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As of last week, nowhere else on the planet has air so hazardous to human health, according to global air quality monitors. By evening it feels like I am lifeless.”Deepak Rajak, whose asthma has worsened in recent weeks, visits a pollution clinic in New Delhi. Anushree Fadnavis/ReutersCommuters step out in a foggy winter morning amid rising air pollution, on November 19, 2024 in Greater Noida, India. But analysts say governments are focusing more on the emergency response rather than sustained efforts to improve air quality. While stubble burning during the winter harvest season exacerbates pollution levels, to solve the crisis, pollution needs to be tackled year-round, Dahiya said.

Persons: Deepak Rajak, Rajak, ”, Ram Manohar Lohiya, It’s, Atishi, that’s, CNN Rajak, Kajal Rajak, they’re, ” Kajal, “, Vipin Kumar, Anushree Fadnavis, Sunil Ghosh, Mohammad Ibrahim, ” Ibrahim, Ibrahim can’t, Aditya Kumar Shukla, Delhi’s Batra, Shukla, Amit Jindal, Jindal, Gaurav Jain, Batra, Manish Swarup, Ajay Aggarwal, Sunil Dahiya, Dahiya, ” Dahiya Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, World Health Organization, Indian Ministry of Forest Environment, Hindustan Times, Getty, Indian Air Force, ”, Clean Air Program Locations: New Delhi, Delhi, Greater Noida, India

☆ Toxic smog covers Indian capital as pollution hits record levels
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

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

☆ India’s capital introduces stricter anti-pollution measures as toxic smog hides Taj Mahal
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Views of the famed Taj Mahal in Agra, India, have been obscured by smog. New Delhi has a severe air quality level of 424, according to live rankings kept by Swiss group IQAir, the worst among global capitals. The city battles smog — a toxic mix of smoke and fog — every winter as cold air traps dust, emissions and smoke from illegal farm fires. Delhi flights faced delays, with tracking website Flightradar24 showing 88% of departures and 54% of arrivals were delayed as of Thursday afternoon due to smog. Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab, was rated the world’s most polluted city on Friday, in IQAir’s rankings.

Persons: Atishi, Taj, Pawan Sharma, stubble, Manish Swarup, ” Sahab Ram Organizations: DELHI, Delhi, Getty Locations: New Delhi, Agra, India, Amritsar . New Delhi, Swiss, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab’s Fazilka, Lahore, Pakistan’s

☆ Toxic smog in Pakistan is so bad you can see it from space
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Helen Regan | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Record-breaking levels of thick, toxic smog that have shrouded eastern Pakistan and northern India since last month can be seen in striking satellite imagery. Air quality worsens in the winter because colder and drier air traps pollution, rather than lifting it away, as warm air does when it rises. Satellite imagery from NASA Worldview shows Pakistan’s Punjab province and parts of northwest India on August 31, 2024. NASA Worldview/CNN Satellite imagery from NASA Worldview shows heavy smog over Pakistan’s Punjab province and parts of northwest India on November 10, 2024. Meanwhile, WHO says 6.7 million people die annually from the combined effects of ambient and household air pollution.

Persons: Arif Ali, Sajid Bashir, Khuram, Raja Jahangir Anwar Organizations: CNN, NASA, World Health, Associated Press, Getty, Traders, Protection Agency, ”, EPA, Environment, WHO Locations: Pakistan, India, Punjab, New Delhi, Lahore, Multan, Pakistan’s, AFP, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, “

☆ Lahore air pollution hits historic high, forcing school closures
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

KARACHI, Pakistan — Unprecedented air pollution levels in Pakistan’s second-largest city of Lahore prompted authorities to take emergency measures on Sunday, including issuing work-from-home mandates and closing primary schools. To reduce vehicle pollution, 50% of office employees would work from home, Aurangzeb said. The government has also imposed a ban on three-wheelers known as rickshaws and halted construction in certain areas to reduce the pollution levels. Aurangzeb described the situation as “unexpected” and attributed the deterioration in air quality to winds carrying pollution from neighboring India. The smog crisis in Lahore, similar to the situation in India’s capital, Delhi, tends to worsen during cooler months due to temperature inversion trapping pollution closer to the ground.

Persons: Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb, Aurangzeb, ” Organizations: Citizens Locations: KARACHI, Pakistan, Lahore, India, Swiss, Punjab, Delhi

☆ Pakistan province calls for ‘climate diplomacy’ with India as record smog chokes major city
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Lex Harvey | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —A smog-choked province in eastern Pakistan has issued a rare plea for cross-border collaboration with India, as major cities in both countries endure severe air pollution that risks the health of millions. “We are suffering in Lahore in a way due to the eastern wind corridor coming from India,” he said. Lahore, home to more than 14 million people, saw its air quality index surpass a record 1,900 in one part of the city on Saturday, according to IQAir, which tracks global air quality. Experts say India’s air pollution is so bad that smog could take years off the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Both India and Pakistan have tried to clamp down on the practice, but it is still widespread.

Persons: Raja Jahangir Anwar, ” Anwar, Punjab’s, ”, Arif Ali, Sakib Ali, Maryam Nawaz, Parveen Kumar Organizations: Pakistan CNN, Environment, CNN, Getty, Hindustan Times, World Health Organization, Experts, India’s Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, India, Punjab, Pakistan’s, Lahore, AFP, Delhi Meerut, Ghaziabad, Delhi –, Gurgaon, India’s Punjab, Haryana, Pakistan’s Punjab

☆ Thick smog chokes northern India and eastern Pakistan ahead of Diwali
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Lex Harvey | Noemi Cassanelli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Thick, toxic smog has once again enveloped northern India and eastern Pakistan just days before the start of Diwali, a Hindu festival typically celebrated with fireworks that each year sends air quality plummeting. Schoolgirls wearing masks ride a motorcycle as they leave school amid a rise in smog levels in Lahore, Pakistan on October 25, 2024. India’s air pollution has been found to be so bad, that experts have warned smog could take years off the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Delhi had banned the use and sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali, but the policy has been difficult to implement. Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times/Getty ImagesSome Indian cities have seen improvements in their air quality, according to government data, but progress has been slow.

Persons: Arif Ali, Sanchit Khanna, Arvind Yadav, ’ ” Jyoti Pande Lavakare Organizations: CNN, Getty, India’s, Hindustan Times, Air Locations: India, Pakistan, Delhi, Pakistani, Lahore, AFP, Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi, New

☆ Living pollution-free is a ‘fundamental right,’ India’s top court says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, India— Living in a pollution-free environment is a fundamental right, India’s Supreme Court said Wednesday as it urged authorities to address deteriorating air quality in the north of the country. Swiss group IQAir rated Delhi the world’s most polluted city in its live rankings. The Supreme Court pulled up the governments of both states for taking “selective action” against stubble burning, saying penal provisions were not being properly implemented. Recognizing this, the court on Wednesday directed the federal government and the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the western state of Rajasthan to submit compliance reports. In Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab, authorities have changed school timings and suspended outdoor activities because of pollution.

Persons: ”, Narendra, Marriyam Aurangzeb Organizations: Central Pollution Control Board, Supreme Locations: DELHI, India, Delhi, Swiss, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, South Asia, Lahore, Pakistan’s Punjab

☆ The 15 cities in the US with the worst air quality, ranked
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

IQAir's air quality report ranked the world's most and least polluted areas. The report revealed 92.5% of countries and only 9% of cities met WHO's PM2.5 guidelines in 2023. AdvertisementSwiss company IQAir ranked the most and least polluted countries and cities in the world in a recent air quality report. And only 9% of cities surveyed achieved WHO's guidelines of acceptable PM2.5 levels in 2023. Meanwhile, cities in California, Georgia, and Iowa were named the most polluted, as shown in the below ranking.

Persons: WHO's, —, IQAir Organizations: Service, Business Locations: California , Georgia, Iowa, Swiss, Arizona , Nevada, Colorado

☆ 15 cities in the US with the cleanest air, and how much houses cost there
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Business Insider has compiled the top 15 US cities with the cleanest air based on IQAir data. BI cross-referenced the data with house price data to identify places that are both cheap at clean. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Swiss company IQAir recently released its annual air quality report, ranking the most and least polluted countries and cities in the world. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, IQAir Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Arizona , Nevada, Colorado, Swiss

☆ One Thing Most Countries Have in Common: Unsafe Air
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Only 10 countries and territories out of 134 achieved the World Health Organization’s standards for a pervasive form of air pollution last year, according to air quality data compiled by IQAir, a Swiss company. The pollution studied is called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, because it refers to solid particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size: small enough to enter the bloodstream. PM2.5 is the deadliest form of air pollution, leading to millions of premature deaths each year. “Air pollution and climate change both have the same culprit, which is fossil fuels,” said Glory Dolphin Hammes, the CEO of IQAir’s North American division. The World Health Organization sets a guideline that people shouldn’t breathe more than 5 micrograms of fine particulate matter per cubic meter of air, on average, throughout a year.

Persons: IQAir, ” Organizations: Health, IQAir’s North, World Health Organization, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Swiss, U.S

☆ Only Iceland, Finland, and 5 other countries had clean enough air to meet a global safety standard: data
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The 2023 World Air Quality Report showed that only a few countries have acceptable air quality. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementHardly any countries have clean enough air to hit a global safety benchmark, according to new research. The only seven countries deemed acceptable were Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, Australia, and New Zealand. Advertisement"The science is pretty clear about the impacts of air pollution and yet we are so accustomed to having a background level of pollution that's too high to be healthy.

Persons: —, IQAir, Marco Bottigelli, Hammes, David Dee Delgado Organizations: Service, World Health Organization, Guardian, Chrysler, Getty, Las Locations: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Canada, North America, Swiss, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, French Polynesia, Southern Iceland, Northern America, West, New York City, Helinski, Tallinn, Hamilton, Bermuda, Reykjavik, Canberra, Wellington, San Juan ( Puerto Rico, Columbus , Ohio, Las Vegas

☆ World’s worst polluted cities are in Asia - India’s Begusarai topping IQAir report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“We see that in every part of our lives that air pollution has an impact,” said IQAir Global CEO Frank Hammes. “And it typically, in some of the most polluted countries, is likely shaving off anywhere between three to six years of people’s lives. Central and South Asia were the worst performing regions globally, home to all four of the most polluted countries last year: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan. South Asia is of particular concern, with 29 of the 30 most polluted cities in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. One bright spot is increasing pressure and civic engagement from communities, NGOs, companies, and scientists to monitor air quality.

Persons: ”, Frank Hammes, Hammes, “ What’s, IQAir, Chiang Mai, that’s, ” Hammes Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Health, IQAir, WHO, Dhaka, CNN, America, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, India, India’s Bihar, Guwahati, Assam, Delhi, Mullanpur, Punjab, South Asia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Lahore, New Delhi, Finland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, French Polynesia, Canada, Alberta, United States, Minneapolis, Detroit, Columbus , Ohio, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, China, Beijing, Hotan, Southeast Asia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangkok, Africa, South America, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Chad

☆ Indonesia election: Young voters will decide the country’s future, here’s what they care about
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Rachel Wilson | Rosa Deacostanoya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

With a majority of the electorate under 40 years of age, the candidates are all vying for young voters to claim victory. On the ground, young voters are struggling to find jobs that suit their aspirations.” Yoes Kenawas, doctoral candidate at Northwestern UniversityIn addition to these economic concerns, more young voters also now worry about climate change. The social media battlegroundNearly 80% of people in Indonesia are connected to the internet and people aged 16 to 64 spend an average of more than three hours a day on social media, according to the We Are Social 2023 Digital Report, which provides global social media insights. Wednesday’s results will potentially offer a verdict on how effective social media campaigns have been in addressing young voters’ worries. There is a concern that young voters could get trapped in “a political campaign that is relying on gimmicks,” Kenawas said.

Persons: Indonesia’s, Joko Widodo, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, — Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Raka, Widodo’s, Subianto, Abigail Limuria, Bijak, ” Abigail Limuria, ”, Yoes Kenawas, ” Yoes Kenawas, Instagram, Kenawas, Muhaimin Iskandar, Mahfud, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Subianto’s, Widodo, He’s, he’s, ’, ” Kenawas Organizations: CNN, Indonesia, Indonesian Defense, CNN Indonesia, Center for Strategic, International Studies, International Labour Organization, Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency, Northwestern University, “, CSIS, Widodo Locations: Central Java, Jakarta, Swiss, Indonesia, policymaking, CNN Indonesia

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — With Planet Earth running a fever, U.N. climate talks focused Sunday on the contagious effects on human health. “Climate change doesn’t need to be on a death certificate for us to be confident that climate change is causing deaths,” Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, WHO’s head of climate and health, said. Dubai, the largest city in oil-rich United Arab Emirates, often faces higher levels of air pollution than other places on Earth due to its location — and haze is common. The Dubai government, on its web site devoted to the environment, listed its Air Quality Index level mostly at “good” on Sunday. Switzerland-based IQAir, a technology company that sells air-quality monitoring products, listed Dubai as the city with the 18th-worst air quality in the world with “moderate” air quality levels as of noon local time on Sunday.

Persons: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ”, —, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, John Kerry, ” Kerry, Vanessa, Tedros, Diarmid Campbell, ” Diarmid Campbell, Jon Gambrell, Peter Prengaman Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Health Organization, Conference, WHO, United, Associated Press, AP Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Dubai, U.N, —, U.S, United Arab Emirates, Persian, Switzerland

Suryana has spent more than three decades living in the shadow of the power plant in northern Java, just 60 miles from Jakarta, Indonesia’s most populous city. Emissions from burning coal, which is highly polluting but relatively cheap, contribute up to a third of Indonesia’s air pollution according to Siti Nurbaya, Indonesia’s Environmental and Forestry Minster. The Indonesian government has called on residents to use public transportation and has given regulation and financial incentives to residents who want to shift from using gas or diesel-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles. The government is pushing to have more than 530,000 electric vehicles on the road in Indonesia by 2030. Because industry is contributing 30% to 40% of the air pollution in Jakarta, in addition to emissions from transportation,” Syuhada said.

Persons: Suryana, “ We’ve, ”, Ginanjar Syuhada, —, Siti Nurzanah, ” Nurzanah, Syuhada, “, Siti Nurbaya, Budi Karya, ” Syuhada Organizations: —, United Nations, Associated Press, World Health Organization, Air, Vital, Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, WHO, Jakarta Health Agency, Jakarta's Persahabatan, Persahabatan Hospital, Forestry, Transportation Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Java, Jakarta, Indonesia’s, United, Dubai, Swiss, Indonesian, New York

☆ Cricket World Cup 2023: Polluted air the common opponent
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Air quality during 2023 Cricket World Cup matchesChart categorises the 2023 cricket World Cup matches held in 10 Indian cities by the air quality observed during the matches they hosted. Twenty matches were held in ‘unhealthy’ air quality, 11 in air that was ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 12 in ‘moderate’ air quality and only two in ‘good’ air quality. Average 24-hour PM 2.5 levels on all cricket World Cup match days between 1983 and 2019Chart shows average PM 2.5 concentration on match days at places that hosted a cricket World Cup match between 1983 and 2019. Of all the regions that have ever hosted a cricket World Cup match, the Indian subcontinent has seen the most polluted air. Map shows average annual PM 2.5 levels in 2019 across the world and locations that have ever hosted a cricket World Cup match.

Persons: Delhi’s Arun, Arun Jaitley, ITO, Chandika Hathurusinghe, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Suranga Lakmal, Mohammad Shami vomited Organizations: Sri Lankan, teams, Arun, ITO, Labs Inc, . Environmental Protection Agency, Delhi, United States Environment Protection Agency, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, World Health Organization, Indian, Matches, Daily, International Cricket Council, Endurance Locations: New Delhi, Delhi, Lahore, Pakistan, Australia, Netherlands, India, ITO, Sri Lanka, England, Indian, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Sri Lankan, U.S, Canberra, United States, China, Bangladesh

☆ 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

☆ New Delhi air pollution: Why can’t India’s capital clean up its toxic air like Beijing?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“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

☆ Explainer: Why is South Asia the global hotspot of pollution?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Sakshi Dayal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The worsening air pollution is an annual problem for South Asian nations as winter approaches and cold, heavy air traps pollution in a thick layer of smog. South Asia has become the global hotspot for air pollution, with studies finding four of the world's most polluted countries and nine of the 10 most polluted cities in the region. WHY IS POLLUTION IN SOUTH ASIA WORSE THAN OTHER PLACES? An increase in the number of vehicles on roads as the region has developed has also exacerbated the pollution problem. Countries across South Asia will have to coordinate efforts if the region's pollution problem is to be solved, collaborating to enhance monitoring and make policy decisions.

Persons: stubble, Anushree, Sakshi Dayal, Michael Perry Organizations: Swiss Group, REUTERS, ., Thomson Locations: DELHI, South Asia, Asia, New Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh's

☆ 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

☆ Pakistan’s Lahore is the latest megacity to shut down as pollution chokes swathes of South Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

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

☆ 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

☆ Toxic foam coats sacred river near New Delhi as Indian capital battles hazardous pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

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

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