Is India Winning the War Against Pollution? The fight for cleaner air and water intensifies as the nation grapples with the escalating impacts of climate change. From the devastating floods in Assam to the alarming rise in air pollution levels in Delhi, environmental challenges demand urgent action. This week saw crucial discussions on sustainable agriculture and renewable energy sources at the India Climate Change Conference, highlighting the government's commitment to tackling deforestation and promoting biodiversity conservation. But are these efforts enough? Experts warn of looming water scarcity and the need for stricter regulations on industrial emissions. The future of India's environment hangs in the balance, demanding collective responsibility and innovative solutions. Explore Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and the latest updates on environmental policies, climate activism, and the ongoing struggle for a sustainable India. Discover how you can contribute to a greener tomorrow.
Delhi residents were confused Tuesday as air quality readings varied drastically between platforms. While the Central Pollution Control Board reported AQI below 400, international apps like IQAir showed levels exceeding 2,000 in some areas. This significant discrepancy stemmed from the use of different measurement scales. Many Delhi residents were puzzled on Tuesday when the city's air quality index (AQI) showed wildly different numbers across platforms. While the Central Pollution Control Boar ...Read More >
Delhi AQI: A thick layer of smog covered Delhi on Tuesday morning, just a day after Diwali celebrations filled the sky with fireworks. The city woke up to an acrid haze, reduced visibility and burning eyes, as air pollution levels reached hazardous levels. The national capital topped the list of the world's most polluted major cities, with residents struggling to breathe even indoors. While Swiss-based monitoring agency IQAir reported Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) at a shocking 1,121, India's ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a significant milestone for environmental conservation efforts, India has secured the ninth rank globally in forest area in 2025 -- up from the 10th position in 2020, said Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Wednesday. The country has also retained its third position in annual forest area gain, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in B ...Read More >
Kolkata, Oct 22 (PTI) The air quality in Kolkata and in the twin city of Howrah was "poor" on Wednesday morning, an official said. The air quality index (AQI) was 200 (PM 2.5) at 9 am at the air monitoring station at Jadavpur and 141 (PM 2.5) at Ballygunge, an official of West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) said. At Rabindra Bharati University in the Sinthi area the AQI was 142, while it was 165 at New Town, the satellite township near Kolkata. While the AQI was 150 at Fort William at ...Read More >
Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the 'very poor' category, with a reading of 335 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Delhi on Wednesday recorded a minimum temperature of 21.8 degrees Celsius, 3.4 notches above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Relative humidity was 91 per cent at 8.30 am. The IMD has forecast mist haze in the morning hours and mainly clear skies during the rest of the day. The maximum temperature is expect ...Read More >
NEW DELHI - Air pollution in India's capital has surged to hazardous levels, making New Delhi the most polluted major city in the world, according to Swiss-based air quality monitor IQAir. The spike follows Diwali festivities, during which fireworks and firecrackers contributed heavily to the smog. Iconic sites such as the India Gate War Memorial and Akshardham Temple were shrouded in thick haze, visible in drone imagery showing a murky skyline. While India's Supreme Court recently allowed the ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 22 (ANI): A thick layer of smog blanketed the Bandra area of Mumbai on Wednesday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 300 in the 'Poor' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).Meanwhile, in the national capital, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect, from Sunday, to tackle rising pollution levels.Delhi's Air Quality In ...Read More >
NEW DELHI -- Thick smog blanketed India's capital Tuesday, a day after millions celebrated the Hindu festival of Diwali with fireworks that sent air pollution soaring to hazardous levels. Revelers in New Delhi burst firecrackers late into Monday night, filling the air with smoke and fine particles that mixed with seasonal pollution and stagnant weather conditions. By Tuesday morning, the city's Air Quality Index had climbed above 350 in several neighborhoods, a level considered "severe" and dan ...Read More >
Kolkata: The air quality of the city on Diwali day, which started off as 'satisfactory' at almost all the 14 monitoring stations in the morning, worsened drastically to 'poor' and 'very poor' by 9 pm owing to relentless bursting of fireworks. Though there were some "exceptional" areas, like College Street, which maintained relatively clean air, most of the city experienced hazardous conditions, underscoring the need for cleaner celebration practices and stronger pollution control measures. The w ...Read More >
New Delhi: Firecracker emissions may have contributed between 30% and 40% to the city's pollution on Diwali, with calm conditions primarily worsening the impact and delaying recovery, say experts. According to Gufran Beig, founder of System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) and chair professor at National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), a preliminary visual analysis of data indicates that pollution levels rose steeply between 9 pm on Monday and 5 am on Tuesday, wh ...Read More >
New Delhi: In just an hour of firecracker frenzy -- between 9pm and 10pm on Diwali -- the PM2.5 concentration at Nehru Nagar in Lajpat Nagar surged from 679 micrograms per cubic metre to a staggering 1,763µg/m³. This made the southeast Delhi location the most polluted area in the city on Monday night.The peak level was over 29 times the daily national ambient air quality standard of 60 µg/m³ and 118 times World Health Organisation's daily safe guideline. A similar pattern of crackers burst in cl ...Read More >
NOIDA: A day after Diwali, the air in Gautam Budh Nagar continued to remain toxic, showing no significant improvement despite a visible decline in festive fireworks. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI on Tuesday stood at 320 in Noida and 282 in Greater Noida. Data from the past two days revealed little change - Noida's AQI was 325 on Monday and 320 on Sunday, while Greater Noida recorded 282 and 287, respectively. The district's air had already turned foul even bef ...Read More >
Noida: With the ban on firecrackers lifted for the first time in five years, Delhi-NCR experienced a sharp surge in pollution levels this Diwali, with both Noida and Ghaziabad recording 'very poor' air quality. This was also the worst Diwali AQI to be recorded in the two cities in the last three years, even though pollution levels didn't worsen after the festival.Experts said moderate winds of around 10 km per hour and warmer afternoons -- maximum temperature was recorded around 33 degrees Celsi ...Read More >
Noida: The city's 7x sectors woke up to a toxic haze after Diwali, with air quality plunging to alarming levels as residents flouted firecracker restrictions late into the night. Data from the Sector 116 monitoring station, which covers the 7x sectors, revealed that AQI was lodged in the "very poor" category through the day -- making the area the city's most polluted.Between 9am on Monday and 9am on Tuesday, AQI readings from Sector 116 hovered between 356 and 373, never leaving the 'very poor' ...Read More >
Bathinda: Amidst the ongoing debate over the contribution of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana to the worsening air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) at the onset of winter, Climate Trends, a research-based consultancy, has analysed centrally sourced data about the impact of stubble burning on Delhi's PM2.5. This comparative analysis covers Oct 2024 versus Oct 2025.The data underscores that reducing farm fires alone can yield immediate benefits, but structural air quality gains re ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Air quality in the Capital police station area in the city was the worst post the bursting of crackers during Diwali on Monday night, according to data from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB). Its air quality index (354) was 354, which corresponds to 'very poor'.At IRC Village in Nayapalli, Palasuni and Unit VIII, the prominent pollutant, particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) exceeded the permissible limits to a huge extent between 7 pm and 10 pm. The permissible limit of PM2 ...Read More >
Amitabh Kant has said the top court prioritised the right to burn crackers over the right to live New Delhi: Amitabh Kant, Sherpa of the 2023 G20 Summit in India and former CEO of Centre's think tank NITI Aayog, has said Delhi's air quality "lies in shambles" and only "ruthless and sustained execution" of pollution control can save Delhi from "health and environmental catastrophe". He also said the Supreme Court prioritised the "right to burn crackers over the right to live and breathe". The ...Read More >
India's capital New Delhi was shrouded in a thick, toxic haze on Monday as air pollution levels soared to more than 16 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum. New Delhi and its sprawling metropolitan region -- home to more than 30 million people -- are regularly ranked among the world's most polluted capitals, with acrid smog blanketing the skyline each winter. Cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a deadly mix of emissions from crop burning, factor ...Read More >
PTC Web Desk: Delhi woke up to severe air pollution on Tuesday, a day after Diwali, as relentless bursting of firecrackers ignored the Supreme Court-mandated time slots. The air quality index (AQI) reached 451 at 7 am, nearly twice the national safe limit, as toxic haze enveloped the city. On Diwali night, the AQI had already dipped into the 'very poor' category, while satellite cities Noida and Gurgaon recorded AQI levels of 407 and 402, respectively. Monitoring stations across Delhi reported ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: A thick blanket of smog engulfed Bhubaneswar following Diwali celebrations as the air quality levels plummeted last evening, reducing visibility to 500 metres by 9.30 pm. The air quality in the city plunged into the "severe" category, with the average Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 657 at 7 pm. According to CPCB, the AQI in the state capital was at a 'satisfactory' 54 at 4 pm. Areas like Rasulgarh, Baramunda and Patia were covered with firecracker smoke and rising particulates, ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): Residents of Delhi have complained about breathing difficulties and irritation in eyes following the rise in air pollution post Diwali celebrations. Speaking to ANI, Sagar, a resident of the national capital, held people accountable for the dip in air quality. He said, "Pollution hasn't just been increasing today; it's been increasing for years. Everyone blames politicians, but the people themselves are like this. People aren't improving themselves. You'll ...Read More >
Delhi AQI Level: Delhi residents woke up on Tuesday to heavy grey haze darkening the city skies, reduced visibility and the air quality in the 'red zone' after many celebrated Diwali last night by bursting firecrackers beyond the two-hour limit set by the Supreme Court. According to a Central Pollution Control Bureau (CPCB) bulletin, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was 'very poor', with a reading of 352 at 8 am. It was 346 at 5 am, 347 at 6 am and 351 at 7 am. The toxic choked smog sky seemed ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) -- Thick smog blanketed India's capital on Tuesday, a day after millions celebrated the Hindu festival of Diwali with fireworks that sent air pollution levels soaring to hazardous levels across the city. Revelers in New Delhi burst firecrackers late into Monday night, filling the air with smoke and fine particles that mixed with seasonal pollution and stagnant weather conditions. By Tuesday morning, the city's Air Quality Index had climbed above 350 in several neighborhoods, a le ...Read More >
New Delhi, October 21: A day after Diwali, the national capital city New Delhi woke up to thick and heavy layer of smog as the air quality deteriorated to the 'Very Poor' category on Tuesday morning, with most of the monitoring stations marked in the 'Red Zone' of pollution. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 350 as of 8 am today. As per the CPCB, Bawana recorded AQI of 423 as of 8 am, Jahangirpuri had an AQI of 407 and ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 20 (UNI) The national capital's air quality index today continued to reel under the "very poor" quality, going up a few more notches compared to the previous day. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the Average AQI recorded today was 345, falling under the 'very poor' category. On Sunday evening, it had crossed the 300 mark. Amid the present scenario of the city's air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the national capital region and adjoining ar ...Read More >
Millions of Indians celebrated Diwali on Monday as lamps illuminated homes and streets across the country to mark the Hindu festival symbolising the victory of light over darkness. Diwali, derived from the word "Deepavali", meaning "a row of lights", is typically celebrated by socialising and exchanging gifts. The dates of the festival are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, typically falling in late October or early November. Shoppers crowded markets to buy flowers, lanterns and candles. The ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) - Millions of Indians celebrated Diwali on Monday as lamps illuminated homes and streets across the country to mark the Hindu festival symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. Diwali, derived from the word "Deepavali," meaning "a row of lights," is typically celebrated by socializing and exchanging gifts. The dates of the festival are based on the Hindu lunar calendar, typically falling in late October or early November. Shoppers crowded markets to buy flowers, lanterns a ...Read More >
New Delhi and its sprawling metropolitan region -- home to more than 30 million people -- are regularly ranked among the world's most polluted capitals, with acrid smog blanketing the skyline each winter. Cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a deadly mix of emissions from crop burning, factories and heavy traffic. But pollution has also spiked due to days of fireworks set off to mark Diwali, the major Hindu festival of lights, which culminates on Monday night. The Supreme ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, Oct 20 -- India's capital New Delhi was shrouded in a thick, toxic haze today as air pollution levels soared to more than 16 times the World Health Organisation's recommended daily maximum. New Delhi and its sprawling metropolitan region -- home to more than 30 million people -- are regularly ranked among the world's most polluted capitals, with acrid smog blanketing the skyline each winter. Cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a deadly mix of emissions from cro ...Read More >
New Delhi, October 20: Amid the festive fervour sweeping across the National Capital Region (NCR) and the rest of the country, Delhi continues to grapple with "poor" air quality. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 411 around the Akshardham temple on Monday. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Sunday imposed Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB ...Read More >
From the alarming rise in Himalayan glacier melt impacting water security to the devastating cyclones battering coastal communities, India's environmental challenges demand urgent attention. Climate change, deforestation, and air pollution are no longer distant threats; they are daily realities shaping lives across the nation. We track crucial developments in environmental policy, highlighting government initiatives like the National Clean Air Programme and examining the impact of sustainable agriculture practices. Explore our coverage of biodiversity conservation efforts, the growing renewable energy sector, and the crucial role of citizen activism in environmental protection. Understand the intricate web connecting environmental degradation and socio-economic disparities, and discover how India is navigating the complexities of a changing climate. Stay informed, stay engaged, and become part of the solution. Explore the latest environmental news and analysis now.