan with clear, time-bound milestones for reducing emissions from all major sources, moving beyond the short-term Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Experts also focus on vehicular pollution, which cannot be overlooked. "The growth in the absolute number of vehicles is quite high. The progress made by the introduction of electric and cleaner vehicles is being nullified by the growth in the number of vehicles. Heavy and low-duty commercial vehicles make up just two per cent of all vehicles in the city, but contribute to 20% of all emissions," says Dr Gufran Beig, Founder-Director of SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research). New Delhi knows the problem areas, but what is needed is strong on-ground execution. Efficient execution is often hampered by poor fund utilisation, lack of year-round enforcement and the tendency to go in for short-term, high-visibility fixes.
India is facing an unprecedented increase in climate-related disasters throughout 2025, as unpredictable monsoons, extreme heatwaves, and powerful cyclones alter the vulnerability of its varied landscapes. This table presents the state-wise count of such occurrences—spanning floods, droughts, landslides, and lightning strikes—according to reports from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Assam leads the list with 28 incidents, primarily floods that have displaced millions, while the arid state of Rajasthan records 13 incidents, driven by extended drought conditions. These figures arise from 99 percent of days in the initial nine months experiencing extreme weather, as noted in CSE’s Climate India 2025 report, exacerbated by a 1.2°C increase due to global warming. Urban expansion diminishes natural protective features such as wetlands, and remnants of El Niño heighten these patterns, necessitating reactive measures rather than fostering resilience. This crisis poses a threat to agriculture, which employs 45 percent of the Indian population, highlighting the urgent need for localized adaptation strategies. As events overlap—heatwaves coinciding with floods—India’s economy is projected to incur $180 billion in cumulative losses over the next thirty years, according to Germanwatch’s Climate Risk Index. Policymakers are urged to focus on early warning systems and green infrastructure to prevent further inequities. The Rising Toll: Trends and Forecasts Communities throughout India face a harsh reality in 2025: climate-related disasters occur with alarming regularity, altering both lives and environments. The data illustrates significant inequalities, with northeastern and eastern states such as Assam and Bihar suffering the most due to their riverine landscapes and high population densities. Assam experiences 28 disasters, primarily from Brahmaputra floods, resulting from a mere 3 percent excess in national rainfall but uneven distribution—IMD statistics indicate 40 percent above-normal precipitation in the northeast, causing rivers to swell and inundate 2.5 million hectares of agricultural land. Bihar follows closely with 25 incidents, where lightning alone accounts for 250 fatalities, according to NDMA reports, as the flat Gangetic plains exacerbate runoff issues due to insufficient drainage. These areas are adversely affected because colonial-era embankments are inadequate against intensified monsoons, a direct consequence of warmer oceans contributing to a 7 percent increase in atmospheric moisture for each degree of warming, as predicted by IPCC models. In contrast, central regions like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan experience droughts, with 14 and 13 occurrences respectively. The Thar Desert in Rajasthan expands under 26 percent drought coverage nationwide (Statista, February 2025), as insufficient monsoons—down by 20 percent in certain districts—devastate crops across 68 percent of drought-prone arable land. Farmers in Bundelkhand resort to distress migration, with 5.4 million internal displacements reported, half of which are in Assam alone, according to CSE. Global trends worsen this situation: La Niña transitions in mid-2025 weaken trade winds, resulting in delayed rainfall and scorching soils reaching 50°C, leading to livestock deaths and a 15 percent reduction in yields. Maharashtra’s 19 incidents combine urban flooding in Mumbai—where 80 percent of wetlands have been lost to urbanization—with rural droughts, highlighting how development heightens risks. Urban areas trap heat, forming “urban heat islands” that extend heatwaves by an additional three days, as reported by CSE, raising temperatures by 15°C above rural averages in Delhi.
The Senior Programme Manager of the Water Programme, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) India, Mrs. Susmita Sengupta, reaffirmed the organisation’s readiness to support Nigeria in developing technical guidelines that will strengthen sustainable sanitation practices. The Nigerian government has renewed its collective commitment to ensuring that every citizen both in rural and urban areas has access to safe, clean, and sustainable toilet facilities. The government said that, working together, Nigerians can build a nation where open defecation becomes a thing of the past and where every community enjoys the benefits of improved sanitation, good health, and environmental sustainability. This commitment was reiterated by the Minister of Environment, Mr. Balarabe Lawal, during the commemoration of the 2025 World Toilet Day in Abuja, with the theme: “Sanitation in a Changing World”, and the tagline, “We’ll Always Need a Toilet.” Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Mahmud Kambari, the Minister underscored the critical need for resilient sanitation systems as Nigeria’s population grows and climate change intensifies. He emphasised that “access to safe and clean toilets remains a fundamental human right essential for protecting health, preserving dignity, and safeguarding the environment.” “Despite global progress, 4.5 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation while 892 million practice open defecation, posing serious public health challenges,” the Minister stated. Highlighting ongoing national efforts, the Ministry pointed to several key interventions, including: “The Clean and Green Programme, promoting access to safe and adequate toilets in public places; Construction and rehabilitation of toilets in strategic locations across the country, Community-based interventions aimed at eliminating open defecation, capacity building for Environmental Health Officers and Sanitation Desk Officers across the 36 States and FCT; National WASH policy is being develop by National stakeholders to address sanitation holistically.,” he said
Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Wednesday, with 18 of the 38 monitoring stations reporting ‘severe’ readings early in the morning. As the capital once again struggles with a toxic haze, experts have warned that only tough enforcement and a rapid shift towards electric mobility can put the city on a sustained path to cleaner air. The Supreme Court, which has been monitoring the matter for years, expressed frustration this week at the lack of meaningful action on the ground. The court has asked the government to respond to concerns raised by the amicus curiae, who flagged missing data from AQI monitors, alleged manipulation of readings through the use of sprinklers, and schools holding sports activities despite hazardous air. The bench has now directed that the matter be heard monthly to track progress by authorities. Speaking to CNBC-TV18 against this backdrop, Amit Bhatt, MD of the International Council on Clean Transport, said Delhi’s transport emissions cannot be reduced without an aggressive push towards electrification. “When we talk about transport, global evidence shows that there is absolutely no other way but to electrify our transport,” he said. Bhatt added that Delhi still lacks a concrete and comprehensive policy to drive mass adoption. “The technology is available, but there is no will to implement it,” he noted, pointing to examples from London, Beijing and California. According to him, the city “really has to convert everything to electric as soon as possible, maybe in the next five years or so.” On concerns around data accuracy and alleged fudging of AQI levels, Shambhavi Shukla, Programme Manager at the Centre for Science and Environment, said there had indeed been periods when “data was missing from the portal”, raising red flags. She clarified that water sprinkling near monitoring stations often takes place because many of these areas are pollution hotspots with high dust loads, but stressed that such steps do little to address the real challenge. “This is a long-term problem, not a short-term one, and band-aid solutions will not help reduce the pollution levels of the overall city,” she said. What Delhi needs, she emphasised, are systemic and infrastructural reforms that can run through the year.