India looks to secure the T20 series against Sri Lanka today. They have dominated the first two matches with strong batting and bowling performances. Sri Lanka faces confidence issues after consecutive defeats. The Indian team aims to maintain their winning momentum
Ghaziabad was most polluted Indian city in November, Delhi fourth worst: Study
Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad was the most polluted city in the country in November, registering an average PM2.5 concentration of 224 micrograms per cubic metre, according to a report by the think tank Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
PM2.5 refers to tiny airborne particles that are about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair and can easily be breathed into the lungs and the bloodstream.
India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards prescribe a “safe” PM2.5 limit of 60 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre of air) over a 24-hour period. The World Health Organization prescribes 15 μg/m3.
According to the report released on Friday, Ghaziabad was followed by Noida, Bahadurgarh, Delhi, Hapur, Greater Noida, Baghpat, Sonipat, Meerut and Rohtak in the list of most polluted cities in the country.
Uttar Pradesh accounted for six of these cities, followed by three in Haryana.
Except for Delhi, all the other cities recorded higher PM2.5 levels in November, as compared to the same period last year, said the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Apart from Bahadurgarh, none of the top 10 most polluted cities recorded even a single day within the safe limit set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said that 20 out of 29 cities in the National Capital Region registered higher pollution levels than the previous year, despite a significant reduction in stubble burning.
“This clearly indicates that the dominant drivers are year-round sources such as transport, industry, power plants, and other combustion sources. Without sector-specific emission cuts, cities will continue to breach standards,” Kumar said.
This is in line with another study carried out by the non-profit organisation Centre for Science and Environment in 2024, which had said that local sources of pollution, rather than farm fires, were primarily to blame for Delhi's deteriorating air quality ahead of Diwali.
Also read: Delhi's failure to act against the biggest source of its air pollution – vehicles
In November, Meghalaya's capital Shillong was the least polluted city in India, registering an average PM2.5 concentration of seven micrograms per cubic metre, according to the report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Among the top 10 least polluted cities in the country, six were in Karnataka and one each in Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Air quality deteriorates sharply in the winter months in Delhi, which is often ranked the world's most polluted capital. This year, too, the national capital has been recording air quality in the “poor” or worse categories since mid-October.
Measures under stages 1 and 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan to bring pollution under control are in force in Delhi.
Measures under stage 2 entail ensuring an uninterrupted power supply to discourage the use of alternative power arrangements, such as diesel generator sets, and increasing parking fees to discourage private transportation.
Stage 1 involves measures such as the mechanical sweeping of roads and sprinkling water on them to keep the dust from rising. It also bans some kinds of construction and demolition activities.
Source: Scroll
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India looks to secure the T20 series against Sri Lanka today. They have dominated the first two matches with strong batting and bowling performances. Sri Lanka faces confidence issues after consecutive defeats. The Indian team aims to maintain their winning momentum
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