Centre for Science and Environment masthead Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Donate

Cse In News

Cse In News

Hold Your Breath! Annual Punishment Begins

New Delhi: On Diwali and the day after, the capital recorded its worst PM2.5 levels of the year since Jan, analysis shows. Even on Wednesday, two days after the festival, some of its areas continued to choke on exponentially high particulate pollution. According to a study by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the city had an average PM2.5 concentration of 228 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) on Diwali and 241 the next day. It was only on four days in Jan this year that PM2.5 had crossed these levels. The analysis also showed that Delhi on Tuesday was the seventh most polluted city in the country, behind Haryana's Jind (412), Dharuhera (298), Gurgaon (290), Narnaul (266), Bahadurgarh (247), and Rajasthan's Bhiwadi (244). Rohtak (223), Noida (218) and Ghaziabad (207) made up the worst 10. On Diwali, the hourly PM2.5 concentration at some places of Delhi went off the charts, with that in Nehru Nagar surging from 679 µg/m³ at 9pm to a staggering 1,763 at 10pm — 29 times the daily national ambient air quality standard and 118 times WHO's daily safe guideline of 15. The situation was mirrored at several other areas on Diwali night, with 14 out of 20 DPCC monitored stations surpassing the hourly PM2.5 concentration of 1,000, against only five stations on Diwali last year. "However, the AQI levels appear lower than reality because several CAAQMS stations maxed out or recorded missing values. This reminds us to interpret data cautiously and recognise that pollutant concentrations might have exceeded the instruments' detection limits. For instance, Anand Vihar reported missing data from 11pm on 20 Oct to 3pm the next day, a window when Diwali pollution typically peaks, suggesting concentrations went beyond the measurable range," said Manoj Kumar, analyst, CREA. Even two days after Diwali, areas like Anand Vihar showed hourly PM2.5 levels of 579 µg/m³, still high but a slight improvement over the peak particulate pollution of 656 a day earlier. According to experts, as pollutants turn finer, health risks increase. "These particles (PM2.5) are so small they can easily enter the bloodstream and impact different organs in the body, leading to toxic effects. The tinier the particle, the greater the health risk," said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

AQI improves, wind set to keep airshed ventilated, prevent pollution spike in Gurgaon

The city's air quality showed a marked improvement on Wednesday, falling to 281 (poor) from 370 (very poor) a day earlier, thanks to stronger northwesterly winds that helped disperse pollutants lingering in the airshed since Diwali. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the improvement was driven by a temporary increase in wind speed, which helped clear the haze that blanketed the city after the festival that saw people burst crackers across the city much beyond the two-hour evening window set by Supreme Court. The wind is expected to pick up again in the afternoon on Thursday, reaching speeds of around 12 kmph from the northwest, before dropping below 10 kmph by evening as it shifts to a northerly direction. Meteorologists said smog or shallow fog is likely to form during the morning hours, giving way to clearer skies with light mist or haze later in the day. The maximum temperature is expected to hover between 32°C and 34°C, while the minimum will remain around 18°C to 20°C, about one to two degrees above normal for this time of the year. IMD data also showed that the ventilation index, which measures the atmosphere's ability to disperse pollutants, is likely to remain moderate over the next few days. The index stood at 12,500 on Tuesday but is expected to fall to 9,000 on Thursday and 6,000 on Friday. Experts consider values below 6,000, combined with wind speeds under 10 kmph, as unfavourable for pollution dispersion. Shubhansh Tiwari, research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, "The improvement in air quality reflects a combination of favourable meteorological factors. The gain in AQI is mainly because long-range pollutants stayed low, stubble burning has not picked up significantly yet, and the wind pattern has remained steady, allowing better horizontal dispersion. The mixing height has also been higher in the last two days, which means pollutants are spreading over a greater vertical column of air instead of staying trapped near the surface," he said. The air quality is expected to stay in the very poor category from Oct 23 to 25, with a likelihood of improving slightly to the poor category in the following six days. In Delhi, Anand Vihar, one of the capital's most polluted areas and the first to enter the severe category this season, emerged as the most polluted spot with an AQI of 429 on Wednesday after briefly dropping out of the city's top 10 polluted areas for two days. Other areas that recorded severe air quality were R K Puram, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj and Wazirpur, CPCB data showed. Delhi's air turned very poor on Oct 20, Diwali night. Toxic smoke pushed the city's average hourly PM2.5 concentration to 675µg/m3 at midnight — the highest since 2021, when it had touched 728µg/m3. The safe standard for PM2.5 is 60µg/m3. Though relatively strong winds and warmer-than-usual temperatures the next morning helped prevent a sharper deterioration, the pollution load lingered. The city's AQI edged up to 351 on Tuesday, indicating a slow recovery. Anju Goel, senior fellow and associate director for Air Quality Research at TERI, said the spike between Oct 19 and 21 indicates that firecracker emissions alone contributed to an 18% rise in AQI. "Conventional firecrackers release oxides of sulphur and nitrogen along with fine particulate matter containing harmful metals like copper, lead and cadmium, which severely affect human health and the environment," she said. Goel added that while green firecrackers — introduced following Supreme Court restrictions — can reduce emissions by 20–30%, they are only a partial solution. "It's not a complete fix but a relatively cleaner alternative," she said.

Who is Heera Lal Patel IAS? Meet the bureaucrat who conducts Green Elections

A 2019 study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed that Indian elections can generate around 6,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste from campaign materials alone. In August 2023, the Election Commission of India (ECI) compiled and reissued consolidated instructions for "Green Elections" ahead of Assembly polls in five states. These guidelines reiterated the ECI's long-standing appeals to political parties and candidates to minimise their environmental impact during campaigns. Laying the ground rules, the then chief election commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar, said: "India has now set a new global benchmark for holding environmentally sustainable elections with low carbon footprint.'' What the CEC preached then was picked up by a fellow civil servant, Heera Lal Patel, a UP cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who can be credited with initiating India’s first Green Election model. "I conducted Green Elections for the first time in June 2024 at the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab, after the EC’s guidelines were set out. Later that year, in November, I was a returning officer and helped conduct Green Elections in Maharashtra Assembly constituencies, Anushakti Nagar and Chembur,” Patel said.

Small farmers need $443 bn a year to adapt - less than what's spent on harmful farm subsidies

A new analysis reveals that helping small-scale farmers adapt to climate change requires $443 billion annually, less than the $470 billion spent on harmful subsidies. Despite producing half the world's food, smallholders receive minimal climate finance. The report urges redirecting funds to support these farmers, emphasising their role in global food security and ecological sustainability. Helping the world's small-scale family farmers adapt to climate change will cost $443 billion annually, less than the $470 billion governments spend each year on agricultural subsidies that harm people and the planet, according to a new analysis released ahead of COP30 in Brazil. The study by Climate Focus for the Family Farmers fo... Click here to read full article from source https://www.downtoearth.org.in/agriculture/small-farmers-need-443-bn-a-year-to-adapt-less-than-whats-spent-on-harmful-farm-subsidies

दिल्ली की हवा जहर, तैर रहे छोटे-छोटे कण जो सीधे खून में घूलकर अंगों को बना देते हैं बेजान

दीपावली और उसके अगले दिन दिल्ली में इस साल जनवरी के बाद सबसे खराब वायु गुणवत्ता दर्ज की गई। विश्लेषण के अनुसार, त्योहार के दो दिन बाद यानी बुधवार को भी दिल्ली के कई इलाकों में हवा बेहद जहरीली बनी रही। सेंटर फॉर रिसर्च ऑन एनर्जी एंड क्लीन एयर (सीआरईए) के अध्ययन के मुताबिक, दीपावली के दिन दिल्ली का औसत PM2.5 स्तर 228 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर (µg/m³) था, जबकि अगले दिन यह बढ़कर 241 µg/m³ तक पहुंच गया। इस साल जनवरी में सिर्फ चार दिन ऐसे थे जब PM2.5 का स्तर इससे अधिक गया था। अध्ययन में यह भी पाया गया कि मंगलवार को दिल्ली देश की सातवीं सबसे प्रदूषित शहर रही। उससे आगे हरियाणा के जींद (412), धरूहेड़ा (298), गुरुग्राम (290), नारनौल (266), बहादुरगढ़ (247) और राजस्थान के भिवाड़ी (244) थे। वहीं रोहतक (223), नोएडा (218) और गाज़ियाबाद (207) भी प्रदूषण के शीर्ष 10 शहरों में शामिल रहे। स्वास्थ्य पर कितना गंभीर असर विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि जैसे-जैसे प्रदूषक कण (PM2.5) और बारीक होते जाते हैं, उनका असर शरीर पर ज़्यादा खतरनाक होता है। अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी, कार्यकारी निदेशक, सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE), ने कहा, “ये सूक्ष्म कण इतने छोटे होते हैं कि वे सीधे रक्त प्रवाह में प्रवेश कर जाते हैं और शरीर के कई अंगों को प्रभावित कर सकते हैं। कण जितना छोटा, स्वास्थ्य के लिए खतरा उतना बड़ा।”

रियलिटी चेक: दिल्ली में प्रदूषण पर ‘डेटा का खेल’! कहीं पेड़ों में छिपे AQI स्टेशन, कहीं डिस्प्ले बोर्ड बंद

दिल्ली की हवा हर साल दिवाली के बाद जहर हो जाती है. लेकिन इस बार सवाल सिर्फ प्रदूषण के स्तर पर नहीं, बल्कि प्रदूषण मापने वाली व्यवस्था की विश्वसनीयता... वहीं मोहन पी. जॉर्ज, पूर्व वरिष्ठ वैज्ञानिक, DPCC और सलाहकार, सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने कहा कि AQI स्टेशन किसी भी तरह की बाधा से मुक्त होने

Delhi air pollution:WorstDiwali air in 4 years, Tuesday winds prevent‘severe’ drop; no GRAP-III yet

NEW DELHI: Widespread bursting of firecrackers beyond the time window permitted by Supreme Court on Diwali night drove Delhi’s air quality deeper into the ‘very poor’ category on Tuesday. The surge of toxic smoke, laden with pollutants and heavy metals, caused the city’s average hourly PM2.5 levels to touch 675 micrograms/cubic metre at midnight, the highest since 2021 for Diwali night, when it had stood at 728. However, a rise in wind speed from 6am onwards and above-normal temperatures, along with negligible impact of stubble burning, prevented a further spike in pollution during the day. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Diwali day stood at 345 in the ‘very poor’ category at 4pm — the highest Diwali day reading since 2021, when it had reached 382. On Tuesday, it had risen marginally to 351 — higher than last year’s post-Diwali reading of 339 (on Nov 1) but lower than the level recorded in 2023 (358). AQI past 350, noGRAP-III yet The worst post-Diwali air quality on record was in 2021, when the AQI spiked to 462 (‘severe’) on Nov 5. After a gap of five years, the Supreme Court had allowed the bursting of green crackers, which release 30% less particulate matter than conventional crackers, from 6am to 7am and 8pm to 10pm on Oct 19 and 20, respectively. However, crackers were burst till well past midnight, with people also opting for conventional crackers due to their easy availability. A sharp rise in PM2.5 levels across several stations in the city within a gap of a few hours shows that the crackers were used. Delhi Pollution Control Commission’s real-time air quality data showed that the hourly PM2.5 concentration at Nehru Nagar in Lajpat Nagar rose from 679 micrograms per cubic metre at 9pm to 1,763 micrograms per cubic metre at 10pm on Monday. Several stations recorded a similar spike within a matter of a few hours. The AQI remained in the higher end of the ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’ category in some parts of the city. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment, said Delhi-NCR experienced the season’s first smog episode on Monday night due to the concentrated bursting of crackers. “Pollution levels have hit very poor to severe levels at this onset of the winter when it’s still much warmer. The particulate levels have increased steadily since early Oct. But on Oct 20, the levels increased by nearly eight times between afternoon and night, causing very high exposures. This has happened even when the contribution of farm fires was less than 1-2%,” said Roychowdhury. She added that the coming months will require much stronger systemic action to control emissions from sources and not just temporary emergency measures that have short-lived impacts. As winds remained calm during the night, it caused an accumulation of pollutants. However, winds picked up from 6am onwards, leading to dispersion. “The hourly particulate matter spiked from 9pm on Monday and saw an increasing trend until 5am on Tuesday and then a sharp decline as the sun came out,” said Gufran Beig, founder of the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) and chair professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS).

Indo-Gangetic Plains blanketed in smog as post-Diwali air worsens

The national capital may be synonymous with pollution, but the chokehold of pollution this Diwali covered an area far beyond Delhi. From Haryana to eastern Uttar Pradesh, air quality plunged across the Indo-Gangetic Plains, revealing the depth of the country’s post-Diwali pollution crisis that extends well past Delhi. During the peak of Diwali celebrations, Jind in Haryana recorded the worst air quality index (AQI) in the country on Tuesday, touching 421 in the “severe” zone. Joining it in the “severe” zone was Dharuhera with an AQI of 412. Three other towns from Haryana – Narnaul (AQI of 390), Rohtak (376) and Gurugram (370), all in the “very poor” zone – made the notorious distinction of making the list of top five most polluted towns in the country, according to Central Pollution Control Board data. Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Manesar, Hapur, were among the cities that had “very poor” air along with towns such as Bahadurgarh, Bhiwadi, Charkhi Dadri, Sirsa and Nandesari, CPCB data showed. Cities in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, including Kanpur, Lucknow and Patna, recorded “poor” air, with most regions already suffering from high PM2.5 levels even before the festival began. Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) showed Dharuhera had the highest PM2.5 concentration at 235 µg/m³ before Diwali, followed by Delhi at 223 µg/m³, indicating widespread local pollution well before winter inversion set in. “We are still in the warmer part of the year. Diwali was celebrated in the early part of winter this year but we are noticing a steep climb in pollution levels,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment. “Between October 11 and now there has been 1.6 times increase in pollution in Delhi. From yesterday afternoon to night, PM2.5 levels have seen an 8 times increase. This is mainly a result of concentrated burning. The contribution from farm fires is still 1-2% which clearly shows local pollution sources are causing the spike, especially fire crackers”. Roychowdhury warned that once winter inversion deepens, the entire NCR and Indo-Gangetic region will be trapped under a toxic haze. “Year after year we remain on an emergency mode to deal with winter pollution in the region. We focus on short term measures such as sweeping of roads, sprinkling of water to keep dust down but the systemic solutions to counter key sources are missing.” “In fact, Jind or Dharuhera may not be big contributors to this pollution. But, they can get wrapped in smog because the whole airshed is getting polluted. We need region wide action.” She said all measures of energy transition in vehicles, industry, and households, integrated public transportation systems, and circularity countering waste burning and dumping have to be implemented in the entire region, adding that Haryana is poorly represented in the National Clean Air Programme despite having several polluted areas. HT reported on July 19 last year that road dust mitigation has been the primary focus of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) – launched in 2019 to cut particulate pollution by 40% by 2025-26. Around 64% of NCAP’s ₹10,566 crore budget has gone into road dust control – road paving, mechanical sweepers, and pothole repairs – while only 14.5% was spent on biomass burning, 12.6% on vehicular emissions, and less than 1% on industrial pollution, according to a CSE analysis

दिल्ली में दिवाली के बाद भी प्रदूषण का कहर जारी, कई इलाकों में AQI 'रेड जोन' में

दिल्ली में दिवाली के बाद पटाखों के कारण वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर खतरनाक स्तर पर बना हुआ है। कई इलाकों में एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स 350 के पार दर्ज किया गया, जिससे लोगों को सांस लेने में भी परेशानी हो रही है। एनसीआर के अन्य शहरों में भी हवा की गुणवत्ता बेहद खराब श्रेणी में दर्ज की गई है। नई दिल्ली : दिवाली के बाद दिल्ली में पटाखों का असर अभी भी हवा में बरकरार है। बुधवार सुबह भी आसमान में धुंध छाई रही, जिससे दृश्यता कम हो गई। राजधानी के कई इलाकों में एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स ( AQI ) 350 के पार दर्ज किया गया। दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के सुबह 5 बजे के आंकड़ों के अनुसार, सबसे अधिक प्रदूषण वजीरपुर इलाके में और सबसे कम आईजीआई एयरपोर्ट एरिया में दर्ज किया गया। एनसीआर के अन्य शहरों में भी हवा की गुणवत्ता गंभीर बनी हुई है।\नोएडा में सुबह 5 बजे एक्यूआई 295 दर्ज किया गया, जबकि फरीदाबाद में एक्यूआई 258 रहा। गुरुग्राम में वायु गुणवत्ता बेहद खराब श्रेणी में दर्ज हुई, जहां बुधवार सुबह एक्यूआई 394 मापा गया। वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (सीएक्यूएम) ने मंगलवार को उत्तरी भारत में हवा की गुणवत्ता में तेजी से गिरावट पर चिंता व्यक्त की थी। आंकड़ों से पता चलता है कि पीएम2.5 प्रमुख प्रदूषक बना हुआ है, जिससे वायु गुणवत्ता खतरनाक स्तर तक पहुंच गई है। शून्य से 50 के बीच एक्यूआई 'अच्छा', 51 से 100 के बीच 'संतोषजनक', 101 से 200 के बीच 'मध्यम', 201 से 300 के बीच 'खराब', 301 से 400 के बीच 'बेहद खराब' और 401 से 500 के बीच 'गंभीर' माना जाता है। कुल 38 निगरानी केंद्रों में से 35 'रेड जोन' में थे, जो 'बेहद खराब' से 'गंभीर' वायु गुणवत्ता को दर्शाते हैं। सुबह 5 बजे विभिन्न स्थानों पर AQI इस प्रकार था: वजीरपुर- 405, रोहिणी-383, आरके पुरम-377, आनंद विहार-364, अशोक विहार-387, आईटीओ-360, जेएलएन स्टेडियम-347, इंडिया गेट-332, पूसा-351, आईजीआई एयरपोर्ट-270।\सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की कार्यकारी निदेशक, अनुसंधान और वकालत, अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा कि दिल्ली-एनसीआर में पटाखों के कारण इस मौसम का पहला स्मॉग एपिसोड देखा गया। उन्होंने बताया कि सर्दियों की शुरुआत में, जब मौसम अभी भी काफी गर्म है, प्रदूषण का स्तर बहुत खराब से गंभीर स्तर तक पहुंच गया। अक्टूबर की शुरुआत से कणों का स्तर लगातार बढ़ रहा है। 20 अक्टूबर को, दोपहर और रात के बीच स्तर लगभग आठ गुना बढ़ गया, जिससे बहुत अधिक जोखिम हुआ, जबकि खेत की आग का योगदान 1-2% से भी कम था। उन्होंने कहा कि आने वाले महीनों में उत्सर्जन को नियंत्रित करने के लिए मजबूत प्रणालीगत कार्रवाई की आवश्यकता होगी, न कि केवल अस्थायी आपातकालीन उपायों की, जिनका अल्पकालिक प्रभाव पड़ता है। दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण के स्तर को कम करने के लिए तत्काल और दीर्घकालिक उपायों की आवश्यकता है, जिसमें उत्सर्जन स्रोतों पर नियंत्रण, सार्वजनिक परिवहन को बढ़ावा देना और जागरूकता फैलाना शामिल है। पटाखों पर प्रतिबंध और प्रदूषण नियंत्रण नियमों का सख्ती से पालन सुनिश्चित करना भी आवश्यक है

फूल रही सांसे...जहरीली हवा से कब मिलेगी राहत? दिवाली के बाद दूसरे दिन दिल्ली-NCR में कितना पहुंचा AQI

दिल्ली में दिवाली की रात पटाखे चलाने का असर अभी भी बरकरार है। पटाखों की वजह से बुधवार सुबह भी आसमान में धुंध छाई है। सुबह-सुबह धुंध की वजह से दृश्यता कम है। वहीं, एयर क्ववालिटी अभी भी 'रेड जोन' में बरकरार है। राजधानी के कई इलाकों में आज भी एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स 350 के पार बना हुआ है। दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के सुबह 5 बडे के डेटा के अनुसार सबसे अधिक प्रदूषण वजीरपुर इलाके में और सबसे कम आईजीआई एयरपोर्ट एरिया में दर्ज किया गया। एनसीआर में गुरुग्राम सबसे अधिक प्रदूषित नोएडा में सुबह 5 बजे एक्यूआई 295 दर्ज किया गया। वहीं, फरीदाबाद में एक्यूआई 258 रहा। गुरुग्राम में भी हवा का स्तर बेहद खराब कैटेगरी में दर्ज हुआ। गुरुग्राम में बुधवार की सुबह एक्यूआई 394 दर्ज हुआ। इससे पहले वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (सीएक्यूएम) ने मंगलवार को उत्तरी भारत भर में हवा की गुणवत्ता में तेजी से बिगड़ने की चिंताजनक खबर दी थी। आंकड़े दर्शाते हैं कि इन सभी क्षेत्रों में कणीय पदार्थ पीएम2.5 प्रमुख प्रदूषक बना हुआ है, जिससे वायु की गुणवत्ता खतरनाक स्तर तक पहुंच गई है। शून्य से 50 के बीच एक्यूआई 'अच्छा', 51 से 100 के बीच 'संतोषजनक', 101 से 200 के बीच 'मध्यम', 201 से 300 के बीच 'खराब', 301 से 400 के बीच 'बेहद खराब' और 401 से 500 के बीच 'गंभीर' माना जाता है। कुल 38 निगरानी केंद्रों में से 35 'रेड जोन' में थे, जो 'बेहद खराब' से 'गंभीर' वायु गुणवत्ता को दर्शाता है। सुबह 5 बजे कहां-कितना AQI वजीरपुर- 405 रोहिणी-383 आरके पुरम-377 आनंद विहार-364 अशोक विहार-387 आईटीओ-360 जेएलएन स्टेडियम-347 इंडिया गेट-332 पूसा-351 आईजीआई एयरपोर्ट-270 आगे कैसा रहेगा हाल? सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की कार्यकारी निदेशक, अनुसंधान और वकालत, अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी ने कहा कि दिल्ली-एनसीआर में पटाखे फोड़ने के कारण इस मौसम का पहला स्मॉग एपिसोड देखा गया। "सर्दियों की शुरुआत में, जब मौसम अभी भी काफी गर्म है, प्रदूषण का स्तर बहुत खराब से गंभीर स्तर तक पहुंच गया है। अक्टूबर की शुरुआत से कणों का स्तर लगातार बढ़ रहा है।

दिवाली के बाद भी नहीं सुधरी हवा, सियासत ने भी पकड़ी रफ्तार

दिवाली की रात छोड़े गए पटाखों का असर अभी तक दिल्ली की हवा से खत्म नहीं हुआ है। राजधानी में बुधवार सुबह भी घना धुआं और धुंध छाया रहा, जिससे दृश्यता काफी कम हो गई। एयर क्वालिटी इंडेक्स (AQI) अभी भी खतरनाक स्तर यानी ‘रेड जोन’ में बना हुआ है। दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के मुताबिक, राजधानी के ज्यादातर इलाकों में वायु गुणवत्ता बेहद खराब श्रेणी में दर्ज की गई है। सुबह 5 बजे तक मिले आंकड़ों के अनुसार, वजीरपुर में प्रदूषण का स्तर सबसे ज्यादा जबकि आईजीआई एयरपोर्ट इलाके में सबसे कम दर्ज हुआ। वजीरपुर का AQI 405 रहा, जो गंभीर स्तर पर है। NCR में भी बिगड़ी हवा दिल्ली से सटे इलाकों में भी स्थिति चिंताजनक है। नोएडा में AQI 295, फरीदाबाद में 258 और गुरुग्राम में 394 दर्ज किया गया। वायु गुणवत्ता प्रबंधन आयोग (CAQM) ने मंगलवार को चेतावनी दी थी कि उत्तरी भारत में हवा की गुणवत्ता तेजी से बिगड़ रही है। प्रमुख प्रदूषक PM2.5 कणीय पदार्थ बना हुआ है, जिसने पूरे क्षेत्र की हवा को विषैला बना दिया है। दिल्ली के प्रमुख इलाकों में सुबह 5 बजे का AQI वजीरपुर- 405 रोहिणी- 383 आरके पुरम- 377 आनंद विहार- 364 अशोक विहार- 387 आईटीओ- 360 जेएलएन स्टेडियम- 347 इंडिया गेट- 332 पूसा-351 आईजीआई एयरपोर्ट- 270 यह मौसम का पहला स्मॉग एपिसोड सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (CSE) के अनुसार, “दिल्ली-एनसीआर में पटाखों की वजह से इस मौसम का पहला स्मॉग एपिसोड देखने को मिला। दिवाली के बाद 20 अक्टूबर की रात प्रदूषण का स्तर आठ गुना बढ़ गया। खेतों की आग का योगदान बहुत कम (1-2%) था, लेकिन हवा की धीमी गति ने प्रदूषकों को फैलने नहीं दिया। उन्होंने कहा कि आने वाले महीनों में केवल अस्थायी कदम नहीं, बल्कि दीर्घकालिक नीतिगत कार्रवाई की जरूरत होगी ताकि प्रदूषण के स्रोतों पर नियंत्रण पाया जा सके। हवा में ज़हर: PM2.5 स्तर 675 तक पहुंचा पीटीआई की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, दिवाली की रात PM2.5 का स्तर 675 माइक्रोग्राम प्रति घन मीटर दर्ज किया गया, जो पिछले चार वर्षों में सबसे अधिक है। 2024 में यह 609, 2023 में 570 और 2022 में 534 था। विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि बंगाल की खाड़ी में बने डिप्रेशन के कारण हवा की गति कम हो गई, जिससे प्रदूषक लंबे समय तक हवा में तैरते रहे। ध्वनि प्रदूषण भी चरम पर दिल्ली प्रदूषण नियंत्रण समिति (DPCC) के आंकड़ों के मुताबिक, 26 में से 23 नॉइज मॉनिटरिंग स्टेशन पर आवाज की तीव्रता सीमा से ऊपर दर्ज हुई। करोल बाग में रात 11 बजे 93.5 डेसिबल(A) शोर दर्ज हुआ, जबकि अनुमति केवल 55 डेसिबल(A) की है। यहां तक कि साइलेंस जोन जैसे श्री औरोबिंदो मार्ग पर भी 65 डेसिबल(A) तक शोर दर्ज हुआ। GRAP-II लागू, सुधार की उम्मीद CAQM ने GRAP-II चरण को सक्रिय कर दिया है। आंकड़ों के अनुसार, प्रदूषण में परिवहन का योगदान 14.6%, नोएडा का 8.3%, गाजियाबाद का 6%, गुरुग्राम का 3.6% और पराली जलाने का लगभग 1% है। पूर्व सीपीसीबी अधिकारी दीपांकर साहा का मानना है कि हवा की रफ्तार बढ़ने पर अगले कुछ दिनों में राहत मिल सकती है। सियासत भी गरमाई वायु प्रदूषण को लेकर दिल्ली की सियासत भी तेज हो गई है। पर्यावरण मंत्री मंजींदर सिंह सिरसा ने AAP सरकार पर आरोप लगाया कि वह पंजाब के किसानों को पराली जलाने के लिए उकसा रही है। जवाब में AAP नेता सौरभ भारद्वाज ने सिरसा को अनपढ़ कहते हुए पलटवार किया और कहा कि “पंजाब का AQI सिर्फ 156 है, जिससे साफ है कि दिल्ली की हवा खराब होने की वजह कुछ और है। दिवाली के बाद दिल्ली एक बार फिर गैस चैंबर में बदल गई है। प्रदूषण के आंकड़े चेतावनी दे रहे हैं कि अगर अब भी ठोस कदम नहीं उठाए गए, तो सर्दियों के दौरान हालात और भयावह हो सकते हैं।

Explained: 350 vs 1,100, CPCB vs IQAir, Who Has Got Delhi's AQI Right

Delhi's sky turned grey and hazy a day after Diwali fireworks lit up the city. The air, toxic, making the national capital the "most polluted major global city". The pollution levels or the Air Quality Index (AQI) soared to severe levels, resulting in difficulty in breathing, itchy eyes and causing discomfort to even healthy people. IQAir, a Swiss air-quality monitoring company, clocked the city's AQI at a staggering 1,121 on Tuesday. However, India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported a much lower AQI of 351, falling under the "very poor" category. The catch is - both the readings are correct but for different reasons. What Is AQI? The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a public health tool designed to communicate air pollution levels or the quality of air in simple terms. Eight pollutants namely particulate matter (PM) 10, PM2.5, Ozone (O3), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb) and ammonia (NH3) act as major parameters in deriving the AQI of an area, as per the CPCB. "AQI is a calculated index based on different parameters. It is for common man's understanding of the quality of air," explained Mohan George, Consultant at the Centre for Science and Environment. "AQI has different color-coded ranges simply to tell the citizens that air is good or satisfactory or very poor and what they should be doing," George, also former Additional Director at Delhi Pollution Control Committee, added. For example, AQI between 401 and 500 or in the severe category is hazardous for even healthy people, and one should avoid going out or exercising in the open.

As Punjab gets attention, data suggests Haryana, UP contribute to over a third of Delhi’s PM 2.5

Punjab takes the heat for Delhi’s foul air. But the headlines often miss Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which contribute significantly to the toxic mix. A total of 19 cities in the National Capital Region appear to have contributed to more than one-third of the PM 2.5 load in Delhi, suggests Newslaundry’s analysis of two weeks’ data compiled by an institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Of these, 11 cities are in Haryana, six in Uttar Pradesh and two in Rajasthan. Newslaundry’s analysis from October 5 to 19 is based on regional and sectoral contributors forecast by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune under MoES. This data was analysed before the peak observed on Diwali. Data suggests that the contribution of local factors such as transport, industry, energy, waste burning etc was 35.4 percent between October 5 and 19. Among these, the share of the transport sector was the highest at 18.32 percent. The third highest contributor was a curious sector called “others” at 27.65 percent. It’s not clear what emission sources are included in the “others” category. Since 2021, IITM-Pune has been predicting PM2.5 load of Delhi with the help of the Decision Support System. It also releases air quality index forecast through the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS), which enables the Commission for Air Quality Management to take pre-emptive measures. Based on mathematical modeling, DSS estimates the contribution of emissions from local sectors in Delhi, 19 districts in three neighbouring states, and biomass burning. The 19 cities contributing to Delhi’s air pollution are part of the National Capital Region, a vast metropolitan area comprising Delhi and several adjoining districts across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Given the transboundary nature of air pollution, these cities are integral to regional anti-pollution initiatives and plans such as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and other Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)-led measures. Regional contributors In the period analysed, 19 cities contributed 34.52 percent to Delhi’s PM 2.5 load, including 11 in Haryana. Among the three neighbouring states, Haryana’s average predicted PM 2.5 load to Delhi was the highest at 24.7 percent. The Haryana cities analysed by DSS are Karnal, Faridabad, Mahendargarh, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Sonipat, Panipat, Gurgaon, Rewari, Bhiwani and Jind. Among them, Sonipat’s average share was the highest at 5.71 percent, followed by Jhajjar at 5.62 percent. For two days (October 5 and 13), Jhajjar was responsible for almost one-tenth of Delhi’s PM 2.5 load. Sonipat saw its highest contribution on October 11 and 12 when its share was 11 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively. Experts attributed Haryana’s contribution to winds carrying pollutants flowing from its cities towards Delhi. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director at Centre for Science and Environment, said: “The transboundary flow of pollution is determined by the direction of the wind. Delhi is on the downwind side of Haryana.” Referring to a source-apportionment study, she said Delhi’s contribution to Noida’s pollution can go up to 40 percent because the wind flow is from Delhi to Noida. On Jhajjar and Sonipat being the key contributors, she said they have industrial areas and thermal power plants. Uttar Pradesh’s average contribution in the two-week period was 8.4 percent with Gautam Buddh Nagar’s share at 3.05 percent and Ghaziabad at 2.53 percent. The other four districts part of DSS predictions are Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar. The share of Rajasthan, which has Alwar and Bharatpur among the 19 cities, was the lowest at 1.39 percent.

350 or Over 1,000? Decoding Delhi’s Post-Diwali Air Quality Index

New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality plunged sharply a day after Diwali, leaving the city shrouded in haze and making it one of the world’s most polluted major cities. Residents reported difficulty in breathing, itchy eyes, and general discomfort. While Swiss-based air-quality platform IQAir recorded the city’s AQI at a staggering 1,121, India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported a much lower figure of 351. Both readings, however, are correct within their respective frameworks. Understanding AQI The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool designed to communicate air pollution levels in simple terms, helping the public understand associated health risks. CPCB calculates AQI based on eight pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), and ammonia (NH3). Mohan George, consultant at the Centre for Science and Environment, explains, “AQI uses color-coded ranges to indicate whether the air is good, satisfactory, or very poor, guiding citizens on necessary precautions.” For instance, an AQI above 400 falls in the “severe” category, hazardous even for healthy individuals. CPCB vs IQAir The key difference lies in methodology and scale. CPCB’s AQI scale is capped at 500, with six categories ranging from ‘good’ (0-50) to ‘severe’ (401-500). IQAir, however, has a tighter scale, labeling anything above 301 as “hazardous.” Both platforms identify the dominant pollutant usually PM2.5 in Northern India during winter but their calculation methods differ, leading to varying AQI values. Data Sources and Calculation CPCB relies on government-operated, reference-grade monitoring stations, including DPCC, IMD, and IIT Madras. IQAir incorporates data from these stations as well as additional sensor-based monitors from embassies, companies, and individuals. For example, if PM2.5 concentration reaches 1,100 micrograms per cubic meter, IQAir could report an AQI of 2,043, while CPCB’s calculation would show 1,054. Which Reading to Trust? Experts recommend focusing on the AQI category—“very poor,” “severe,” or “hazardous”—and pollutant concentrations rather than the numeric value alone. For instance, on Tuesday morning, IQAir recorded PM2.5 at 320 µg/m³ near Mandir Marg (AQI 489), while CPCB measured 335 µg/m³. Both indicate dangerously polluted air, underlining the need for precautionary measures such as limiting outdoor exposure and using masks or air purifiers. In essence, whether 350 or 1,100, the takeaway remains the same: Delhi’s air quality is hazardous, and public health measures are essential.

As pollution soared on Diwali night, Delhi’s air monitors fail at key moments

As Delhi’s skyline lit up unabated on Diwali night, the levels of pollutants skyrocketed far beyond permissible limits across the city. But at the very moment when tracking dangerous pollution peaks was most critical, the majority of Delhi’s 39 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) went offline for hours, creating significant data gaps. An analysis of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) data by HT revealed that only nine stations – barely 23% of the city’s monitoring network – recorded continuous data. The remaining stations experienced blackouts ranging from one to nine hours during the crucial 36-hour period between midnight on Monday and 11am Tuesday. Dwarka Sector 8 recorded the poorest performance, with data available for only 27 of the 36 critical hours. Monitoring stations at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj, and RK Puram each lost approximately eight hours of readings. Four other stations missed only one hour, but 10 crucial monitoring points went dark for six hours or more during the period when firecracker emissions typically peak and accumulate. Data gaps and pollution spikes Experts stressed that the missing data is not a new phenomenon. Every year, several stations stop reporting when pollution levels spike during Diwali, suggesting the system’s inability to handle pollution loads beyond a certain threshold. “The observed pattern shows that most stations stopped providing data when they approached 1,000 µg/m³, while there were stations such as Anand Vihar, Nehru Nagar, Mundka, that recorded values above 1,000 µg/m³, indicating that the technology of monitoring isn’t an issue, at least in terms of being available. We have observed this over the past years too,” said Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst of think tank EnviroCatalysts. Dahiya said the problem cuts across agencies. He referred to previous years, which had similar data gaps observed not only for stations under the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), but also those under the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). “This isn’t data being withheld. It is a technological limitation in the sense some stations are not able to record complete and accurate data beyond a certain limit,” Dahiya said, calling for stations to be suitably upgraded. Where data was available, the picture was alarming. DPCC’s Mandir Marg station recorded PM2.5 concentrations of 1,066 µg/m³ at midnight before going offline from 1am to 4am. At Nehru Nagar – Delhi’s most polluted station on Diwali night – PM2.5 touched 1,763 µg/m³ at 10pm, with no data for the next hour and a four-hour blackout between 1am and 5am. CPCB’s ITO station registered PM2.5 levels of 923 µg/m³ at 1am and went dark. It worked again at 7am when it logged 967 µg/m³. At Dwarka’s NSIT station, data vanished from midnight to 5am, while readings at IMD’s Ayanagar were unavailable for up to five hours. An expert, well acquainted with the CAAQMS across NCR, said for hourly readings – stations spend close to 40 minutes to collect particulate matter, with the remaining time spent to calibrate and analyse it. “Stations are designed to record extremely high values – even up to 10,000µg/m³. With the rise in concentration, accuracy may reduce but it does not mean values are not released. It simply means the accuracy is reduced marginally – by 1% or 2%. In this case, it is plausible a certain threshold has been set beyond which values will not be captured,” The cost of missing data These gaps, experts warned, undermine public health response and scientific understanding of pollution’s real impact. “Such missing data hampers insights, makes it impossible to assess exposure accurately, and gives a false sense that air quality is slightly better than it actually is,” said Dahiya. Activist Bhavreen Kandhari called it a “worrying breach of transparency.” “Reliable, continuous monitoring is the foundation of any clean-air strategy. Transparency in air quality data should be treated as a public health imperative, not a discretionary choice,” she said. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director for research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said such lapses were particularly concerning during “extreme pollution episodes” like Diwali. “High pollution peaks are expected during such extreme pollution episodes. It is thus highly important to keep the data open and transparent even if extreme peaks are recorded, to understand the magnitude of the impacts and to inform policy and people for adequate and effective health safeguards,” she said.