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☆ I took my 3 kids to India to relive my study-abroad days. Traveling in my 40s is a whole new kind of magic.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-03 | by ( Wendy Altschuler | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It showed her how different it feels to travel in your 20s alongside students versus exploring with kids in tow. Delving deep, I was fully immersed in my classes, reading every book on the recommended list and watching every film. Studying abroad in IndiaDuring my last year in school, as part of my study-abroad program, I volunteered at a children's home about 90 minutes south of Delhi. AdvertisementAfter a day of serving others, I'd return to the YMCA, my home in New Delhi at the time. AdvertisementAltschuler (second from left) was reminded of all the kindness in India on her second trip to India.

Persons: Wendy Altschuler, I hadn't, I'd, I've, Chandni, we'd, Taj Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Altschuler, Wendy Altschuler Sojourning Organizations: YMCA, Lotus Locations: India, Little India, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, New Delhi, South, Southeast Asia, Red, Jama, Old Delhi, Agra Fort, Pink City, City

☆ I've lived in Delhi my entire life. The toxic smog is suffocating, but I can't bring myself to leave.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Hannah Abraham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Badhwar has lived in Delhi for 40 years and, despite pollution concerns, has not moved out. He told BI he values the melting pot community and family he has in the city. I've lived in Delhi my entire life — for four decades now — and I've seen it grow over the years into the melting pot that it is today. I bought my first air purifier in 2016, when people started talking more and more about the Air Quality Index (AQI). It's a melting pot, and especially after the tech boom in Gurugram, people come from all over the world.

Persons: Badhwar, Varun Badhwar, It's, I've, —, purifier Organizations: Condé Nast Locations: Delhi, Condé, Condé Nast India, New Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Canada, Gurugram

☆ Delhi's 15 times higher than safe toxic smog levels is disrupting lives, says consulting CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Hannah Abraham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementNew Delhi reported severe levels of air pollution this week. Titus Koshy, CEO of United Consultancy Services Group, told BI his employees struggle to commute. Air pollution in India's capital, New Delhi, has become so severe that some people are struggling to commute to work. Titus Koshy, CEO of United Consultancy Services Group which has more than 150 employees, told Business Insider that the toxic smog engulfing the city had made it difficult for his staff to come into the office. AdvertisementA 2019 study by the World Bank estimated the global cost of health damages associated with exposure to air pollution to be $8.1 trillion.

Persons: Smog, Titus Koshy, Koshy, JP Morgan, Shubham Gupta Organizations: United Consultancy Services, BBC, World Health Organization, WHO, United, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Delhi's, KPMG, Cisco, Mondelēz, World Bank Locations: Delhi, New Delhi, United States, KPMG India, NCR

☆ 'Internal battle' in Modi's BJP on whether India needs Chinese investments, Natixis chief Asia economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hold party flags as they celebrate Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony on June 9, 2024. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesThere is an "internal battle" happening within India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over inviting Chinese investments, as the country strives to become Asia's manufacturing powerhouse, Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief Asia Pacific economist at Natixis said. This proposal was shot down by Trade Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday who said that there was "no rethinking at present" on allowing Chinese investments into India, Reuters reported. Experts told CNBC that Chinese investments are needed in India's solar panel and battery manufacturing sectors — two areas that a report, citing Indian government sources last week, mentioned could see easing restrictions on Chinese investments. India increased scrutiny on Chinese investments into the country, and also blocked several Chinese mobile apps including TikTok following the incident.

Persons: Narendra Modi's, Alicia Garcia, Herrero, Natixis, V Anantha, Piyush Goyal, Modi, Garcia, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Harsh, Pant, Tauseef Mustafa, Jaishankar, Punit Paranjpe Organizations: Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Asia, Trade, Reuters, CNBC, Department, Promotion of Industry, Internal, Bloomberg, ICT, Communication Technologies, New Delhi's Observer Research Foundation, Afp, Getty, India's Foreign, Adani Locations: Asia Pacific, China, India, Europe, loggerheads, Eastern Ladakh, Tokyo, U.S, Mundra

☆ China says India has no right to develop contested border region
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Indian Vice President Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 28, 2014. India has no right to carry out development in the area China calls South Tibet, China's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday in response to a Reuters report on New Delhi's plans to speed up hydropower projects in the border state. "South Tibet is China's territory," a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement. It said India had no right to carry out development there and the establishment of what India calls Arunachal Pradesh on Chinese territory is "illegal and invalid."

Persons: Li Keqiang, Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari Organizations: Indian, of, People Locations: Beijing, India, China, South Tibet, Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh

☆ Putin hosts India’s PM to deepen ties, but Ukraine looms over their relationship
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi walk during their meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence near Moscow, Russia July 8, 2024. Their partnership has become more complicated, however, as Russia has moved closer to China amid international isolation of Moscow over Ukraine. Russian state media reported that they would also discuss Moscow helping India build more nuclear power plants. The two countries already are collaborating on the Kudankulam nuclear power project in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. With Moscow's arms industries mostly serving the Russian military in Ukraine, India has been diversifying its defense procurements, buying more from the U.S., Israel, France and Italy.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Putin, Modi, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Matthew Miller, Vinay Mohan Kwatra Organizations: India's, Indian, NATO, . State Department, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, India, Russian Locations: Moscow, Russia, Washington, Ukraine, China, Kazakhstan, Beijing, Russian, Kyiv, India, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu, United States, Vladivostok, Uzbekistan, U.S, Israel, France, Italy, Chennai, East

☆ India's Modi to meet Putin in Moscow as both sides seek to forge deeper ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting at Taj Exotic Hotel on October, 15, 2016 in Benaulim, Goa, India. Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesIndia's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, marking his first visit to the Kremlin since the invasion of Ukraine. Their meeting is significant as it's the Indian premier's first bilateral trip overseas since he was reelected for a rare third term in June. watch now"This trip will rankle many Western observers," an analyst at the Lowy Institute pointed out in a published commentary. India's refiners have been snapping up discounted Russian oil since the start of the Ukraine war.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Mikhail Svetlov, Vinay Kwatra, Kwatra, India's, Lowy Organizations: Indian, Taj Exotic, Getty, India's, Kremlin, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, United Nations, East Asia Summit, Lowy Institute Locations: Benaulim, Goa, India, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Europe

☆ In pictures: India records 'longest' heatwave, Delhi faces water crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People filling water in plastic cans from a water supply tanker at Chanakyapuri, Delhi on June 12, 2024. India's capital Delhi is facing a severe water crisis as the country undergoes its "longest spell" of recorded heatwave. "Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions [are] likely to continue over northern parts of India during next 4-5 days," IMD said in a release. The highest daily temperature in Delhi has consecutively surpassed 40°C since May 12, weather forecasting site AccuWeather showed. Other parts of India were not spared, with temperatures in some cities touching 47.5°C on Thursday.

Persons: Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Atishi Organizations: India's Meteorological Department, IMD, Indian Express, Economic Times, World Meteorological Organization Locations: Chanakyapuri, Delhi, India's, India, Mungeshpur, South, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Asia

☆ Temperatures in India hover at record highs as heatwave grips the country
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, INDIA - MAY 29: Residents of JJ Cluster Vivekanand Colony at Chanakyapuri fill up water from a tanker in the morning on May 29, 2024 in New Delhi, India. Temperatures have hovered near 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in Delhi, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Some local weather stations reported highs of 49.9 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, above Delhi's previous record temperature of 49.2 degrees, which was logged in May 2022. Other weather stations in Delhi measured temperatures on Wednesday ranging from 45.2 to 49.1 degrees Celsius. The area of Narela cooled by as many as 1.5 degrees from Tuesday, while temperatures in many other sites rose further.

Persons: Vipin Kumar Organizations: Hindustan Times, Getty, Indian Meteorological Department, Reuters Locations: DELHI, INDIA, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India, Delhi, heatstroke

☆ India election: Modi’s Muslim remarks spark ‘hate speech’ accusations as mammoth vote deepens divides
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of delivering Islamophobic remarks during an election rally Sunday, triggering widespread anger from prominent Muslims and members of the opposition. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Kalpit Bhachech/Dipam Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi pictured in India on January 23, 1998. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, Islamophobic, Modi’s, Modi, ”, ” Modi, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Rana Ayyub, Asaduddin Owaisi, “ Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, of India, India's, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Sangh, Hindu, “, Hate Locations: Rajasthan, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, India, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, BJP, “

☆ In India’s 2024 election, BJP’s main opposition appears increasingly weak in face of Modi juggernaut
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Helen Regan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

Supporters of India's opposition party, Indian National Congress, during an election rally in Puducherry on April 15, 2024 R. Satish Babu/AFP/Getty ImagesDemocracy under threat? Dipam Bhachech/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Modi worked his way through the ranks of the BJP, establishing himself as a respected politician. Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images Modi hugs French President Emmanuel Macron after a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, on June 3, 2017. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023. Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images Modi offers a toast during a State Dinner with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: ”, Narendra Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Indira Gandhi, Gandhi, ” Hazari Lal Rajput, Satish Babu, Modi, Modi’s, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Arati Jerath, “, it’s, Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, gunning, ” Modi, shouldn’t, Mohammad Irfan, —, Arvind Kejriwal, Altaf Qadri, Kejriwal, Atishi, you’re, Jerath, Gandhi ‘, ’ Modi, Christophe Jaffrelot, CNN Modi, Rasheed Kidwai, Rahul, Diptendu Dutta, Mamata Banerjee, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, ” Kidwai, ” Jerath Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Getty, Democracy, Modi’s BJP, Pew, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, India's, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Indian, Aadmi Party, Delhi, AAP, Aam Aadmi Party, All, Trinamool, West, All India, Congress, “, “ Democracy Locations: India, Uttar Pradesh, Ramlila, Puducherry, Modi’s, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, INDIA, Delhi, India’s, Lok Sabha, Atishi, ”, Manipur, Siliguri, West Bengal, Tamil

☆ Narendra Modi: India’s popular but controversial leader seeking a transformative third term
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Varanasi and New Delhi CNN —Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi once famously made a simple election promise: “good days are coming”. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar on April 6, 2024. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Himanshu Sharma, Getty Images Modi, –, ”, Saba Naqvi, “, Vajpayee, Naqvi, Dileep Patel, John Mees, Akash Jaiswal, “ We’ve, ” Jaiswal, isn’t, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Patel, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv, Rahul Gandhi, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, “ Narendra Modi, ” Mukhopadhyay, Mukhopadhyay, ” Modi, Keshav Baliram, “ Modi, BJP Modi, Lord Ram, ” Naqvi, Critics, Christophe Jaffrelot, Karan Thapar, ” Jaffrelot, Modi’s, it’s, —, Raj, India Narendra Modi, Kenny Hoston, Ram, ” Raniva, That’s Organizations: New Delhi CNN, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, India's, Getty Images, Pew, CNN, World Health Organization, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, Indian National Congress, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Cambridge, today’s Congress Party, Harvard, The Times, Muslim, Australia Locations: Varanasi, New Delhi, Gujarat, Pushkar, India, “ India, United States, Brazil, “, Sydney, Australia, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Oxford, Vadnagar, Babri, Kadi, Kashmir, United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Jama

☆ US oil suppliers are getting a boost from Russian sanctions as India looks to buy more from them
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian imports took a hit as Western sanctions bite down on Moscow's ability to ship crude. That's as Western sanctions on Moscow have cracked New Delhi's appetite for Russian crude, causing India to pivot towards US exports. At the same time, Indian purchases of Russian oil have tumbled, as the US and its allies tightened enforcement of sanctions against Moscow. AdvertisementFor instance, Washington has started individually sanctioning entities that breach a Western price cap on Russian barrels, and has targeted over 50 ships since October. In March, India imported an estimated 33.8 million barrels of Russian crude, compared to 51.1 million in January, Kpler data showed.

Persons: —, It's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Moscow, Energy Information Administration Locations: India, Russia, Moscow, Washington, New Delhi, OPEC, Asia

☆ The extravagant Ambani pre-wedding party was an affront to the millions of Indians in poverty, critics say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Joshua Zitser | Spriha Srivastava | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But critics say it showed a telling disregard for the struggles of the many millions of Indians living in poverty. Spanning three days, the pre-nuptial event included a private performance by Rihanna, which estimates suggest cost up to $9 million. AdvertisementTripathi pointed out that 800 million of India's 1.4 billion population receive monthly food rations of wheat or rice. Sohini Kar, an associate professor at the London School of Economics, whose work focuses on urban India, told BI she agrees. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant serve traditional Gujarati food to villagers ahead of their pre-wedding celebrations on the outskirts of Jamnagar, India.

Persons: —, Anant Ambani, Asia's, Radhika Merchant, Rihanna, Nita Ambani, Shyam Bihari, WaterAid, Haldia, Rakhi Tripathi, Tripathi, Sohini Kar, Kar, St Louis Fed, Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, Nita, Stringer Organizations: Service, Business, Bank, New, of Management, London School of Economics, BI, Oxfam International, St, Bloomberg, Architectural Digest, Reliance Foundation, Reuters Locations: India, Delhi, Asia, Mumbai, Jamnagar, Gujarat

☆ India to Replace Troops in Maldives With Civilians by May
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The roughly 80 soldiers stationed in the Indian Ocean archipelago will be replaced by civilians, officials from both countries said. As global powers jostle for influence in the Indo-Pacific region, India and China have wooed the Maldives, which has traditionally been close to neighbour India. New Delhi's ties with Male have under strain since Mohamed Muizzu was elected president of the Maldives last year, pledging to end the country's "India First" policy. The Indian troops manage those operations. The next bilateral meeting will be in Male in the last week of February, the Maldives foreign ministry said.

Persons: Krishn Kaushik, Mohamed Junayd NEW, Mohamed Muizzu, Mohamed Junayd, William Mallard Organizations: May, Maldivian Foreign Ministry, Dornier Locations: Mohamed Junayd NEW DELHI, India, Maldives, China, New Delhi, Delhi

☆ Indian capital resumes some activities despite hazardous air, river foam
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Kanjyik Ghosh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

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

☆ 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

☆ Smoky skies in Indian capital on Diwali as revellers defy firecracker ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Neha Arora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

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 scientists hope cloud seeding can clean Delhi's toxic air
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Shivam Patel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Air quality dips in Delhi ahead of winter every year, when cold air traps pollutants from a variety of sources including vehicles, industries, construction dust, and agricultural waste burning. The project, estimated to cost 10 million rupees ($120,000) for 100 square kilometres (38.6 square miles), would involve spraying into clouds a mix of salts that include silver iodine, Agrawal said. "We don't expect that big a cloud that will cover entire Delhi, but a few hundred kilometres would be good," he told Reuters. The air quality index in the city was 506 early on Thursday, which is categorised as "hazardous" by Swiss group IQAir. Several countries have used cloud seeding to produce rain, improve air quality and water crops in time of drought, including Mexico, the United States, China, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Persons: Anushree, Manindra Agrawal, Agrawal, Gufran Beig, SAFAR, Beig, Shivam Patel, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Indian Institute of Technology, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Kanpur, Punjab, Haryana, Mexico, United States, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Mexico

☆ Reeling under toxic air, India's capital shuts schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People and vehicles are seen on a road amidst the morning smog in New Delhi, India, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Reeling under hazardous air quality levels, India's capital New Delhi shut down all schools for an extended period on Wednesday, the latest in a series of measures to protect residents from growing air pollution. Air quality levels in the city were over 320 on the air quality index, a level categorised as 'hazardous' by Swiss group IQAir, although it was not as bad as the 400 range hit earlier this week. Schools in the capital city would remain closed from Thursday until Nov. 18 on a winter break, which was originally scheduled for January, the Delhi government said in a notification. Primary schools in the city had already been shut, as part of measures to protect young children against smog and growing air pollution.

Persons: Anushree, SAFAR, Shivam Patel, Manoj Kumar, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Swiss, Delhi, Farmers, Punjab, Haryana

☆ India's top court tells states to stop crop burning as New Delhi's air turns hazardous
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Shivam Patel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Air quality dips every year ahead of winter, when calm and cold winds trap pollutants from sources including vehicles, industries, construction dust, and agricultural waste burning. Delhi has stopped local construction, closed primary schools till Nov. 10 and will impose restrictions on use of vehicles next week to fight pollution, but it wants its neighbouring states to control crop residue burning. At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the real time air quality index stood at 306, a level categorised as 'hazardous' by Swiss group IQAir. "We direct the state government of Punjab and adjacent states to Delhi - Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh - to ensure that crop (residue) burning is stopped forthwith," Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana usually burn crop stubble left behind after rice is harvested in late October or early November to quickly clear their fields before planting wheat crops.

Persons: Anushree, Boulton, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, SAFAR, Justice Kaul, Kaul, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, NEW, Farmers, Thomson Locations: Karnal district, Haryana, India, NEW DELHI, New Delhi, Delhi, Swiss, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh

☆ India's New Delhi to restrict use of vehicles to curb air pollution - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk on 'Kartavya Path' amidst the morning smog as air pollution levels declined in New Delhi, India, November 6, 2023.REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - India's Delhi city will restrict use of vehicles for a week between Nov. 13 and 20 to curb air pollution, the local government's environment minister said on Monday, as air quality remained in the "severe" category despite mitigation efforts. The rule would allow vehicles with odd number plates to ply on odd dates and similarly vehicles with even registration numbers will be allowed on road on alternate days. Air quality was 'severe' for a third consecutive day in the city on Monday, according to the federal pollution control body, forcing the city government to extend the closure of primary schools until Nov. 10. "There is a possibility that air pollution will rise after the Diwali," Gopal Rai, Delhi's environment minister, said, referring to the Hindu festival on Nov. 12 during which firecrackers, which are banned, are often set on fire, worsening air pollution. Reporting by Shivam Patel; additional reporting by Amlan Chakraborty; editing by Sudipto GangulyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anushree, Gopal Rai, Shivam Patel, Amlan Chakraborty, Sudipto Ganguly Organizations: REUTERS, Sri, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

☆ Indian farmers carry on burning stubble despite cost to health
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Manoj Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

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

Ajay Bisaria, India's ambassador to Canada from 2020 to 2022, said the relationship is in a "de-escalation phase" following "quiet diplomacy". "This is not a thaw," an Indian foreign ministry official told Reuters. 'MODEST DE-ESCALATION'Officials in India and Canada spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak on the subject. The Indian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Canada's foreign ministry pointed to comments made by Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie on Oct. 30.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Justin Trudeau, Evan Vucci, Michael Kugelman, Ajay Bisaria, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, India's, Ottawa’s, Melanie Jolie, Jolie, Modi, Kugelman, Michael Bociurkiw, Krishn Kaushik, Steve Scherer, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: Indian, Canada, Bharat, DELHI, Mutual, South Asia Institute, Wilson Center, Reuters, Canadian, Foreign, Atlantic Council, YP, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Canada, OTTAWA, Punjab, Delhi, Ottawa, Washington, China, Vancouver, Hardeep, Vienna

☆ India's toxic smog season shuts down schools, revives 'odd-even' vehicle limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"The situation arising out of air pollution in the City is extremely worrying," Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said in a Friday post on X, formerly Twitter. Good or satisfactory air quality corresponds to an index somewhere between zero and 100. The air quality index in Delhi on Monday was roughly 450, according to India's Central Pollution Control Board. Prolonged exposure to an air quality index above 300 can lead to respiratory illness and long-term health problems. According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, these crop-burning fires cause pollution to peak in Delhi from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15.

Persons: Vinai Kumar Saxena, Saxena, Gopal Rai Organizations: Pollution Control, Control, Aam Aadmi Party Locations: New Delhi, India, Delhi, City

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