Not just health, Delhi's air is also toxic for economy facing a slowdown

India's losses from air pollution increased more than four times to $560 billion between 1990 and 2013, according to the World Bank.

Flight disruptions, fewer tourists, lost work hours and missed school days have come to portray India’s struggles with toxic air quality in its capital city, and the intangible costs may be adding up for an economy grappling with a sharp slowdown.

India’s losses from air pollution increased more than four times to $560 billion between 1990 and 2013, according to the World Bank, which attributed the economic burden to the rising costs of public health-care and workforce disruption. Pollution is now being counted among the hidden costs like repelling top corporate talent, according to analysts and industry lobby groups.

“This feeds into the broader economic environment,” said Hemant Shivakumar, a New Delhi-based senior analyst at Control Risks that advises clients on political and security risks. “If the air pollution escalates year after year and there’s no response then it’s likely to send investors a different message.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government deployed 300 field teams to curb pollution after it reached record levels earlier this month, as winds carried smoke from farm stubble burning in areas around New Delhi. Despite the measures and the state government imposing restrictions on use of private vehicles, pollution levels remain a cause for concern in the capital city of what was until recently the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

New Delhi’s air quality index, or AQI, improved to ‘poor’ on Monday from ‘severe’ last week. A reading above 400 is classified as severe and “affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases,“ according to the Environment Ministry.

“It affects us all,” Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, the ambassador of the Dominican Republic to India and the dean of the Diplomatic Corps, was cited as saying by the Press Trust of India. “This is a problem of major proportions to be solved” by the city and the federal government.

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Delhi-NCR air quality improves to 'poor', bringing relief after weeks

The air quality in Delhi-NCR is expected to remain in the 'moderate' and 'poor' categories for the next two days.

Air quality in Delhi and nearby areas improved on Monday due to strong winds but continued to remain in the "poor" category.

The relief for Delhi-NCR came after strong winds due to western disturbance helped disperse pollutants in the region and other parts of north India.

The air quality in Delhi-NCR is expected to remain in the "moderate" and "poor" categories for the next two days.

At 6:30 am, Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 211, which falls in the "poor" category. The AQI in the national capital on Sunday stood at 215.

An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered "poor", 301-400 "very poor" and 401-500 severe".

The concentration of particlate matter (PM) 2.5 was at 94 while the PM10 level was recorded at 170.

The weatherman has forecast strong surface winds during daytime on Monday with the maximum temperature touching 27 degrees Celsius and minimum of 15 degrees Celsius.

The AQI in Faridabad was 197 (moderate), Ghaziabad 218 (poor), Greater Noida 202 (poor), Noida 203 (poor) and Gurgaon 136 (moderate).

Delhi was blanketed with a thick smog for four consecutive days till Friday as unfavourable weather hampered dispersion of pollutants.

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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.

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.

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.

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Delhi continues to struggle for clean air as AQI slips to 'very poor'

The city recorded a decline in the pollution levels on Saturday and Sunday with the air quality moving from the 'very poor' to 'poor' category owing to favourable wind speed.

Business Standard : Pollution in New Delhi on Monday morning fell to "very poor" after being "poor" as the air quality index (AQI) slipped to 346 at 7:00 am, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

The AQI in adjoining areas of Noida, Gurgaon was registered at 315 and 355 respectively.

An AQI between 201 and 300 is 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'.

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.

Air quality in the city improved from "very poor" to "poor" on Saturday and Sunday because of wind speed.

It was a cold breezy Monday morning with the minimum temperature settling at 16 degrees Celsius.

Humidity was recorded at 66 per cent.

On Sunday, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 28 degrees Celsius and 16 degrees Celsius respectively.

Meanwhile, acting on a slew of directions from the Supreme Court, implementing agencies have taken "major action" at 13 pollution hot spots in the national capital, including closing 23 polluting industrial units, over the last three days, officials said on Sunday.

Municipal corporations have lifted 400 metric tonnes of construction and demolition waste and 1,200 metric tonne garbage during the period, they said.

After the apex court directed a three-member Monitoring Committee to oversee the implementation of pollution-control measures, its chairman Bhure Lal visited the hotspots of Wazirpur, Ashok Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Dwarka and R.K.Puram on November 8 and Narela, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, and Mundka on November 9, according to the officials.

Air pollution: Best air purifiers and masks that can help you breathe easy

Business Standard lists five anti-pollution gears that may be most efficient during poor and hazardous air quality in your city.

With most of India — capital New Delhi in particular — struggling to breathe because of hazardous air quality, people are forced to look at measures to prevent illness. Some of the most important things to do is getting good air purifiers and pollution filter masks. These come in different shapes and sizes, each with its own qualities and benefits. Which one should you go for? Business Standard lists five best anti-pollution gears to help you make a more informed choice:

Dyson Pure Hot+Cool air purifier (Rs 54,900)

This tower-shaped air purifier is a successor to the Dyson Pure Cool air purifier (review). As the name suggests, it is designed to work in all weather conditions. Like its predecessor, the Dyson Pure Hot+Cool does not look, work or perform in the same way as other air purifier in the market. Designed for indoor use — the living room, bedroom or large lobby areas — this air purifier has inbuilt sensors that detect pollutants, such as PM 2.5 and PM 10, and volatile organic compounds, such as benzene and formaldehyde, that are emitted from paints, burning of candles and materials in furniture, and nitrogen. It cleans the air based on the readings of its sensors. This air purifier has inbuilt Wi-Fi that makes it easy to connect with Android and iOS devices. With the help of the Dyson link app, you can fetch the air quality reading from the air purifier in real time. The app also shows the filters’ health and notifies when they need to be cleaned or replaced.

Honeywell Air Touch i9 (Rs 18,900)

This air purifier makes a good choice for moderate rooms of around 350 sq ft size. It has a minimalist design that makes it a good fit in contemporary living spaces. The air purifier has a three-level filteration process — a pre-filter for cleaning the air of large particulate matter, such as PM 10; a HEPA filter to bring down the PM 2.5 level and other particulate matter of up to 0.3 microns in size; and a HiSi filter that absorbs smoke and toxic gasses. The most likeable feature of this unit is its top panel. It operates with a light touch and is simple to understand. The touch panel has a PM 2.5 indicator, three modes for adjusting the fan speed, a night mode to turn the panel light off and a power button.

Samsung AX5500 (Rs 34,999)

This air purifier is a silent operator that does its job without making too much noise. The air purifier comes with a standard netted pre-filter and a two-in-one carbon and HEPA filter. According to the company, this air purifier is capable of servicing up to 645 sq ft — the size of a large living room.

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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.

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Relief for Delhi-NCR as air quality improves to 'very poor' category

Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad too recorded 'very poor' overall air quality.

In a major relief for the residents of Delhi-NCR, the air quality on Wednesday morning further improved. The air quality index in the national capital dropped from yesterday's 365 to 356 at 6:30 am. The Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said, "The AQI is back to 'very poor' category after rapidly recovering from 'severe' largely due to faster boundary layer winds (40 kmph)."

Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad too recorded 'very poor' overall air quality.

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.

The India Meteorological Department said winds gusting up to 25 kmph were flushing out pollutants faster.

"There are good chances of rains in northwest India on Wednesday night and Thursday due to a western disturbance. The precipitation will cover Delhi-NCR, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh," head of IMD's regional weather forecasting centre of Kuldeep Srivastava, said.

Taking a grim view of the surge in pollution levels, the Supreme Court on Monday slammed authorities for failing to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR and said they have left people to die.

Passing a slew of other directions to prevent the rise in air pollution levels, it imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on anyone carrying out construction and demolition activity in Delhi-NCR, and a fine of Rs 5,000 on offenders involved in garbage or waste burning. The Bench said it had “no sympathy for farmers indulging in it (stubble burning) as they are putting lives of others at risk”.

The odd-even scheme, which kickstarted on Monday has entered Day 3 with only even-numbered non-transport vehicles allowed on Delhi roads. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has claimed that due to the odd-even rule, 15 lakh vehicles have been taken off the road.

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Delhi pollution: AQI still in 'severe' category, Odd-even enters Day 2

The odd-even scheme, which kickstarted on Monday has entered Day 2 with only odd-numbered non-transport vehicles allowed on Delhi roads.

Pollution levels in the national capital surged on Tuesday morning as the air quality remained in the 'severe' category. A day after high wind speed helped bring down pollution levels in the city, SAFAR, the government-run monitoring agency, said Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) was 411 at 7:00 am. Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad too recorded 'severe' overall air quality.

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.

The odd-even scheme, which kickstarted on Monday has entered Day 2 with only odd-numbered non-transport vehicles allowed on Delhi roads.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), Noida (493) and Gurugram (405), also breathed polluted air.

Taking a grim view of the surge in pollution levels, the Supreme Court yesterday slammed authorities for failing to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR and said they have left people to die.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta took serious note of crop burning in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh and said it cannot go unabated every year.

"Can we survive in this atmosphere? This is not the way we can survive," the bench said. The bench called the pollution in Delhi-NCR as atrocious and said no one is safe even inside homes.

The Centre, in response said that the number of 'good' to 'moderate' days increased to 175 in 2019 against 157 in 2018. According to the Centre, the bursting of firecrackers during Diwali, stubble burning and adverse meteorology conditions exacerbated the pollution level in Delhi-NCR.

Passing a slew of other directions to prevent rise in air pollution levels, it imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on anyone carrying out construction and demolition activity in Delhi-NCR, and a fine of Rs 5,000 on offenders involved in garbage or waste burning. The Bench said it had “no sympathy for farmers indulging in it (stubble burning) as they are putting lives of others at risk”.

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Indians lose 4 yrs of their lives to air pollution, effect worse than AIDS

According to the new Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), particulate air pollution cuts global average life expectancy by 1.8 years per person.

Business Standard : People in India would live an average 4.3 years longer if the country met the global guidelines for particulate pollution, according to a study which found that effect of pollution on life expectancy is worse than HIV/AIDS, cigarette smoking, and even terrorism.

According to the new Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), developed by researchers at University of Chicago in the US, particulate air pollution cuts global average life expectancy by 1.8 years per person.

The AQLI establishes particulate pollution as the single greatest threat to human health globally, with its effect on life expectancy exceeding that of devastating communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, behavioural killers like cigarette smoking, and even war.

Critically, the AQLI reports these results in tangible terms that are relatable for most people.

"Around the world today, people are breathing air that represents a serious risk to their health. But the way this risk is communicated is very often opaque and confusing, translating air pollution concentrations into colors, like red, brown, orange and green," said Michael Greenstone, a professor at Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).

"My colleagues and I developed the AQLI, where the 'L' stands for 'life,' to address these shortcomings. It takes particulate air pollution concentrations and converts them into perhaps the most important metric that exists: life expectancy," he said.

The AQLI is based on a pair of studies that quantify the causal relationship between long-term human exposure to particulate pollution and life expectancy.

Seventy-five percent of the global population, or 5.5 billion people, live in areas where particulate pollution exceeds the WHO guideline.

The AQLI reveals that India and China, which make up 36 per cent of the world's population, account for 73 per cent of all years of life lost due to particulate pollution.

On average, people in India would live 4.3 years longer if the country met the WHO guideline -- expanding the average life expectancy at birth there from 69 to 73 years.

In the US, about a third of the population lives in areas not in compliance with the WHO guideline. Those living in the country's most polluted counties could expect to live up to one year longer if pollution met the WHO guideline.

Globally, the AQLI reveals that particulate pollution reduces average life expectancy by 1.8 years, making it the greatest global threat to human health.

By comparison, first-hand cigarette smoke leads to a reduction in global average life expectancy of about 1.6 years. Other risks to human health have even smaller effects: Alcohol and drugs reduce life expectancy by 11 months; unsafe water and sanitation take off 7 months; and HIV/AIDS, 4 months... Read More

Post-Diwali pollution: Many unhappy over violation of SC order in Delhi-NCR

Many wonder how people cannot understand the repercussions of bursting crackers.

A day after Diwali, there were searching questions and some anguish too as a hazy morning dawned over the Delhi-NCR region, with many residents voicing their helplessness at the violation of the Supreme Court's 8-10 pm deadline of bursting firecrackers.

Delhi recorded its worst air quality of the year on Thursday morning, with the air quality index jumping to 574 that falls in the severe-plus emergency category -- meaning that even healthy people may suffer from respiratory illnesses on a prolonged exposure to such air.

"Delhi is a gas chamber for TB patients like me. We are caught in a bind. If we escape TB, then we will die of pollution," Hasmukh Rai, a senior citizen of Mayur Vihar.

"In this season, when everybody is talking of bringing ordinances on a variety of issues, why can't politicians join hands and bring an ordinance to ban stubble burning?" he asked.

ALSO READ: This Diwali, here's how Gujarat traders made e-commerce firms suffer

South Delhi resident Sagarika Sharma said she had lost her mother to lung cancer last year due to this hazardous pollution. "My mother was not a smoker or drinker, but yes, she was guilty of living in Delhi."

Sharma wonders how people cannot understand the repercussions of bursting crackers. "I understand they want to celebrate, but at the cost of digging one's own grave!"

Even as the police launched a crackdown the violators and made multiple arrests, several people said, for them, Diwali meant bursting firecrackers.

"Since childhood, we have been bursting crackers on Diwali. We do not understand green or red crackers. What we know is that it is a symbol of the festival for us and we will continue doing it," said Himanshu Bhalla, a Gurgaon resident.

Another resident of Lajpat Nagar, who did not wish to be identified, said the order of the top court came out to o late and and she cannot forgo the celebration of the festival over it.

Environmental activists said the police needed to be supported by governments to strictly enforce the ban.

"The judiciary has given our executive the necessary tools. We request our lawmakers to support our executive and all three arms of our democracy to work together to protect citizens health at this time of national health emergency," said Jyoti Pande Lavakare, co-founder, Care for Air NGO.

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