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NEW DELHI — Residents in India’s northern states woke up to another day of poor air quality on Tuesday, as a layer of dense fog shrouded most of the region, and pollution in the capital, Delhi, remained severe. India battles air pollution every winter as cold, heavy air traps dust, emissions and smoke from farm fires started illegally in the adjoining, farming states of Punjab and Haryana. The Taj Mahal, India’s famed monument of love, has been obscured by toxic smog for nearly a week. Swiss group IQAir ranked New Delhi as the world’s most polluted city with air quality at a “hazardous” 489, although that was a significant improvement from Monday’s 1,081 reading. India’s weather department said a shift in the fog layer toward the northern state of Uttar Pradesh had helped improve visibility over Delhi.
Persons: Taj Organizations: Residents, Pollution Control, IQAir, New Delhi Locations: DELHI, India’s, Delhi, India, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, Swiss, New, Uttar Pradesh
REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - India's capital Delhi re-opened schools and some building sites on Monday amid signs of receding air pollution, although it remained classified as hazardous, while a toxic foam besmirched stretches of the Yamuna river flowing through the city. The world's most polluted capital resumed its annual battle on pollution this month, despite government pledges to improve. Monday's air quality index (AQI) of 336 was down from Thursday's level of 509, but still "hazardous", Swiss group IQAir said. Delhi's air pollution gets worse in winter, when wind speeds drop and cooling air traps pollutants spewed by vehicles, industry and farmers burning agricultural waste in surrounding states to prepare for new planting. PM2.5 levels remained above 128 micrograms per cubic meter of air since Sunday in the National Capital Region, according to the federal pollution control board.
Persons: Anushree, IQAir, Ankit Srivastava, Gopal Rai, Kanjyik Ghosh, Shivam Patel, Clarence Fernandez, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Delhi's, Vehicles, National Capital, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Mumbai
“It’s an invisible killer,” said Jyoti Pande Lavakare, author of “Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health: The Human Cost of Air Pollution” and co-founder of clean air non-profit Care for Air. China’s capital has since cleaned up its act, which begs the question: if Beijing can clean up its toxic air, why can’t India too? A key moment in China’s fightback came in 2013, when the government started to invest billions of dollars into a national air pollution action plan. Hundreds of thousands of lives savedChina’s raft of clean air policies have been so successful, they have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, research has shown. They say Kejriwal’s team has done little in terms of implementing effective policies to clean New Delhi’s air.
Persons: , , Jyoti Pande Lavakare, Arun Sankar, China’s, , Wang Zhao, China’s fightback, Frank Christian Hammes, IQAir, Sunil Dahiya, Dahiya, Stringer, Arvind Kejriwal, Kejriwal, Virendra Sachdeva, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sudhanshu Dhulia, Raj K Raj, “ You’re Organizations: CNN, Health, Pollution, Air, Getty, United, Global, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago, Centre for Research, Clean, Bloomberg, Beijing, Care for Air, Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, AAP, Ministry of Environment, Hindustan Times Locations: Delhi, Beijing, India, , AFP, United States, China, Swiss, New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, New, Indonesia, Malaysia, Care, CREA, IQAir
Three Indian cities among world's 10 most polluted after Diwali
  + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Two Indian cities joined New Delhi to be among the world's worst 10 for pollution on Monday morning, with smoke heavy in the air a day after revellers let loose with firecrackers for Diwali - the annual Hindu festival of light. It had an air quality index (AQI) figure of 420, putting it the 'hazardous' category, according to Swiss group IQAir. An AQI level of 400-500 impacts healthy people and is dangerous to those with existing diseases, while a level of 150-200 brings discomfort to people with asthma, lung and heart problems. Every year authorities impose bans on firecrackers in the capital, but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. Air quality in India deteriorates every year ahead of winter, when cold air traps pollutants from vehicles, industry, construction dust and agricultural waste burning.
Persons: Tanvi Mehta, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Kolkata, India's, Mumbai, India
Smoke plumes were visible across the sky as revellers let off firecrackers in the evening to mark the country's biggest festival. Every year government authorities or India's Supreme Court impose bans on firecrackers - but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. Globally, air pollution was the worst in India's eastern city of Kolkata, while Delhi was the fifth-most polluted, according to Swiss group IQAir. Doctors say the air quality is likely to worsen on Monday as smoke from firecrackers lingers in the air, potentially causing itchy eyes and irritation in the throat. Some Hindus resent the Diwali firecracker bans, which they see as an attempt to interfere with them observing their religious festivals.
Persons: Health Organization's, Deepak, Dr, Ram Manohar, Gopal Rai, Neha Arora, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Health, Ram Manohar Lohia, Delhi's, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Kolkata, Delhi, Swiss
Indian capital gets a breather as rain brings respite from smog
  + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
India's weather department has forecast intermittent rain over the city and adjoining areas till early noon on Friday. Meanwhile, air in the financial capital of Mumbai has markedly improved due to showers in nearby coastal areas. This year, attention on the worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup hosted by India. Scientists and authorities were planning to seed clouds in New Delhi around Nov. 20 to trigger heavy rain, the first such attempt to clean the air. Friday's rain comes two days before the Diwali festival, when many people defy a ban on firecrackers, causing a spike in air pollution.
Persons: Anushree, Tanvi Mehta, Rajendra Jadhav, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, India, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Swiss, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Kolkata, India's, Mumbai
CNN —Lahore has become the latest megacity to shut down as pollution chokes swathes of South Asia, where nearly 50 million people have been breathing toxic air for nearly a week. Commuters make their way through a busy street amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 7, 2023. The PM2.5 levels in all these cities far exceed the World Health Organization’s limit and illustrate a growing concern for South Asian countries as they experience rapid industrializations and population booms that are fueling pollution levels. Commuters make their way along the Signature Bridge amid heavy smog conditions in New Delhi on November 9, 2023. The study also found that every single one of India’s 1.4 billion residents endures annual average pollution levels that exceed guidelines set by the World Health Organization.
Persons: Mohsin Naqvi, Arif Ali, Arun Sankar Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Lahore –, Getty, Getty Images Dhaka, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago, World Health Organization, Doctors Locations: Lahore, South Asia, Swiss, Pakistan’s Punjab, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, AFP, Pakistan, India, New Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, India’s, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Delhi
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Overnight rain in New Delhi and its suburbs brought some relief to the Indian capital on Friday morning, where authorities were mulling seeding clouds to improve the toxic air gripping the city. India's weather department has forecast intermittent rain over the city and adjoining areas till early noon on Friday. Meanwhile, air in the financial capital of Mumbai has markedly improved due to showers in nearby coastal areas. This year, attention on the worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup hosted by India. Friday's rain comes two days before the Diwali festival, when many people defy a ban on firecrackers, causing a spike in air pollution.
Persons: Tanvi Mehta, Rajendra Jadhav, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: India Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Kolkata, India's, Mumbai
CNN —A thick layer of toxic foam has once again coated parts of a sacred river near New Delhi as the Indian capital battles an acrid and noxious smog that has settled across the city. The pungent foam contains high levels of ammonia and phosphates, which can cause respiratory and skin problems, according to experts. Yamuna river covered with a thick layer of toxic foam due near Kalindi Kunj, on September 10, 2023 in New Delhi, India. The river is most polluted in areas surrounding Delhi, owing to the area’s dense population and high levels of waste. Pictures from September also showed toxic foam forming on the Yamuna.
Persons: Salman Ali, Surya Organizations: CNN, Press Trust of India, Hindustan Times Locations: New Delhi, India’s, Tamil Nadu, Kalindi, India, Delhi, Oslo, Beijing, Kolkata, Mumbai
But for him, the only alternative to burning crop residues is to join the queue to hire machines to clear his field, which would cost him about $100 for his four-acre farm. More than 85% of Indian farmers are categorised as small, meaning that, like Sharma, they own about four acres or fewer. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has typically accounted for 30% to 40% of Delhi's October-November pollution, according to government air-quality monitoring agency SAFAR. POLITICAL WILL LACKINGAjay Singh Rana, a Haryana farm official, said the number of farms burning stubble in Karnal had dropped to 96 so far this year from 270 last year. ($1 = 83.1750 Indian rupees)Reporting by Manoj Kumar, additional reporting by Anushree Fadnavis; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Anushree, Aashish Sharma, Sharma, SAFAR, Dharamvir Singh, Ajay Singh Rana, Sharma's, Mukhi Ram Sharma, Bajinder Pal Punia, Manoj Kumar, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Central Pollution Control, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Karnal district, Haryana, India, New Delhi, Sharma's, Karnal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Samalkha
REUTERS/Altaf Hussain/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Asthmatic Bangladesh cricketers remained indoors while Sri Lankan players wore masks as poor air quality in smog-shrouded New Delhi remained the talking point ahead of Monday's World Cup clash between the two nations. "Our doctor is keeping a close eye on the players," Hathurusinghe told reporters on Sunday. "Some of the players didn't turn up for practice as they are asthmatic, so they stayed indoors. "Team selection won't depend on air quality. Most of the Sri Lankan players wore masks when they arrived at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the afternoon.
Persons: Altaf Hussain, Chandika Hathurusinghe, Hathurusinghe, Skipper Kusal Mendis, Mendis, they've, Amlan Chakraborty, David Goodman, Pritha Organizations: REUTERS, Asthmatic, Sri, Bangladesh, Indian, International Cricket Council, ICC, Arun, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Asthmatic Bangladesh, Sri Lankan, Delhi, Sri Lanka
Heavy smog seen engulfed amid rise in pollution levels at Barakhamba on Nov. 2, 2023 in New Delhi, India. People in New Delhi woke up to a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday, and some schools were ordered to be shut for two days as the air quality index (AQI) entered the "severe" category in several parts of the Indian capital. A filthy smog forms over Delhi every winter as cold, heavy air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from crop stubble burning in neighboring states, causing a surge in respiratory illnesses among the city's 20 million people. New Delhi topped a real-time list on Friday of the world's most polluted cities compiled by Swiss group IQAir which put the India's capital's AQI at 611 in the 'hazardous' category. "Unfavorable meteorological conditions, sudden increase in the farm fire incidents and north-westerly winds moving the pollutants to Delhi are the major causes for sudden spike in AQI," the region's Commission for Air Quality Management said on Thursday.
Organizations: Residents, region's Commission, Air Quality Management Locations: New Delhi, India, Delhi, Swiss
Delhi shrouded in toxic smog
  + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: 1 min
[2/10]Share this photoA man exercises on a playground of the school after primary classes were ordered shut by the Delhi government for Friday and Saturday as the air pollution increased and the air quality index (AQI) plummeted, on a smoggy morning in New Delhi, India, November 3. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis
Organizations: REUTERS Locations: Delhi, New Delhi, India
NEW DELHI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - India's capital New Delhi was wrapped in a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday and some schools were ordered closed as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the "severe" category. In India, the annual average concentration of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in the air is the highest in northern regions. Officials said they saw no immediate improvement in the air quality. Delhi hosts a World Cup match on Monday between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Poor air quality also caused respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes and restlessness in pet animals.
Persons: Aheed Khan, Ashwani Kumar, Prabhat Gangwar, Tanvi Mehta, Rajesh, Blassy Boben, Manoj Kumar, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: joggers, Residents, Officials, Control Committee, Farmers, Health, Friendicoes, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Pakistani, Lahore, Delhi, India, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
By Tanvi MehtaNEW DELHI (Reuters) - People in New Delhi woke up to a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday, and some schools were ordered to be shut for two days as the air quality index (AQI) entered the "severe" category in several parts of the Indian capital. "Unfavourable meteorological conditions, sudden increase in the farm fire incidents and north-westerly winds moving the pollutants to Delhi are the major causes for sudden spike in AQI," the region's Commission for Air Quality Management said on Thursday. Authorities ordered primary, or elementary, schools to remain shut on Friday and Saturday, while most construction work in the region has been suspended. This year, attention on the worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup hosted by India, with financial capital Mumbai also suffering from a spike in the pollution levels. Delhi hosts a World Cup match next on Monday between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Persons: Tanvi Mehta, Lincoln Organizations: Residents, region's Commission, Air Quality Management, . Authorities Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Delhi, India, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
An aerial view shows residential buildings and a stadium shrouded in smog in New Delhi, India, October 27, 2023. Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 415 on a scale of 500 in the capital's Anand Vihar area on Thursday, indicating "severe" levels of pollution that can affect healthy people and those with existing ailments. The dip in air quality in the region during the winter months is often accompanied by a spike in respiratory illnesses, spurring school and factory closings. The worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup as fans flock to stadiums across Indian cities. Players have expressed concern about the toxic air, with England's Joe Root complaining of breathing difficulties during a game and India's Rohit Sharma urging change for "future generations".
Persons: Altaf Hussain, Anand, Joe Root, India's Rohit Sharma, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, BCCI, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Anand Vihar, Pakistan's Lahore, Swiss, India's Mumbai, AQI, Mumbai, Sri Lanka
Particle pollution is a “key ingredient” of wildfire smoke, Barrett told CNN. “Sometimes we can see, smell, and even taste the impacts of wildfire smoke,” Barrett said. Mountain ranges can shield some regions from worse air pollution by keeping smoke aloft when it travels, Mass said. Pittsburgh - June 29, 2023An MLB game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates is delayed as Canadian wildfire smoke descends on downtown Pittsburgh. San Francisco - Sept. 9, 2020Smoke from northern California wildfires casts a reddish glow in San Francisco, California.
Persons: , William Barrett, Barrett, ” Barrett, Clifford, Talat Odman, Mass, “ It’s, “ You’re, Lev Radin, Scott Olson, Kevork, Joe Robbins, San Diego Padres, Andrew McCutchen, Carr, George Rose, Ray Chavez, David Zalubowski Organizations: CNN, American Lung Association, University of Washington, Georgia Institute of Technology, Washington DC, ” CNN, Pacific Press, York City, MLB, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego, Pirates, MediaNews, Mercury, Environmental Protection Agency Denver, Denver International Airport, Denver Locations: Canada, United States, Northern Europe, New York City, York City, Chicago, Irvine, Santiago, Irvine , California, California, Santa, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sacramento, Sacramento , California, Shasta County , California, San Francisco, San Francisco , California, San Francisco Bay
[1/4] A boat passes under the Lions Gate bridge to enter Vancouver Harbour, shrouded in a haze of wildfire smoke, as seen from Cypress Mountain in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, August 21, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren Acquire Licensing RightsREVELSTOKE, British Columbia, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Millions of people in the western Canadian province of British Columbia were under air quality warnings on Monday as hundreds of wildfires filled the skies with smoke and turned the sun orange. In the cities of Kelowna and Kamloops, the air quality index (AQI) was above 350, a "hazardous" level, real-time air quality information platform IQAir showed. Wildfire smoke is a seasonal occurrence for much of heavily-forested British Columbia, but the number of wildfires and amount of land burned is trending higher as a result of climate change, increasing concerns about the impact on human health. "This type of extreme smoke event covering all of our province does not happen every year," said Jalena Bennett, smoke information specialist with BlueSky Canada, adding 2018 was the last time wildfire smoke was so widespread.
Persons: Chris Helgren, Jalena Bennett, Ash, Marie, Eve Hervieux, Bobby Sekhon, Nia Williams, Denny Thomas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, British Columbia, BlueSky, Environment, Thomson Locations: Lions, Vancouver, Cypress Mountain, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Rights REVELSTOKE, Canadian, British, Kelowna, Kamloops, Lahore, Pakistan, BlueSky Canada, Shuswap Lake, Environment Canada, Metro Vancouver, Revelstoke
Summary British Columbia declares state of emergency after wildfiresFlames have led to evacuation orders for more than 35,000 peopleAQI of some British Columbia cities at 'hazardous' levelsREVELSTOKE, British Columbia, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Canada is sending the military to tackle fast-spreading wildfires in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday, as the western province deals with flames that have led to evacuation orders for more than 35,000 people. In some cities in British Columbia, the air quality index (AQI), which measures major pollutants including particulate matter produced by fires, was above 350, a "hazardous" level, IQAir, a real-time air quality information platform showed. West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said he saw some hope after battling "epic" fires for the past four days. Since 2009, Canada has been spending more on fighting and suppressing wildfires than on maintaining its firefighting personnel and program. In British Columbia, the TransCanada highway was closed near Chase, about 400 km (250 miles) northeast of Vancouver.
Persons: Justin Trudeau, Jason Brolund, that's, Brolund, Trudeau, Krista Flesjer, Kip Lumquist, Lumquist, Nia Williams, Dan Whitcomb, Nilutpal, Denny Thomas, Mark Porter, Matthew Lewis, Lisa Shumaker, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Columbia, Flames, British Columbia, Kelowna College, ., Canadian Broadcasting Corp, Reuters, U.S ., Canadian, REUTERS Acquire, Government, Thomson Locations: Columbia, REVELSTOKE, British Columbia, Canada, British, Kelowna, U.S, U.S . Pacific Northwest, Washington, Oregon, Squilax, Kamloops, New York, U.S . East Coast, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Chase, Vancouver, Craigellachie, Los Angeles, Bengaluru
Four of the five cities with the worst air quality in the world are in North America, including New York, a grim distinction fueled by devastating forest fires across Canada that have sent smoky air across the continent, according to data tracked by IQAir. New York City now has the second-worst air quality in the world with a recorded air quality index of 162, lagging only Jakarta. Anything above an AQI of 150 is considered "unhealthy" air. There, air quality is slightly better than the other three North American cities on the list, with an AQI of 122. Kathy Hochul warned citizens that potentially dangerous air quality reflected a grim distinction for state residents.
Persons: Kathy Hochul, Hochul, Cat Clifford Organizations: Trade Center, IQAir, Montreal, D.C, Canadian, New York Gov Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Jersey City , New Jersey, North America, New York, Canada, IQAir . New York City, Jakarta, Toronto, Washington
The U.S. National Weather Service extended air quality alerts for another day for the East Coast from New England to South Carolina, as well as parts of the Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. The U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) measures five major pollutants, including particulate matter produced by fires. While the faint smell of burning wood lingered, the smothering blanket of yellow and orange-tinged haze appeared to thin out, bringing a modicum of relief. "We urge residents and visitors to follow precautions related to the 'Code Purple' air quality alert." Large swaths of Michigan are also under red flag warnings due to dangerous fire weather conditions in both of the state's peninsulas, according to the weather agency.
Persons: Mike Segar, Peter Mullinax, We're, Mullinax, IQAir, Muriel Bowser, Bill Blair, Tyler Clifford, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Trade Center, REUTERS, The U.S, National Weather Service, Health, U.S . Air, Belmont, Washington, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Jersey City , New Jersey, United States, The, East Coast from New England, South Carolina, Ohio , Indiana, Michigan, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Ohio, Newark , New Jersey, U.S, Dhaka, Hanoi, Swiss, Maryland , Pennsylvania, Delaware, Baltimore, Canada
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires blankets New York City affecting air quality on June 7th, 2023. A man sits at the bus stop with a mask on his face in New York City, June 6, 2023. Selcuk Acar | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesMillions of people in the Midwest are experiencing dangerous air quality conditions, with air quality advisories in effect in southeastern Minnesota, parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and areas in Wisconsin. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of global wildfires and air pollution from wildfire smoke is also growing worse. Last year, Stanford researchers found millions of Americans are routinely exposed to wildfire smoke pollution at levels rarely seen only a decade ago.
Persons: Leslie Josephs, Kathy Hochul, Hochul, Eric Adams, Adams, Gary Hershorn, Selcuk Organizations: Federal Aviation Administration, New York's, Newark Liberty International, CNBC New York Gov, Wednesday, Health, CIRA, NOAA, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Quality Health, Corbis, Getty, Canada, Anadolu Agency, of, National Weather Service, Stanford Locations: New York City, Northeastern U.S, Kist, York, Canada, York City, Quebec, New York, Herald Square, Manhattan , New York, Minnesota, of Michigan, Wisconsin, Air, New England
Pollution choking Thailand's north hits tourism, worries public
  + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
CHIANG MAI, Thailand, April 10 (Reuters) - High pollution levels in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai and surrounding provinces are keeping tourists away and alarming locals, with the government on Monday urging residents to avoid outdoor activities. For several weeks last month the city was at the top of air quality information platform IQAir's global chart on poor air quality, ahead of Lahore and New Delhi. That is far short of the 80% to 90% expected ahead of this week's Thai New Year holidays, known as Songkran. Addressing the deteriorating air quality in the north, Thailand's health ministry urged the public on Monday to avoid outdoor activities and wear masks that can filter particles. Chiang Mai resident Pathsharasakon Po, 36, said she was concerned about allergies, or even cancer.
BEIJING, March 6 (Reuters) - Thirteen northern Chinese cities surrounding the capital Beijing have issued pollution alerts over the last few days, raising concerns that an industrial recovery in the region is increasing smog levels. All 13 cities, including Tianjin and Tangshan, China's biggest steelmaking centre, had issued "orange" heavy pollution alerts by Sunday, the second-highest alert, the National Joint Research Center for Tackling Key Problems in Air Pollution Control (NJRC) said. NJRC said the recent spike had been driven by an increase in industrial activity, with steel and cement plants operating at higher levels, and diesel truck traffic also rising. China has been trying to re-energise its economy since lifting strict COVID-19 curbs at the end of last year, raising fears that pollution could be allowed to rise. An orange alert means the three-day average air quality index (AQI) has risen above 200, classified as "heavy pollution", and normally triggers industrial closures or output cuts under Chinese regulations.
Smog engulfs Indian capital as winter pollution worsens
  + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Shivam Patel | ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
NEW DELHI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Thick smog engulfed India's capital New Delhi on Tuesday as air pollution worsened with the setting in of winter, shooting up concentrations of fine particles in the air three times above the acceptable limits. The world's most polluted capital city struggles to breathe easy every winter as cold temperatures and calm winds trap pollutants closer to the ground. "As the minimum temperature is dropping, gradual fog occurrence during early morning hours is likely to increase, leading to deterioration of air quality index (AQI)," said the federal government's System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) in a daily bulletin. The AQI in parts of the city shot up above 400 on Tuesday, which is classified as the 'severe' category of air pollution, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). But experts have said these measures need to be applied across northern India and in cities and towns around New Delhi that form the wider National Capital Region, which also suffer from poor air quality, to effectively control pollution.
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