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46th Edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle focuses on message "Clean Air, Fit Body" must be India's shared goal

The 46th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle termed 'Pedal for Clean Air' turned into a powerful call for both fitness and environmental awareness on Sunday as almost 500 citizens cycled through the streets of New Delhi and thousands more joined from over 10,000 locations across the country. Organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), Yogasana Bharat, and MY Bharat, this week's edition saw special participation from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), focusing on the message that 'Clean Air, Fit Body' must be India's shared goal. At Delhi's Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, nearly 500 participants--including athletes, students, and fitness enthusiasts--took part in the morning cycling rally. The event featured gymnasts Sneha Tariyal, international medalist at the Asian Championships, and Priyanshu Nath Thakur, sub-junior national gold medalist, alongside Olympian gymnastics coach Lakhan Sharma. CSE Director-General Sunita Narain, who joined the Delhi event, underlined the deep connection between fitness and environmental health. 'Our air has to be clean, and in the same way our health will improve,' she said. 'The Sports Ministry's and SAI's Fit India initiatives go hand in hand with cleanliness of the environment. Our lungs will be healthy if the air is clean. Cycling is very essential because it is the biggest mechanism to combat pollution.' Echoing her message, young gymnast Priyanshu Nath Thakur, 15, said, 'We are all looking for fresh air. Cycling keeps our body and mind healthy and strong.' Beyond Delhi, Fit India Sundays on Cycle events were held simultaneously across the nation, including SAI STC Kargil, SAI Lucknow, SAI Rohtak, STC Mastuana Sahib, STC Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh), STC Golaghat, NCOE Jagatpur & STC Cuttack, and SAI Guwahati, among others. What began in December 2024 with around 500 participants in Delhi and 1,000 locations nationwide has today become a vibrant public movement that brings together more than 50,000 people every week from 6,000 locations. The Fit India Sundays on Cycle initiative has engaged over 14.5 lakh citizens across 1.25 Lakh locations till now, transforming into a nationwide movement for fitness, sustainability, and social harmony. Olympian gymnastics coach Lakhan Sharma added perspective on the movement's growth over time. 'This is a great initiative which is completing close to a year now. So many people have joined us across the length and breadth of the country in all these months, and we must keep expanding it further.' Gymnast Sneha Tariyal emphasized how cycling benefits everyone, regardless of age or profession. 'Old to young, everyone is here to cycle. It keeps you healthy and helps combat pollution. I see cyclists training daily at the IG Stadium where I train and it gives them great physique and strength. Even normal people should cycle, run, and stay fit to inspire others.' The growing impact of Fit India Sundays on Cycle was highlighted in the 117th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat, where he appreciated how citizens from all walks of life were uniting every Sunday to celebrate health, joy, and togetherness through fitness. The movement is also championed every week by over 3,500 NaMo Fit India Cycling Clubs, which have become the backbone of this citizen-led fitness wave, ensuring that thousands of people across India take part in the celebration of cycling and health every Sunday. Under the guidance of Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, the initiative has evolved into a true Jan Andolan for fitness, bringing together new groups and communities each week. Participants have included Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Doctors, Teachers, Government Employees, Schoolchildren, Members of Parliament/Member of Legislative Assemblies and public representatives, Lawyers, Postmen, Healthcare Workers, Safai Senanis, State Police Forces, Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) amongst others. These diverse groups, spanning professions and generations, have helped the campaign reach every nook and corner of the country, turning local streets and parks into spaces of energy and camaraderie. (ANI)

Delhi Chokes Again: Capital Enters ‘Very Poor’ Air Zone as Pollution Peaks in Early November

As the chill of early winter sets in, Delhi once again finds itself under a grey, choking sky. The Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed 303 on Sunday, placing the capital firmly in the “very poor” category. Environmental officials have warned that the coming two weeks could become “the most polluted fortnight of the year.” The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) attributed the rapid decline to north-westerly winds carrying farm-fire smoke from Punjab and Haryana, combined with falling night-time temperatures that trap pollutants near the ground. Experts Urge Long-Term Solutions Environmentalists argue that temporary bans cannot resolve a systemic issue. Sunita Narain, Director-General of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), commented: “We treat pollution as a seasonal inconvenience instead of a public-health emergency. The solution lies in investing in clean energy, urban transport, and crop-residue management all year round.” According to a 2024 World Bank report, Delhi loses nearly ₹ 57,000 crore annually to pollution-related health costs and productivity losses.

Report Slams Yamuna Clean-Up Failure Under AAP

India, Nov. 2 -- The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has criticised the Delhi government for its ineffective efforts to clean the Yamuna River, despite spending over Rs 6,000 crore between 2017 and 2022 on various projects aimed at its rejuvenation. The organisation noted that despite massive financial outlays, the river remains heavily polluted, with little on-ground improvement visible. Notably, during this tenure the Aam Aadmi Party ruled Delhi. The then Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had come to power promising to restore the Yamuna to its natural state. However, most of these promises have failed to translate into real action, remaining largely confined to government d...

Despite data gaps, Gurgaon’s October AQI this year worse than last 2

Gurgaon: This Oct seemed to promise clean air, with the average air quality index (AQI) remaining below 200 (moderate) in the city. But with most monitoring stations going dark throughout the month, a true picture of AQI is guesswork. Gurgaon ended Oct with an AQI of 195 on Friday. At first glance, this might appear to be an improvement, but Gurgaon saw a decline in air quality going by the data. Average AQI rose to 195, an increase from the last two years. In 2023, the index was 183, and 2024 saw the city's cleanest Oct in three years with an AQI of 165. The rise in AQI indicated that progress was not sustained. Instead of building on cleaner air achieved in 2023 and 2024, the city has reverted closer to ‘poor' levels even though most monitoring stations went on the blink. This, according to experts, underscores inconsistent nature of pollution control efforts, requiring the need for more reliable monitoring and sustained actions. The cleanest Oct was in 2021 in 10 years, with an average AQI of 164, largely due to post-Covid slowdowns. The worst years were 2017 and 2018. The problem of malfunctioning air-quality monitors during peak pollution season is not a minor technical snag, according to experts. Arun Kumar Yadav, clean air programme manager at Envirocatalysts, said "Oct's AQI appears moderate, but it doesn't tell the full story. Persistent emissions from transport, construction dust and waste burning incidents, combined with stagnant meteorological conditions, continue to trap pollutants near the surface. With more than half of Haryana's monitoring stations offline and many located in low-exposure zones, the reported averages underestimate real pollution levels. Gurgaon's air hasn't truly improved. The system is simply measuring less and missing the peaks." They also said NCR's approach to pollution management remains tactical rather than structural. Shubhansh Tiwari from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, "If you don't measure it, you can convince yourself it's getting better. But lungs don't work on missing data. This Oct wasn't clean. It was under-reported. Construction dust, vehicle growth, stubble smoke and stagnant early-winter conditions have already made Oct a pollution-heavy month. We aren't breathing easier," said Tiwari.

AAP, BJP spar over functioning of STPs

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday sparred over the functioning of sewage treatment plants (STPs) after an RTI response from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) claimed that the STPs were “not meeting required standards”.

AAP, BJP row over Delhi’s sewage treatment plants

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government of misleading the public with “false claims” of cleaning the Yamuna, citing an RTI reply that revealed all 37 sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the city were failing to meet prescribed treatment standards. The Delhi government dismissed the claims, saying that the report was of June and much had changed on ground in the past four months. Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) inspection found faecal coliform levels hundreds of times higher than permissible limits in the treated water. “When all STPs are failing, how can the BJP government claim to have cleaned the Yamuna?” he asked, terming the entire campaign a publicity stunt. Bharadwaj alleged that untreated sewage continued to flow into the river and that the Central government no longer trusted the Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) data due to alleged manipulation of internal reports. “It was the Centre that ordered the CPCB to independently test all STPs because DJB’s data was unreliable,” he said. The AAP leader said the inspection covered major plants, including those at Okhla, Coronation Pillar, Kondli, Rithala, Keshopur, Yamuna Vihar, and Nilothi, among others, all of which failed to meet the “10 by 10” discharge norms. “Every single one of these STPs failed the test. This is not a small administrative lapse– it’s an environmental disaster,” he said. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor alleged that if there was any shortcoming at the 37 STPs, the responsibility lay with Arvind Kejriwal’s 10-year government, not with the eight-month-old BJP government. “If Saurabh Bharadwaj has the political courage, he should respond to the recent Centre for Science and Environment report, which alleged that despite spending ₹6,856 crore between 2015 and 2022 in the name of cleaning the Yamuna, the Kejriwal government failed to clean the river and 37 STPs were reported as failures,” Kapoor said.

Rs 6,856 cr spent, but Capital’s lifeline Yamuna continues to die

The Yamuna, which is the lifeline of Delhi, continues to die despite the Delhi Government spending Rs 6,856 crore to clean the river between 2017 and 2022. According to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report, despite Rs 6,856 crore spent by different departments of the Delhi Government, of which the major chunk went to the construction of new sewage treatment plants (STPs), upgrade of the existing sewage plant, de-silting of sewer lines and controlling the flow in major drains in Delhi, the river continues to be polluted and worse. It even fails to rejuvenate itself even during monsoons. According to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report, despite Rs 6,856 crore spent by different departments of the Delhi Government, of which the major chunk went to the construction of new sewage treatment plants (STPs), upgrade of the existing sewage plant, de-silting of sewer lines and controlling the flow in major drains in Delhi, the river continues to be polluted and worse. It even fails to rejuvenate itself even during monsoons. Moreover, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), an indicator of pollution level, was 40-50 times higher than the permissible limit at the aforementioned points. Additionally, the faecal coliform (FC) counts, an indicator of the presence of sewage contamination, reached over 2 lakh in the downstream point during dry spells, which clearly indicate that there is large-scale dumping of raw sewage into the river, making its water unfit for human consumption throughout the year.

Can COP30 Turn Climate Promises into Real Money?

For the developing world, global climate negotiations have long fallen short. The story has remained unchanged and predictable over 29 editions of the planet’s foremost climate convention, the Conference of Parties (COP). As an increasingly turbulent world steps into Belém, Brazil, there are doubts about whether COP30 will be any different from Baku and the 28 other COPs before it. Last year at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, developed countries had agreed to mobilise $300bn annually by 2035, a fraction of the $1.3trn developing countries needed to implement their climate action pledges. Though not unexpected, Baku’s fiasco looked much the worse for its “finance COP” billing. Unmoved by that failure, COP30 is being heralded as the “first COP of implementation”. The Global South, in particular, must hope it is, because the credibility of the global climate process itself is pegged on Belém succeeding where Baku failed. The discussions are expected to revolve around what is really achievable. There will likely be a reality check: can we actually meet 2050 net-zero goals? The balance between energy transition and energy security will remain central,” says Gauri Jauhar, executive director, global energy transitions and clean-tech consulting, S&P Global Commodity Insights, a market-analytics firm. In the run-up to the negotiations, developing countries have spelt out their priorities. At a climate summit convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the margins of the 80th UN General Assembly in September, they pushed for adaptation, resilience and loss-and-damage measures to be woven into national climate pledges. The summit noted that the technologies to decarbonise energy, transport and industry, protect forests and build resilience already exist. What’s missing is the means to scale them. Echoing this, the implementation forum organised by the COP30 presidency during Panama Climate Week in May this year stressed promoting tangible actions on climate finance, technology transfer and carbon-market development. The emphasis this time is not on fresh promises but on mechanisms that can make past promises work. The Finance Reality The finance required for a genuine energy transition is staggering. Private Fantasies, Public Realities—a report by Oil Change International, an advocacy organisation—estimates that the world will need $5.7trn every year by 2030 to make it happen. Yet barely 38% of that was actually tracked in 2023–24. Against this backdrop, last year’s COP managed to nudge the $100bn pledge up to $300bn. In reality, even that exists largely on paper. “History shows that pledges don’t always materialise. Even the $100bn commitment took years to take shape, and even then the money never fully came through,” says Jauhar. India has been forthright in calling out this imbalance. The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, announced at COP29 in Baku, was described as “grossly inadequate”, “incomplete” and an “eyewash”. At the heart of India’s demand is clarity on the definition and delivery of finance. “Climate finance flows must be grant-based or concessional, not private equity or commercial capital flows,” says Leena Nandan, former secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and deputy leader of the Indian delegation at COP29. At the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn, India-led coalitions—G77+China, the Like-Minded Developing Countries, the Alliance of Small Island States, Least Developed Countries and the African Group of Negotiators—joined forces to raise the issue of accountability in climate finance. SB62, or the Bonn conference, is the annual precursor to the COP. India’s Climate Dilemma The finance vacuum has direct and devastating consequences for countries like India, which now ranks sixth globally in climate vulnerability, according to the Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index 2025. Tracking extreme weather events between 1993 and 2022, it recorded more than 400 such incidents in three decades, causing losses of nearly $180bn and at least 80,000 deaths. According to a 2022 report by World Weather Attribution, a scientific research initiative, climate change made early heat in India and Pakistan 30 times more likely. The Climate Transparency Report 2022 noted that heat exposure in 2021 wiped out roughly 167bn potential labour hours, costing India about $159bn, or 5.4% of its GDP. Even the Economic Survey 2024–25 concedes that effective adaptation demands a many-fronted approach: policy action, resilient infrastructure, research and finance. Yet adaptation finance remains nowhere near the need. Even as international funding inched up from $22bn to $28bn in 2022, the requirement stands closer to $359bn a year. More than 60% of what arrives comes as loans, loading fresh debt onto economies that are already struggling. “There needs to be a concerted international effort to ensure that developing countries apply pressure on developed nations to meet their commitments,” Abhishek Acharya, director, MoEFCC said during a roundtable organised by Climate Trends, an environmental insights platform, ahead of COP30. Establishment of the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) under the Paris Agreement has been neglected for six years after which countries agreed to commence a two-year work programme at COP28 to develop indicators for tracking progress, with the goal of finalising them at COP30. So far, developing countries, including India, have not accepted the discussions on GGA as they have been limited to technical debates without being grounded in the realities of implementation. Therefore, indicators for ‘Means of Implementation’, such as finance, capacity building and technology transfer are critical as they show how climate action will actually be carried out. “It is the biggest challenge that India is likely to face. Beyond the difficulty in providing the required data, it is tricky because the current indicators are too intrusive, asking countries to report how much they are spending across sectors and different stages of the adaptation cycle,” says Amrita Goldar, senior fellow at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, a public-policy body. “The indicators should be clear and categorical, but financial support for adaptation cannot become yet another reporting burden for developing countries,” says Nandan. Bridging the Gap The absence of accessible finance also chokes technology deployment. Funding for emerging solutions such as green hydrogen, carbon capture and nuclear power remains limited because they are deemed too risky. India has made progress in renewables, but battery storage still trails. “Net zero will not be possible unless money flows into these higher-risk projects. These breakthrough technologies, essential for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, need heavy investment to become commercially viable. Financing has to support not just production but the entire ecosystem: midstream infrastructure, off-takers and replication of bankable projects,” says Jauhar. The consequences are visible in daily life. “Without timely finance, access to technologies that reduce emissions, whether catalytic converters, retrofits or advanced clean technologies, gets delayed,” she adds. It is a vicious cycle: scarce finance slows technology adoption, prolongs emissions and reinforces the perception of risk, raising the cost of capital still further. “If such technologies were made readily available, emission reductions could have accelerated significantly. India will continue to emphasise this point: cleaner production technologies are essential for meaningful climate action,” says Nandan. Progress in carbon markets has been similarly sluggish. Uncertainty over operationalising Article 6 of the Paris Agreement has denied India and other developing nations a potentially important source of finance. “At COP30, countries will seek clarity, but no new negotiations will take place,” says Trishant Dev, deputy programme manager, climate change, Centre for Science and Environment, a think tank. India, meanwhile, has begun moving on its own. It has signed a bilateral carbon-credit pact with Japan and is developing a domestic market through amendments to the Energy Conservation Act. “In Brazil, the dominant agenda is expected to centre around operationalising Article 6, along with discussions on climate finance, addressing loss and damage and enhancing adaptation efforts,” says Anjal Prakash, professor, Indian School of Business. Together, technology finance and carbon-market access will determine whether implementation finally shifts from intent to impact. Decisions Must Translate Progress has been slow, but India is tackling the challenge in its own way. The government has begun discussions with insurers on a nationwide climate-linked insurance scheme to speed payouts after extreme weather events. Yet domestic effort can only go so far when global willpower lags. The crisis itself was created largely by developed economies, yet its sharpest blows fall on developing ones struggling to grow and adapt at once. For India and the Global South, COP30 must deliver three essentials: finance that is equitable, grant-based and time-bound; adaptation indicators that are transparent and practical; and carbon markets that actually function. “India calls for enhanced technology transfer and capacity building to strengthen resilience, especially in agriculture, health and infrastructure,” says Prakash. Last year, the talk was all about finance. This year, the how of it matters more. “It must decide on the mechanisms to actually operationalise that finance and its flow into projects on the ground,” says Jauhar. There has been enough talk. COP30 must be about implementation and clear action, delivering the climate justice that India and the Global South have waited far too long to see. Otherwise, Belém will be Baku once again.

22-km stretch accounts for 80% pollution load in Yamuna

Najafgarh and Shahdara drains, the first near Wazirabad barrage and the latter near Okhla barrage, contribute to nearly 80 per cent of pollution in the Yamuna, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The 22-km stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi, barely two per cent of the total length of the river basin, contributes over 80 per cent of the pollution load in the entire river. There is no water in the river for almost nine months in a year and what flows in it is just sewage and waste from Delhi’s 22 drains. As per the report, there are three prominent reasons for pollution in the river. The first is the lack of data on wastewater generation.

Eco-Anxiety in Children: How Environmental Education Can Build Hope and Climate Resilience

Licypriya Kangujam from Manipur was only six when she first realized that the world was headed toward an environmental disaster. At seven, she donated her savings to help the victims of the 2018 Kerala floods. Since then, she has become one of the youngest climate activists in the world. Licypriya’s journey reflects a growing movement among children and young adults in India who are becoming deeply aware of the climate crisis threatening their future and survival. A landmark global survey on eco-anxiety among children (Hickman et al., 2021) revealed shocking results—75% of the 10,000 children surveyed across 10 countries expressed fear and hopelessness about their future. The climate crisis is no longer an abstract or distant idea for children. A 2024 Down to Earth survey found that 94% of Indian youth felt directly impacted by climate change, and 88% had witnessed visible changes in their surroundings over just five years. Children are among the most vulnerable groups to the unequal impacts of global warming and extreme weather events. Floods, droughts, and heatwaves are now part of their lived experiences. It is therefore not surprising that many are struggling with eco-anxiety—a deep worry about the planet’s future, often accompanied by anger, helplessness, and a sense of injustice. Eco-Anxiety Is Not a Trend — It’s a Lived Reality Eco-anxiety is not a passing fad. It is the lived emotional reality of millions of children across the world. This makes it essential for our education system to acknowledge these emotions and help children transform their anxiety into action and hope. Studies show that anxiety about the climate crisis can seriously affect children’s mental health, motivation, and ability to focus on learning. If schools continue to ignore these concerns, traditional, subject-focused teaching may lose relevance for many students. Integrating Environmental Education in Classrooms An integrated and interdisciplinary approach to education, where environmental education becomes part of everyday classroom discussion, is urgently needed. Although India introduced environmental education in school curricula as early as the 2000s, it has yet to become a truly engaging force in classrooms. To address eco-anxiety, environmental education must go beyond textbook awareness. It must foster a shift in knowledge, values, and attitudes, helping children understand the connection between human actions and ecological balance. When children feel empowered to act—whether through small daily habits or community projects—they begin to replace fear with hope. The ultimate goal of climate education should be to ignite and nurture hope for a sustainable future. Educators and policymakers must recognize that awareness alone is not enough; students must learn how to make environmentally responsible decisions that minimize harm and create positive change. Teaching Climate Change Across Subjects To achieve this transformation, we must stop treating environmental studies as a separate subject. Instead, it should serve as a lens through which other disciplines are explored. For example, while studying the Industrial Revolution or fossil fuels in history or science, teachers can link discussions to today’s environmental challenges. Literature lessons can explore stories of tribal communities, resilience, and sustainability. By making these connections, students can bridge global climate trends with their local realities—understanding how pollution, deforestation, or water scarcity affect their communities. They should also be encouraged to explore grassroots climate solutions, such as waste segregation, tree planting, and sustainable farming practices. Building Hope and Empowerment Through Climate Education When environmental education in schools connects with children’s real experiences, it restores the power and hope they often lose when hearing about the planet’s decline. Such education equips them with critical thinking, empathy, and problem-solving skills—tools necessary to innovate solutions to the climate crisis. Feeling anxious about climate change is not a weakness. It is a sign of deep empathy and awareness. As educators, parents, and policymakers, our responsibility is to nurture that empathy and transform it into action. Environmental education must not only spread awareness and build knowledge—it must also ignite hope, foster resilience, and empower children to work for a better, sustainable future. Sakshi Uniyal is an educator who has taught in a popular private school in Delhi as well as in a chain of central government schools. She specializes in science and inclusive education. She is currently working with the Environment Education Unit at Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi. She can be reached at sakshiuniyal1993@gmail.com.

Bharadwaj must respond to CSE report about previous AAP govt's failure to clean Yamuna: Kapoor

Reacting to Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj's statement over the STPs, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Friday said that the AAP leader seems to have forgotten that if there are any deficiencies in these 37 STPs, they were because of the previous Arvind Kejriwal government which was there for ten years. The Delhi BJP spokesperson further stated that Bharadwaj should first respond to the Centre for Science and Environment report which has recently come out, and points out that the previous Kejriwal government in the national capital failed to clean the Yamuna despite spending Rs 6,856 crore between 2015 and 2022, and allowing 37 Sewage Treatment Plants to fail, he alleged.

India’s cloud seeding trials ‘costly spectacle’

India’s efforts to combat air pollution by using cloud seeding in its sprawling capital New Delhi appear to have fallen flat, with scientists and activists questioning the effectiveness of the move. Cloud seeding involves spraying particles such as silver iodide and salt into clouds from aircraft to trigger rain, that can wash pollutants from the air. Delhi authorities, working with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, began trials last week using a Cessna aircraft over parts of the city. But officials said the first trials produced very little rainfall because of thin cloud cover. “This will never ever do the job, it’s an illusion,” said Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmental campaigner in Delhi. “Only when we clean up sources of air pollution can we control it.” The government has spent around $364,000 on the trials, according to local media reports. Each winter, thick smog chokes Delhi and its 30 million residents. Cold air traps emissions from farm fires, factories and vehicles. Despite various interventions — such as vehicle restrictions, smog sucking towers, and mist-spraying trucks — the air quality ranks among the worst for a capital in the world. A day after the latest trial, levels of cancer-causing PM2.5 particles hit 323, more than 20 times the daily limits set by the World Health Organization. It will likely worsen further through the season. A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health last year estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution. There are also questions about the long-term impact of the chemicals sprayed themselves. While the US Environmental Protection Agency notes “limited” studies suggest silver iodide does not pose an environmental or health risk, it acknowledges the impact of more widespread use is “not known”. – ‘Research process’ – Environmental activists say even if cloud seeding produces rain, the benefits are short-lived. Climate scientist Daniele Visioni at Cornell University said it was unclear how efficient it was in heavy polluted conditions. “It can’t create rain where there is no moisture in the air, but it just ‘forces’ some of the water to condense in one location rather than another,” he told AFP. “There is only one thing that can sensibly reduce pollution: avoiding the burning of fossil fuels.” Virendra Sachdeva, from Delhi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said it was too early to dismiss the cloud seeding experiment as a “scientific failure”. “It is a part of the research process, and success is not always achieved in the first attempt,” he told reporters. However, two atmospheric scientists at IIT Delhi called the cloud seeding plan “another gimmick”. “It is a textbook case of science misapplied and ethics ignored,” Shahzad Gani and Krishna Achutarao wrote in The Hindu newspaper. Mohan George, from the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, said artificial rain was not the answer. “The levels of pollution will come back almost immediately as rain stops,” the scientist told AFP. When it does work, it will increase precipitation in one area — while potentially decreasing it for another. – ‘Costly spectacle’ – Cloud seeding, first developed in the 1940s, has been used in various countries to induce rain, clear fog, and reduce drought, but with mixed results. China used it during the 2008 Beijing Olympics in an attempt to control the weather. Gani and Achutarao said Delhi’s pollution causes — unchecked emissions and seasonal crop burning — are well known. So too are the solutions — cleaner fuel, better waste management and stricter enforcement of rules. “Instead of reinforcing these priorities, parts of the scientific ecosystem — researchers, advisors, and institutions — are lending credibility to a costly spectacle that will do little to address the sources of the crisis,” they said.

Despite ₹6,800 cr spent, Yamuna remains polluted, CSE calls for smarter clean-up strategy

CSE report says focus should be on faecal sludge management, upgradation of STPs, reuse of treated water, and tackling two key drains, Najafgarh and Shahdara drains. Despite spending over ₹6,856 crore between 2017 and 2022 and expanding sewage treatment to cover nearly 80% of the city, Yamuna still remains polluted, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has said. A new CSE report released on Thursday said the way forward lies not in more expenditure but in smarter planning -- focused on faecal sludge management, upgradation of sewage treatment plants (STPs), reuse of treated water, and tackling two key drains, Najafgarh and Shahdara drains, which alone contribute 84% of the pollution load. “The problem of cleaning Yamuna is not a new one. We must realise that cleaning the river will require much more than money. It will need a reworked plan which will guide us towards thinking and acting differently,” said Sunita Narain, CSE director general. According to the analysis, Delhi’s 22-km Yamuna stretch, just 2% of river’s total basin, contributes over 80% of total pollution. While 37 STPs exist presently, 23 of them still fail to meet discharge standards. This year, on Chhath, the AAP attacked the BJP-led government over ‘froth’ in the river. Meanwhile,the BJP shared water quality data, claiming it is cleaner than what it was last Chhath puja -- when the AAP was in power. CSE said the focus must shift to ensure that all faecal sludge from non-sewered areas is collected and treated, and that treated wastewater is reused instead of being mixed again with untreated sewage in the drains. “The agenda for cleaning the river is critical as a dead Yamuna is not just a matter of shame for the city and for us, it also adds to the burden of providing clean water to Delhi and cities downstream,” Narain added.

October 2025: A challenging month for Delhi's air and weather

October proved to be a tough month for Delhi residents, as the city's air quality not only worsened but also set several new records. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), October 2025 was the second most polluted October in the past five years. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) for the month stood at 224, placing it in the 'poor' category. While this figure is slightly better than last October's 234, it remains higher than the AQI levels recorded in 2023 (218), 2022 (210), and 2021 (173). Despite this, the CPCB noted that significant rainfall helped temper both temperatures and pollution levels. October 2025 turned out to be the coldest October in the last three years, with rainfall preventing pollution from worsening further. Without this rainfall, experts say, Delhi's air quality could have deteriorated even more sharply. The average maximum temperature for the month was 31.5°C, lower than the normal average of 33°C. The last time Delhi saw a lower October maximum was in 2022, at 31.4°C. Several days of rain in the first week kept the air relatively clean, but conditions shifted after October 12, when the dry spell and rising emissions pushed the AQI from poor to very poor, a trend that continued until Diwali. Local pollution is the main culprit, not stubble burning According to Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the deterioration in air quality during October was largely due to local pollution sources. She noted that stubble burning contributed only 1–2% to the pollution levels, underscoring that the main causes lie within the city — vehicle emissions, construction dust, and industrial pollution. "It's essential to control these local sources if we want cleaner air," she told News18 Hindi.

Delhi air woes: Second-most polluted October in five years; AQI hits 224

: This was the second-most polluted Oct in the past five years, with the city's average Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 224 (poor category) this month. Though the reading was slightly better than last Oct's 234, pollution levels were higher compared with 218 in Oct 2023, 210 in '22 and 173 the year before, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. This month was the coolest in three years. Its mean maximum temperature of 31.5 degrees Celsius was lower than the month's long-period average of 33°C. A lower mean maximum temperature for this month was last recorded at 31.4°C in 2022. The capital received regular spells of rain in the first week of Oct, which restricted the AQI on the lower side of the spectrum. However, the AQI worsened to poor to very poor categories since Oct 12. The month has recorded seven very poor days in all; the air is expected to remain in the same bracket on Friday. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said, "The city experienced poor to very poor AQI in Oct even though the contribution of farm fires to its overall pollution remained less than 1%-2%. It highlights the high impact of local air pollution, and this requires sustained stringent action to cut emissions at the source." Dipankar Saha, former head of CPCB's air laboratory, said a poor AQI reading is normal for the season. "This is triggered by the stagnation of air due to poor ventilation coefficient and low wind speed. However, this doesn't mean we should not pay attention to emission-control measures, " said

Met factors, local emissions: Air turns poor after 3 moderate days in Gurgaon

Gurgaon: A day after Haryana officials claimed air quality monitors were being restored, several stations in the state slipped offline again on Thursday, signaling continuing cracks in the monitoring network just as pollution levels are climbing. On Thursday, 12 of 32 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations didn't record the data. These include three stations in Faridabad, two in Gurgaon —Teri Gram and Sector 51 — and one each in Ambala, Fatehabad, Hisar, Karnal, Nuh, Palwal and Sirsa. Yamunanagar station showed either no data or "station offline." On Wednesday, 20 of Haryana's 32 monitors, including 3 in Gurgaon, were down. After three days of ‘moderate' air, the city's AQI rose to 248 on Thursday, entering the ‘poor' category and signaling the onset of winter pollution cycle.The numbers tell the story: an AQI of 132 was recorded on Oct 27, which rose to 177 on Oct 28, dropped slightly to 150 on Oct 29, and then climbed sharply to 248. This rise follows a familiar late-Oct pattern as temperatures drop and wind speeds weaken. Gwalpahari recorded a worrying 319, which falls in the ‘very poor' range, while Vikas Sadan logged 177, categorised as ‘moderate'. The actual average AQI in city could be worse than 248, as the high reading at Gwalpahari suggests stronger localised pollution. Without full data coverage, the true extent of deterioration remains unclear. As Nov approaches, NCR typically experiences build-up of pollution from trapped emissions, vehicular traffic, construction dust, waste burning and industrial activity. "Tackling winter pollution isn't just about emergency responses once the air turns toxic. We need complete, reliable monitoring data to identify hotspots and act early. When half the stations go dark, we are not just losing numbers; we are losing time, public health safeguards and accountability. The city cannot afford blind spots in a season when every micro-trend matters," said Shubhansh Tiwari, research associate at Centre for Science and Environment. Officials maintain that seasonal controls are in place, but experts have long argued that weak monitoring hampers early intervention and makes targeted action difficult.Forecasts from India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Decision Support System (DSS) for air quality management in Delhi indicate mainly clear skies. Temperatures have risen by 1-3°C in recent days, though minimums remain above normal as cooler air layers settle closer to the surface. Winds have stayed largely calm, occasionally reaching 8-12 kmph, which is not enough to disperse pollutants effectively. The weather department predicts similar conditions ahead, with the possibility of light drizzle at a few locations and generally mild winds over the next two days. Minimum temperatures are expected to remain 1-2°C above normal before dipping again in early Nov. Dispersion conditions are unlikely to offer much relief. The mixing height is expected to remain low at around 500 metres before improving, while ventilation index values below 6,000 m²/s on some days indicate poor dispersion potential. Forecasts suggest that air quality will stay in the ‘very poor' category through at least the first week of Nov.