Delhi’s air pollution arrives with a paradox—as the smog reduces visibility, what becomes clear is the gap between the rich and the poor. 

Being a student living in Delhi, we have three breaks during our school session—the summer break, the winter break, and the holidays due to the rising pollution level that we Delhiites call our pollution break. As students, we see these holidays as something fun, as a timepass. Even after so many years of these breaks, we fail to realise the gravity of the situation. The main cause for this is our privilege and the rising political ignorance.

With air filters installed in our homes and private cars parked alongside, we talk about buying a petrol car for the next year as the ban on diesel cars is reimposed (How ironic!). We will never fully comprehend the impact of this air pollution because though we, the middle and upper class, cause this pollution, the less privileged residents bear the costs of our actions.

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As per the latest State of India’s Environment 2024, published by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, air pollution is one of the biggest reasons for child mortality in India. From womb to birth to adolescence, murky air with heavy doses of PM2.5 and noxious gases cripple generations. Doctors say that Delhi and many cities in India are witnessing a spike in cases of children and non-smoking adults with black deposits in lungs. These deposits cannot be removed and damage the lungs. It is a criminal oversight to ignore this health emergency.

Brainstorm Blitz: The First Breath (Qualifying Round) | Air Wars: The Final Frontier! (Final Round)

In 2019, the National Clean Air Programme aimed to reduce particulate pollution—PM2.5 and PM10—by 20-30 per cent by 2024, later raised to 40 per cent by 2026. However, most cities lag behind the 2024 goal despite spending thousands ofcrores, with only eight meeting the target, 22 worsening, and many not even recording continuous data. With high standards on paper but poor implementation in reality, an epic battle against air pollution looms ahead.

As air pollution becomes an alarming issue that can no longer be snoozed, let us take a deep breath and study about its major pollutants and sources across the country. Five years back itself, in 2019, air pollution was alone responsible for about 16.5 lakh deaths in India. This was disclosed by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), published by some very credible organizations—the Lancet Planet Health and the Indian Council of Medical Research. Their stat is believable as 24 out of 50 most polluted cities in the world are already in India, which we know from nothing but the World Health Organization’s data released in May 2023.

Eat Healthy. Breathe Healthy. Stay...

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Zillions of vehicles are emitting a cocktail of poisonous gases. Industries spewing forth more of it. Burning crops, waste dumps on fire, construction and demolition dust, Diwali firecrackers... Winter is here with a host of triggers for a variety of ailments. Add to it, the gastronomic indulgence that the festive season occasions, a time when adulterated food assumes a particularly menacing appearance. The question is, will the Jawan in all of us be able to deal with this double jeopardy?

With our in-house scientist, Dr Debadutta Basu, see how different pollutants of air and water are measured to know how polluted our surroundings really are.

Understanding the impact of air pollution on our fitness and that of our little champs

France passed a new law that mandates car advertisements to dissuade people from using more cars. This regulation is implemented with the aim of curbing global warming. French car commercials have to display messages encouraging alternate means of transport. For example, ‘Consider carpooling,’ ‘For day-to-day use, take public transportation,’ and ‘For short trips, opt for walking or cycling.’

This ruling will impact over all media, including print, TV, radio, and Internet...

To burst or not to burst?’ is a question many young humans might be asking as the patakha (firecracker) season begins. Teachers and doctors tend to advice against firecrackers but there’s always a paan-chewing uncle or a macho friend who’ll bully you kids into becoming enthusiastic arsonists. It’s usually a tough choice to make. Some additional information is always a good help in firming up ones’ resolutions. Therefore, let's throw some light on the history, chemistry, and eco-friendliness of patakhas.

Environmental organizations, civil-society groups, faith-based institutions, academicians, and community-based organizations are calling on the government for effective and sustainable environmental protection during the anniversary of the passage of the Clean Air Act into law on June 23. The Act bans incinerators for waste disposal, making the Philippines the first nation in the world to ban incinerators outright. 

We keep reading or hearing about air pollution and its deadly effect on our health and environment. More recently, we have also been hearing this new abbreviation being mentioned quite regularly: AQI – or Air Quality Index.

As the name suggests, AQI is nothing but a report on the quality of air that we are breathing in a particular place – it informs us and the authorities how polluted the air is, so that a decision can be taken on the measures to control the pollution level...

Every winter Delhi is engulfed by smog. Air quality drops to a very poor or severe category. The 2020-21 winter also coincided with opening up from the COVID-19 lockdown. While economic activity has still not reached its peak, air pollution in Delhi was only marginally better than the previous year. The number of smog episodes was lower than the previous two years. However, the seasonal average was higher than the previous two years...

Delhi made bus rides free for women in October 2019 and it has been a mixed experience so far. Since the initiative was launched, women ridership has gone up from 30 per cent to 45 per cent but it has also left the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) worried about its mounting losses. The cash-strapped bus operator feels the losses will translate into poor bus service. This is worrying since 15 per cent of bus trips get cancelled every day due to poor maintenance. While the Delhi government plans to extend free bus services to students and senior citizens, many are wondering if the city can afford to make public transport free.

Every winter, air quality in Delhi becomes critically dangerous. Here is a list of dos and don'ts to help you stay safe

Crammed school vans with children seated on the top of the compressed natural gas (cng) cylinder is a big safety hazard. Keeping any luggage or load on the cylinder can damage its pipe, hose, valve and other parts and it increases the risk of an exlposion