Showing posts with label AIR POLLUTIION. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AIR POLLUTIION. Show all posts

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Punjab, Haryana announce Rs 2,500 an acre incentive to stop stubble burning


MP farmers may move SC for inclusion; UP to set up biomass plants; farmers say relief too late for this year.


Following the Supreme Court rule to boost ranchers for halting the consuming of paddy crop stubble to check air contamination, the legislatures of Punjab and Haryana have reported a reward of Rs 2,500 a section of land for little and negligible ranchers who are yet to begin such movement.

Rancher bunches state the motivating forces could have kept ranchers from consuming stubble in the event that it had gone ahead time. More, they need the impetus to be a lasting element.

In Madhya Pradesh, which has of late additionally observed developing occasions of stubble consuming, rancher bunches have chosen to appeal to the Court to remember them also for such a bundle.

In Haryana, the state government has reported an extra Rs 1,000 a section of land motivating force for custom-enlisting focuses and straw baler units, to help their operational expenses. The Rs 2,500 a section of land has been determined by expecting 25 quintals of paddy is reaped from a section of land of land in Punjab and Haryana. In Punjab, news organization PTI reports that to guarantee the pay, ranchers need to fill a self-announcement proforma with their panchayat office by November 30. The sum would be legitimately credited to the ledger of the qualified rancher.

Uttar Pradesh, which additionally faces the issue of stubble consuming has chosen to set biofuel plants in each locale, where ranchers can sell their waste stubble for age of power. Boss Minister Yogi Adityanath said two such units are coming up in Sitapur and Gorakhpur; this will be reached out to different locale.

In Punjab, up until now, around 48,000 episodes of homestead fires have been accounted for this year, higher than a year ago. It was less in Haryana and UP. The all out zone under paddy in Punjab is around 3,000,000 hectares, of which straw administration is required on around 2,000,000. In the rest of the territories, ranchers have possess game plans for straw administration. The state delivers around 20 million tons of paddy straw every year.
In Haryana, the region under paddy for the most part is 1.3 million hectares, from which around 12 million tons of straw is delivered each year.

This year, up until now, authorities said of 2.9 million hectares in which paddy is planted, the yield has been collected in very nearly 90 percent of the zone, which implies that there is plausibility of stubble consuming in 10-15 percent of the rest of the territory (30,000-35,000 hectares) if ranchers don't assimilate remedial measures on schedule.


Delhi-NCR continues to breathe toxic air, pollution nears 'emergency' zone


In NCR, Ghaziabad (467), Greater Noida (462), Gurgaon (447), Faridabad (446) and Noida (470) also reeled under the toxic smog.


Business Standard : The air quality in Delhi-NCR stayed in "extreme" classification on Friday morning as habitual pettiness proceeded betweeen ideological groups for the emergency.

The air quality list (AQI) in the national capital read 482 at 6:30 am with particulate issue (PM) 2.5 levels at 332 and PM 10 levels at 504 at 6:30 am on Friday.
In any case, wind speed is anticipated to get on Saturday and a progressive decrease in contamination is likely from that point.

In NCR, Ghaziabad (467), Greater Noida (462), Gurgaon (447), Faridabad (446) and Noida (470) likewise reeled under the harmful exhaust cloud.
An AQI somewhere in the range of 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301-400 'extremely poor' and 401-500 'serious'.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and EPCA are probably going to survey the circumstance on Friday.

Additionally, the Delhi government didn't take any choice on Thursday on expanding the odd-even street proportioning plan, which enters its last day on Friday.

In the mean time, political habitual pettiness proceeded over the circumstance in Delhi and close by areas with the AAP hitting out at the Center for not taking "solid strides" to handle the danger in spite of the zenith court's bearings in such manner.
Senior AAP pioneer Sanjay Singh affirmed that the BJP is attempting to "politicize" a delicate issue.

Ghaziabad: Two development organizations fined
The Ghaziabad area organization has forced robust fines on two development organizations for damaging air contamination control standards.

Area Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said a fine of Rs 1.01 crore was forced on APCO organization which was associated with development of a street close to the dike of Hindon stream in Indirapuram. So also, a fine of Rs 1.01 crore was forced on Apex organization in Siddhartha Vihar settlement, Pandey said.

Over the most recent 10 days, 267 individuals were seen as blameworthy of expanding contamination by consuming trash and e-squander.




Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Climate change to hurt health of children born in India for life: Lancet 


Indian children, who are already exposed to bad air and are particularly susceptible to malnutrition and infectious diseases, will experience greater impacts of climate change.


At current emission rates, a child born today will face lifelong health impacts of climate change, according to a new report. By the time he or she turns 71, the world will be 4 degrees-Celsius (deg-C) warmer than the pre-industrial levels of the mid-1700s.

Indian children, who are already exposed to bad air and are particularly susceptible to malnutrition and infectious diseases, will experience greater impacts of climate change, as we explain later.

Keep Reading : Business Standard

Here are some of the ways in which climate change will impact the lives of children from infancy to old age, as per the 2019 The Lancet Countdown report published in The Lancet, a medical journal:

Shrinking average yields of rice and maize will inflate the price of these crops, increasing the malnutrition burden, which is already higher among Indian children
Changing weather will increase the prevalence of infectious diarrhoeal and mosquito-borne diseases to which children are particularly susceptible

Air pollution will worsen, increasing the number of deaths attributable to fine particulates
Incidence of severe floods, prolonged droughts and wildfires will increase with rising temperature, putting lives at risk

The Lancet Countdown, which launched its first edition in 2016, is a comprehensive yearly analysis that tracks progress across 41 key indicators, demonstrating the health impacts of climate change.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the health risks of a changing climate,” said Nick Watts, executive director, The Lancet Countdown, in a statement. “Their bodies and immune systems are still developing, leaving them more susceptible to disease and environmental pollutants. The damage done in early childhood is persistent and pervasive, with health consequences lasting for a lifetime.”

About 600 million Indians are at risk from the fallout of a rise in global mean temperature, IndiaSpend reported on October 8, 2018.

For the world to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and protect the health of the next generation, the energy landscape will have to change drastically and soon, the report said. Countries have to try and limit global warming to 2 deg-C by ramping up efforts to decrease carbon emissions through nationally determined goals under the agreement.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Delhi's air quality dips to 'severe' levels, likely to worsen on Wednesday


The air quality monitor predicted the pollution levels in Delhi-NCR are expected to enter the "severe-plus" or "emergency" category today.


After slight relief, Delhi and its suburbs have again been engulfed in thick blanket of smog as fall in the temperature and wind speed pushed the city's air quality in the "severe" zone.

Delhi's overall air quality index (AQI) fell to 467 at 6:30 am from 425 on Tuesday evening, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

The PM 2.5 stood at 317 while the PM10 was recorded at 451.

The air quality monitor also predicted the pollution levels in Delhi-NCR are expected to enter the "severe plus" or "emergency" category today.

Meteorologists said the national capital recorded on Tuesday morning a minimum temperature of 11.7 degrees Celsius, the season's lowest so far. It is two notches below normal for this time of the year.

Most of the 37 air quality monitoring stations across Delhi recorded air quality in the severe category on Tuesday.

Faridabad (413), Gurgaon (511), Ghaziabad (461), and Noida (572) also choked on extremely polluted air.

An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'. An AQI above 500 falls in the 'severe plus' category.

According to SAFAR, the share of stubble-burning accounted for 25 per cent of Delhi's pollution on Tuesday, up from 18 per cent on Monday.

Business Standard

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Tourists turn their back on Delhi as air pollution reaches record levels


Rising pollution levels is an added problem for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is trying to reverse an economic slowdown as he seeks to lure investors to the South Asia nation.


Business travelers and tourists are avoiding New Delhi, as air pollution in India’s capital reached record levels, travel agents said.

Booking inquiries for hotels and flights to New Delhi have slumped since the festival of Diwali on Oct. 27, said Sharat Dhall, chief operating officer of the business-to-consumer segment at Yatra Online Inc. Bursting of firecrackers as part of the festivities worsened pollution caused by farm stubble burning in areas around the capital city.

Business travelers are looking to reschedule their visits to a later date, Dhall said in an email, adding that tourists are preferring Himalayan hill stations and destinations in the state of Rajasthan, home to the Thar desert, over New Delhi, famous for the 12th-century Qutab Minar and the Red Fort, built in the 17th century.

Pollution levels in New Delhi surged to more than three times of what’s considered hazardous over the weekend, increasing the risk of stroke, heart disease and lung cancer. While both provincial and federal governments have taken steps, including limiting private vehicles usage and shuttering factories, they have been unable to stop farmers from burning crop stubble -- smoke from which is the main reason for air becoming a lethal cocktail at this time of the year.

Bookings and travel searches for New Delhi from key international areas including Singapore, Thailand and Qatar have fallen 44 per cent, according to travel website Ixigo. On the other hand, bookings and queries from New Delhi to other destinations have increased 25 per cent, Ixigo said. Last-minute bookings from Delhi to other metros like Mumbai and Bangalore have also surged 20 per cent.

Rising pollution levels is an added problem for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is trying to reverse an economic slowdown as he seeks to lure investors to the South Asia nation. Almost 11 million foreign tourists arrived in India last year, government data showed, as Modi’s administration unveiled a campaign to showcase everything from the country’s mountains to deserts and rain forests to wildlife parks.

Business Standard

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Air purifier, pollution mask sales spike as Delhi battles health emergency


While Hindware is expecting sale of its air purifiers to double this year, brands like Xiaomi, Blue Star and Daikin, too, are expecting significant rise in sales.


Business Standard : As air quality in the Capital continues to deteriorate, sale of preventive items like air purifiers and pollution masks have spiked significantly. Manufacturers are observing a 30 to 100 per cent rise in demand compared to the same period last year.

While Hindware is expecting sale of its air purifiers to double this year, brands like Xiaomi, Blue Star and Daikin, too, are expecting significant rise in sales. Haier, which has recently launched its air purifying products for home, is already observing a spike in demand from the markets in Delhi and adjoining regions that contribute over 80 per cent of the total market volumes. Rakesh Kaul, president, CEO and whole-time director at Somany Home Innovation, a Hindware group firm, said that over the past three to four years, the degrading air quality and increasing concern towards health issues has fuelled sales of air purifiers and pollution masks in the country.

But with the current situation in Delhi NCR, where schools are being shut and there is an increase in the number of health-related issues being reported, there has been a significant growth in the air purifier market.

Firms are not only focusing on meeting the heightened demand as a public health emergency is underway in the region, they are also taking measures to ease the purchasing process. Some of the firms are even concerned about the side effects of complete dependence on artificial measures like air purifying machines and masks as lack of any holistic measures to curb air pollution is haunting citizens.

Panasonic, for example, is offering extended warranty and consumer finance options to make purchases accessible and affordable, said Syed Moonis Ali Alvi, general manager for air purifier business at the Japanese firm. A Xiaomi spokesperson said the company has set up a dedicated page on its shopping portal for air purifiers and pollution masks.
Management of other firms like Blue Star and Nirvana masks are rather concerned about the unavailability of natural solutions to the growing problem. The deteriorating quality of air that began with fire cracker pollutions on Diwali last week, has now got worse.

B Thiagarajan, joint managing director at Blue Star, said that while installing air purifiers at homes, offices and in cars help in reducing pollution levels inside the premises, it is the ultimate step when no other options are available.


Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Delhi chokes as pollution levels remain 'severe' for second straight day


On Wednesday morning, the Delhi air quality index was 422 -- a little worse than Tuesday's AQI of 414 at 8 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.


Delhi air pollution: There is no respite from severe air pollution in Delhi as air quality remained in the "severe" category on Wednesday morning. The air quality was similar to what it was on Tuesday, the day it slipped into the "severe" category in the city and the adjoining areas.

At 6 am, the city's overall air quality index (AQI) was 422 -- a little worse than Tuesday's AQI of 414 at 8 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor, and 401-500 severe. Above 500 is severe-plus emergency category.

Delhi's air quality took a hit after Diwali night due to a combination of firecracker emissions, stubble burning and unfavourable meteorological conditions.
Since then, pollution levels have been oscillating between the lower end and the higher end of the very poor category.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on on Tuesday appealed "with folded hands" to Punjab and Haryana to take concrete steps against stubble burning to prevent the national capital from becoming a "gas chamber".

His statement came after latest NASA images showed a drastic spurt in crop residue burning in the neighbouring states. The stubble plume from north-west regions has become one of the significant factors adversely affecting Delhi's air quality.

Business Standard