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Chandigarh: The air quality in several parts of Haryana continued to be in the poor and very poor categories, while it was in the poor category in Punjab on Thursday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Dharuhera in Haryana's Rewari district recorded 338, while Jind and Rohtak stood at 305 and 302 respectively. Likewise, Fatehabad recorded 277, Panipat, 275, Charkhi Dadri, 263, Panchkula, 257, Bhiwani, 251, Kurukshetra, 249, Ambala 248, Gurugram, 230, Sonepat, 226 and Karnal, 207. In Punjab, Mandi Gobindgarh recorded an AQI of 274, Ludhiana 251, Jalandhar, 213, Ropar, 157, Khanna, 152, Amritsar, 151, Patiala, 119, and Bathinda, 90. An AQI between 0 to 50 is considered ''good'', between 51 and 100, ''satisfactory'', 101 and 200, ''moderate'', 201 and 300, ''poor'', 301 and 400, ''very poor'', 401 and 450 ''severe'' and above 450, ''severe plus''. The reasons behind the poor AQI were said to be extended Diwali celebrations and stubble burning in some parts of the two states. The officials, nonetheless, held that there has been a drastic drop in the incidence of farm fires compared to previous years. The farmers burn the stubble after harvesting the paddy crop in October and November - a practice which is blamed for the rise in air pollution - as the October-to-December window for sowing the rabi crop - wheat - is short.
Chandigarh, Sep 28 (PTI) 'Nukkad nataks', informative wall paintings and other activities will be part of the Punjab government's extensive campaign to highlight the ill effects of stubble burning and the benefits of crop residue management (CRM) machinery, officials said on Sunday. Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the state government has unveiled a comprehensive and ambitious information, education and communication (IEC) plan for crop residue management as part of its move to address the pressing concern of stubble burning and foster sustainable agricultural practices in the ...Read More >
New Delhi: Deteriorating further, the city's air quality worsened within the poor category on Wednesday, even as the pollution models indicated that the air quality index would turn very poor even before Diwali.The average AQI was 233 at 4pm against 211 on Tuesday. According to weather analysts, while the mornings are likely to turn misty or foggy and winds calmer, the share of stubble burning to the city's PM2.5 levels is expected to rise from less than 1% to over 4% by Friday. This may lead to AQI deteriorating faster than expected, they added. AQI between 301 to 400 is considered very poor ...Read More >
Delhi AQI: As Diwali festivities began on Monday, Delhi's air quality crisis has deepened, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas to impose Stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Sunday with immediate effect. As of 4 pm on Sunday, the national capital recorded an AQI of 296 according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). However, this was not the first day that the air quality in Delhi worsened, the AQI has remained in the 'poor' category (between 201-300 AQI) for the past few days. As the ci ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: India trialled cloud seeding over its smog-filled capital for the first time, spraying a chemical from an aeroplane to encourage rain and wash deadly particles out of the air. Cloud seeding is the practice of using aeroplanes to fire salt or other chemicals into clouds to induce rain. New Delhi city authorities, working with the government's Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, launched a test run on Thursday (Oct 23) afternoon using a Cessna light aeroplane over the city's norther ...Read More >
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday approved a hike in dearness allowance for its employees, increased the minimum support price for key crops, and okayed a mission to boost pulses output in the country, in decisions that will cost the Centre ₹1.2 trillion. In a festival-season bonanza, the Union cabinet approved a 3% increase in the dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for central government employees and pensioners. Effective 1 July, the DA stands at 58% of the basic pay, and would benefit about 4.92 million employees. Similarly, the DR would benefit 6.87 million pensioners ...Read More >
Amritsar: The division among farmers' organisations in Punjab has come to the fore, as several groups staged a statewide protest on Monday demanding govt support, while others distanced themselves from the agitation, stating that they do not agree with all the demands and are not part of the protest.Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala, state general secretary of the Jamhuri Kisan Sabha, said the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) was a national-level farmers' organisation led by various prominent farmers' unions that ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) president Saurabh Bhardwaj on Wednesday alleged that four government agencies "worked together" to manipulate the national capital's air quality data on the night of Diwali, terming it a "criminal act" following reports that an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 1763 was recorded at the Nehru Nagar monitoring station before it was shut down.Speaking to ANI, Bhardwaj said, "They are corrupt and criminals, what they have done is a criminal act... Four different government agencies worked together to collect Delhi's pollution data on the night of Diwali... T ...Read More >
Chandigarh: Punjab health minister Balbir Singh on Wednesday called for a united, scientific approach to tackle the country's growing pollution levels, saying this was necessary instead of "petty politics and blame games" over the issue.The minister urged the Centre to convene a joint meeting of all chief ministers, environment and health ministers, and environmental experts to draft a comprehensive national action plan on pollution.A day after Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa blamed stubble burning in Punjab for Delhi's pollution, Balbir Singh accused BJP leaders of making "irresponsible ...Read More >
New Delhi (ABC Live): For years, crop residue in India has sat at the intersection of environment, agriculture, and public policy. Every winter, stubble burning returns as a severe air-pollution problem. Meanwhile, India continues to import a significant share of the bitumen needed for roads. In principle, therefore, bio-bitumen offers an elegant policy bridge: convert agricultural waste into a road-building input, reduce burning, and cut import dependence at the same time. That is precisely why the technology has drawn high-level policy attention. The concept is undeniably attractive. A work ...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, when firecracker emissions accounted for over 70% of the total pollution, before decreasing as the sun ...Read More >
Stage I of GRAP is implemented when the AQI exceeds 200. Stage II (Very Poor) comes into effect when it crosses 300, Stage III (Severe) at levels above 350, and Stage IV (Severe Plus) when the AQI goes beyond 400. New Delhi: Delhi's air quality deteriorated to the 'poor' category for the first time this season with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 211 on Tuesday ahead of Diwali. It forced Commission for Air Quality Management to impose stage I of Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in Delhi-NCR. The ...Read More >
Ajnala: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday handed over relief cheques worth Rs 5.70 crore to 631 flood victims in Amritsar district.Addressing a gathering during a function held to disburse cheques to the flood victims, Mann said on Sept 11, he had announced that after conducting girdawari (special survey), the compensation distribution would begin within 45 days. "Although the 45-day deadline ends on Oct 28, the state govt has started distributing compensation," he said.The CM said it ...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 Court relaxed this month a blanket ban on fireworks over Diwali to allow the use of the less-pollut ...Read More >
Delhi's air quality data manipulation allegations surface after Diwali. Aam Aadmi Party claims government agencies conspired to alter pollution readings. Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa asserts Diwali's impact is minimal. He accuses AAP of communalizing the issue and scapegoating Hindus. Sirsa presents comparative data to support his claims, highlighting systemic issues over festival celebrations. Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President Saurabh Bhardwaj on Wednesday all ...Read More >
Despite unseasonal rainfall, pollution levels refuse to drop with BKC, Malad, Deonar, all in the 'very poor' AQI category The festive fervour in Mumbai on Tuesday was marred by excessive pollution and smoggy air. As the Diwali festivities continued, the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) plunged deeper into the 'very poor' zone, with thick smog settling over key neighbourhoods stretching from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) to Byculla and Malad. Despite the unseasonal showers across the city in the even ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two days after Diwali, the air in Delhi and its neighbouring cities turned dangerously toxic, with the national capital recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 353, placing it firmly in the 'Very Poor' category. According to the latest Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) bulletin issued at 4 p.m. on Wednesday (October 22), Delhi's air was laden with PM2.5 particles -- the most harmful pollutant for human lungs. The situation was even more alarming in satellite towns. Dharuhera (379), Rohtak (349), Noida (330), Bhiwani (331), Narnaul (332), and Ghaziabad ...Read More >
The results have also cast serious doubt on the effectiveness of 'green firecrackers', which were introduced to reduce pollution. Despite a sharp 77.5% drop in stubble burning this year, Delhi's air quality plummeted to its worst post-Diwali level in five years on Tuesday morning. The city woke up on Tuesday to a thick blanket of smog, with PM2.5 levels averaging 488 micrograms per cubic metre, nearly 100 times higher than the World Health Organization's safe limit. On Diwali night, readings to ...Read More >
Gurgaon: At just 58, Haryana's early farm count may be low - the lowest, in fact, recorded in the state in six years - but the number by itself doesn't quite reflect the reality.Forty-nine of these recorded fire incidents have taken place since Oct 13, showing crop stubble burning is picking up in the state and will test ground enforcement over the next fortnight. Typically, early Nov is when stubble burning peaks.The district that has reported the most fires, according to data compiled by Indian ...Read More >
An analysis of CPCB data showed that post-Diwali, PM 2.5 levels have touched 488 micrograms per cubic metre, the highest in five years and over three times the pre-festival level of 156.6 micrograms per cubic metre. Three out of four households in Delhi-NCR are already experiencing the ill-effects of toxic air, with common complaints ranging from sore throat and cough to burning eyes, headaches and disturbed sleep, according to an online survey by citizen engagement platform LocalCircles. An an ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said the government plans to approach the Supreme Court to seek permission to allow the use of certified green firecrackers to celebrate Diwali in the national Capital. Reiterating the government's commitment towards taking measures to check air pollution in the city, CM Gupta said, "It will also be ensured that all green firecrackers are manufactured only by authorised institutions and have been certified and tested by competent and relevant departments." "The government believes that a balance between public sentiments and environmental ...Read More >
New Delhi: Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Tuesday that conditions were not feasible for cloud seeding, so govt would wait for adequate moisture to complete the process. He had earlier said govt would explore cloud seeding as an option a day after Diwali to fix pollution levels.Addressing a press conference, the minister claimed that the spike in pollution levels this year was less compared to previous years. There was only a marginal spike in AQI levels from 345 to 351 on Diwali and the following day, he said. "This clearly proves that crackers are not the main cause of pol ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa intensified the political blame game over the capital's worsening air quality, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of "forcing" farmers to burn crop residue despite central incentives, with a surge in incidents timed to spike pollution post-Diwali. "In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party is in power. Farmers don't want to burn stubble. They even get paid for it now, so that they don't burn it. But they're being forced to burn it. It's printed in today's newspaper. Most incidents happened yesterd ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 30 (ANI): As the festive season begins, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Tuesday announced that it will temporarily hike fares by 10 per cent in all its buses, except air-conditioned Shivneri and Shivai buses, from October 15 to November 5, a statement said. The Shivneri buses primarily run on the Mumbai-Pune route, while the Shivai buses operate on various intercity routes, including Thane and Nashik. Also Read | Bihar SIR Final Electoral Roll Released on voters.eci.gov.in; Know How To Check Your Name in Voter List. "Passengers ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Sep 30 (PTI) Punjab farmers' bodies on Tuesday slammed the action against paddy growers for stubble burning and demanded a cash incentive for crop residue management. Despite a ban on crop residue burning, many farmers continue to indulge in the practice to clear the fields for sowing the next wheat crop. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after harvesting of the paddy crop in October and November. As the window for sowing the Rabi crop -- wheat -- is very short after paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire t ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Oct 20 (PTI) The number of stubble burning incidents in Punjab has reached 308, with Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts accounting for the majority of such cases, according to the Punjab Pollution Control Board data. At 113, Tarn Taran district has witnessed maximum stubble burning cases in Punjab so far, followed by Amritsar with 104 cases, as many farmers continue to burn crop residue, ignoring the state government's appeals to stop the practice. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi-NCR. As the window for the Rabi crop, whe ...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 crop burning, factories and heavy traffic. But pollution has also spiked due to days of fireworks set ...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 Celsius -- aided dispersion, which is why air quality in Noida improved from 342 at 9am on Monday to 341 ...Read More >
Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday hit back at Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa for blaming the AAP govt in Punjab for the toxic haze over the national capital, accusing him of trying to defame the state's farmers with "false claims." Earlier in the day, Sirsa alleged that Punjab forced farmers to burn a record amount of paddy stubble on Diwali night. Showing videos purportedly of burning crop residue in Punjab, Sirsa alleged that the highest number of stubble-burning incidents occurred on the festival. AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said in a video statement, "Sirsa's BJP govt t ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa ignited a fiery political clash by calling AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal "anpadh" (illiterate) in response to AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj's tweet mocking the BJP's claims that Punjab's stubble burning fuels Delhi's pollution crisis. Sirsa's retort came after Bharadwaj's Tuesday post on X, which sarcastically dismissed the link between Punjab's farm fires and Delhi's hazardous air quality, citing Punjab's AQI of 156 compared to Delhi's worsening levels. Also Read | Diwali 2025 Celebration at White House: PM Nar ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is attempting to hold "Diwali, Hindus, and Sanatanis" responsible for Delhi's air pollution, calling it a "sin" to link the festival with the capital's worsening air quality. In an interview with ANI, Sirsa lashed out at AAP for what he described as a politically motivated attempt to ban Hindu religious practices, saying, "It's not the crackers..The Aam Aadmi Party is putting all its efforts into proving that the pollution in Delhi is due to Diwali. They're ...Read More >