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Delhi woke up to a grey morning as an apocalyptic smog blotted out the sun from the sky and smudged landmarks from view with air quality inching closer to "emergency" levels on Tuesday. Air quality monitoring stations at Mandir Marg, Punjabi Bagh, Pusa, Rohini, Patparganj, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Najafgarh, Sri Aurobindo Marg and Okhla Phase 2 maxed out - as air quality indexes hit the 500 mark, <keyword id="67999" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Pollution-Control-Board">Central Pollution Control Board</keyword> data showed. The smog reduced the visibility to merely 300 meters in the morning affecting traffic, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Delhi recorded an AQI of 487 at 9 am, which falls in the "severe" category. The neighbouring cities of Faridabad (474), Ghaziabad (476), Noida (490), Greater Noida (467), and Gurugram (469) also recorded "severe" air quality. This is the sixth "severe" air day on the trot in Delhi. The city witnessed seven "severe" air days in November last year. The levels of PM2.5 - finer particles which can even enter the bloodstream - in Delhi-NCR were 605 g/m3 at 8 am - around ten times the safe limit of 60 g/m3. PM10 levels stood at 777 microgram per cubic meter (g/m3) at 8 am, the highest since November June 14, 2018, when it surged to 847 g/m3, according to CPCB data. PM10 levels below 100 g/m3 are considered safe in India. If PM2.5 and PM10 levels are more than 300 g/m3 and 500 g/m3 for over 48 hours, emergency measures such ban on construction activities, entry of trucks and car rationing scheme can be implemented under the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi-NCR notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2017. Government agencies and experts said calm wind speeds were exacerbating the effect of stubble burning and a "quick recovery" is not possible unless the number of farm fires reduces drastically. V K Soni, the head of the IMD's environment research centre, said a major improvement in Delhi-NCR's air quality was highly unlikely in the coming days. "The air quality is likely to be recorded in the upper end of the ''very poor'' category on Diwali if we discount firecrackers emissions. If people burst crackers, pollution levels can increase to 'severe'' to 'severe plus' category (emergency)," he said. <keyword id="2462566" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-National-Green-Tribunal">The National Green Tribunal</keyword> on Monday imposed a total ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight, saying "celebration by crackers is for happiness and not to celebrate deaths and diseases". The Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said, "Low dispersion condition continues in Delhi along with high fire-related intrusion. This has led to the accumulation of pollutants near the surface." "No quick recovery is expected unless a drastic reduction in fire counts takes place," it said. SAFAR said the share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution was 38 percent on Monday. According to the IMD, Delhi recorded calm winds and a minimum temperature of 10.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning. Calm winds and low temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground, while favourable wind speed helps in their dispersion. There was moderate fog in the morning which led to smog. It reduced visibility to 300 meters at the Safdarjung and Palam weather stations, an IMD official said. The newly-constituted Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas on Monday stressed the need to enforce existing laws, directions and SOPs to minimise air pollution on an emergency basis. It is expected to review the situation on Tuesday. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said action will be taken against those not complying with the ban on firecrackers under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act which included a jail term of up to six years. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-is-90-effective-in-preventing-coronavirus-in-those-who-havent-been-infected-ever-before/articleshow/79130097.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in preventing coronavirus in those who haven’t been infected ever before, shows data from latest trials</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/mm-q2-earnings-tomorrow-profit-likely-to-fall-19-percent-but-tractor-sales-may-help-revenue/articleshow/79129620.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Strong tractor sales may cushion M&amp;M’s revenue but profit is likely to remain under pressure, say analysts</a>

Delhi-NCR's air quality on brink of "emergency" after city records AQI of 487 — falling in the 'severe' category for the sixth consecutive day

Nine of the 36 <keyword id="10157351" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pollution-monitoring-station">pollution monitoring station</keyword> in Delhi showed 'severe' air quality index on Friday, according to <keyword id="7176324" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Central-Pollution-Control-Board">the Central Pollution Control Board</keyword>'s data. According to the pollution monitoring agency, AQI in North Delhi's Alipur area was 447, which falls in the 'severe' category, followed by Shadipur, Wazirpur, Jahagirpuri, Mundka, Patparganj, Anand Vihar, Bawana, and Vivek Vihar. Besides these, 26 pollution monitoring station showed 'very poor' reading and one logged moderate air quality index. The overall pollution levels continued to be in the lower end of the 'very poor' category at 372 at noon. Vijay Kumar Sonu, Head of Environment Monitoring and Research Centre at IMD told IANS that "due to calm wind there is no dispersion of pollutants". "The wind speed will, however, pick up from October 26 and would likely result in improvement of AQI," he said. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, which comes under the aegis of <keyword id="158211" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Earth-Sciences">Ministry of Earth Sciences</keyword>, also stated that the most dominant factor for deterioration is extremely calm surface wind in Delhi, combined with low inversion height followed by moderate stubble related intrusion. "Highly calm surface wind conditions prevail over the Delhi region and is forecast to continue for next two days. It will lead to low ventilation conditions and little dispersion for an extended period and hence accumulation of pollutants near the surface. Further deterioration of AQI is predicted for the next 2 days," the forecasting agency added. SAFAR also stated that there was significant stubble fire count around Haryana, Punjab, and neighbouring regions with the counts at 1,213 on Thursday, slightly less than what was a day before. "However, the boundary layer wind direction is not fully favourable for pollutant transport towards Delhi region, the SAFAR model estimate of stubble burning share in PM2.5 is 17 per cent for today," it added. Neighbouring Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Greater Noida -- also recorded 'very poor' quality of air. Greater Noida and Noida air is currently the most polluted among all. Nationwide, as many as 18 cities have very poor quality of air. Greater Noida tops the charts at 392, followed by Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat, Noida and Panipat. Shillong recorded the cleanest air in the country. (Aakanksha Khajuria can be contacted at aakanksha.k@ians.in) --IANS aka/in

One-fourth of Delhi's air is 'severely' polluted, according to the Central Pollution Control Board

<ul><li>Pushpendra Parmar, who was employed with the Alibaba-backed UCWeb in Gurugram, Haryana between August 2016 and November 2017, has claimed $268,000 in damages. </li><li>Jack Ma and about a dozen individuals or company units have been asked to appear in Gurugram civil court or through a lawyer on July 29.</li><li>In 2014, the CEO of Samsung Electronics was been ordered to appear at a Ghaziabad court in a $1.4-million cheating case.</li></ul> An Indian court has summoned Alibaba's founder Jack Ma after a former employee in India complained that he was wrongfully fired, according to a Reuters report. Pushpendra Parmar, who was employed with the Alibaba-backed UCWeb in Gurugram, Haryana between August 2016 and November 2017, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilanjan-sen-815b116/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">according to his LinkedIn profile</a>. He has reportedly alleged that his objection to UC News' censoring of content that was critical of China led to his ouster from the company. Parmar has claimed $268,000 in damages. Jack Ma and about a dozen individuals or company units have been asked to appear in Gurugram civil court or through a lawyer on July 29, <a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/alibaba-india/exclusive-alibaba-jack-ma-summoned-by-indian-court-on-former-employees-complaint-idINKCN24R055" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">said Reuters</a>, adding that UC India did not offer a comment on the ongoing litigation. This is not the first time that the global CEO of a multinational firm has been summoned by an Indian court. In 2014, the CEO of Samsung Electronics was been ordered to appear at a Ghaziabad court in a $1.4-million cheating case. The summons issued to Jack Ma, the world's 17th richest man with a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/jack-ma/#13d9fbcc1ee4" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">net worth of over $47 billion</a>, have come amidst a diplomatic standoff between India and China. The terms of disengagement at the Ladakh border between India and China are still being negotiated. UC Browser was one of the 89 apps banned by the Indian government last month. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/the-fault-in-our-stars-indias-bid-at-privatizing-space/articleshow/77182064.cms">OPINION| The fault in our stars: India’s bid at privatizing space</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/a-capgemini-executive-explains-how-car-makers-can-get-their-online-strategy-right/articleshow/77181976.cms">A Capgemini executive explains how car makers can get their online strategy right</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/an-fmcg-analyst-shares-a-picture-of-whats-selling-in-rural-india-and-whats-not/articleshow/77180798.cms">An FMCG analyst shares a picture of what's selling in rural India and what's not</a>

An Indian court has summoned Jack Ma for wrongfully firing an Indian employee

A layer of smoky haze lingered over Delhi-NCR on Wednesday, as the air quality of the region hit 'very poor' levels due to a cocktail of stubble burning from the adjoining states and slow wind speed, government officials said. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, <keyword id="66" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword>'s neighbouring regions -- Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Greater Noida -- are logging 'very poor' quality of air, while Gurugram is in 'poor' category. Ghaziabad and Greater Noida's air quality remained the worst amongst all. The Capital's air quality index stood at 326 at noon, in very poor category. Nineteen out of 36 pollution monitoring stations in Delhi showed a 'very poor' air quality index reading. The Wazirpur area has the most noxious air at 399, followed by Bawana at 392, Rohini at 391 and Jahangirpuri at 383. "Visibility in the region has dropped to 800 metres as against 2,000 metres in the morning. There is a layer of pollutants in the atmosphere from the smoke emanating from stubble burning and local sources. There will be no respite for the next 2-3 days," said Kuldeep Srivastava, Head of India Meteorological Department's Regional Forecasting Centre. Vijay Soni, a scientist at the <keyword id="55910" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Pollution">air pollution</keyword> division of India Meteorological Department, told IANS that Punjab recorded 2,500 farm fires on Tuesday, whose smoke, combined with the low wind speed, have resulted in deterioration of air quality in the national capital and surrounding regions. On the contrary, the Ministry of Earth Science's System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research stated the boundary layer wind direction is "not favourable for direct fire-related transport". The share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution air is estimated to be only 5 per cent for today. The share of stubble burning accounted for 10 per cent of Delhi's pollution on Tuesday, 16 per cent on Monday and 40 per cent on Sunday, the maximum so far this season. Last year, the farm fire contribution to Delhi's pollution had peaked to 44 per cent on November 1. The air quality forecasting agency added, "A significant improvement from the peak AQI value, four days back, to current AQI is mainly attributed to increased local surface wind speed combined with not so favourable boundary layer winds for the fire-related intrusion. However, boundary layer winds are likely to shift to North-westerly, some increased intrusion, and marginal deterioration is expected for the next three days." Nationwide, Haryana's Ambala is recoding the worst air quality at 444, followed by Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat which are recording AQI readings of 420, 415 and 407, respectively. Shillong has the cleanest air in the country. "Transport of smoke caused by stubble burning in Punjab and air pollution are affecting India from north to south, even reaching the Arabian Sea," European Union's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space said in a statement.

India's national capital is covered in a smoky haze as air pollution in Delhi hits 'very poor' levels

<ul><li>The Indian alcoholic beverages market is projected to grow at 11% per annum in value terms for the period between 2021 to 2025. </li><li>The alcohol and <keyword id="1453601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="beverage-industry" source="Orion">beverage industry</keyword> in India is projected to cross 1200 million cases in volume by 2025. </li><li>India’s alcoholic beverages industry is having to deal with several obstacles – from tourists triggering pandemic scares to varying excise duties across the country. </li><li>Consumers are also switching from beer to whisky, rum, brandy and scotch on budgetary and health concerns. </li></ul>A growing spurt in post-pandemic social gatherings and socialising is seeing an uptick in food and beverages consumption, boosting <keyword id="13627872" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alcohol-sales-in-India" source="Orion">alcohol sales in India</keyword>. Consumers are also switching from beer to brown liquor like whisky, rum, brandy and scotch on budgetary and health concerns, industry experts say. “There has been a revenge buying going on in the market in the past 6 months. Many have shifted from beer to higher alcohol content products. Beer is comparatively more expensive as people tend to buy more of it due to less alcohol content,” said Ishwaraj Bhatia, COO of craft beer company <keyword id="138117" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="simba" source="Orion">Simba</keyword>, which witnessed a 35% growth post-pandemic. Indians have been getting out in droves to socialise in restaurants, clubs, pubs and bars – making up for all the lost social interactions after the Covid-19 pandemic’s forced isolation. Bangalore-based Ironhill, which claims to be the world’s largest microbrewery, clocked an overall sales in excess of ₹150 crore in 2022 alone. “The post pandemic era has been promising to us in many ways. Our sales have improved by steady dine-in footfalls across all our outlets. The consumption has been the highest in Bengaluru by a huge margin, followed by Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh and outlets in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” said <keyword id="12042815" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="teja-chekuri" source="Orion">Teja Chekuri</keyword>, Managing Partner of Ironhill India. Dine-in business of quick service restaurants or QSRs saw a strong growth in Q1FY2023 according to a <keyword id="87153" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bnp-paribas" source="Orion">BNP Paribas</keyword> sector report. That bodes well for <keyword id="25441" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alcohol-consumption" source="Orion">alcohol consumption</keyword> too. According to a Mirae Asset QSR report 2022, pubs, clubs and bars comprise 27% of the sales share. Pubs and bars are expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.8% and 9.5% in FY25, Paribas said. Indian alcohol beverage market is the third largest market in the world after China and USA by volume. This market is projected to grow at 11% per annum in value terms in 2021-2025, while by volume it is projected to cross 1200 million cases by<a href="https://www.bseindia.com/corporates/download/380455/Sula%20Vineyards%20Limited%20-%20DRHP_20220719121719.pdf"> 2025</a>. Changing excise policies a challenge Even as the alcoholic beverages industry in India slowly gets back on the road to recovery, it is having to deal with several obstacles – from tourists triggering pandemic scares to varying excise duties across the country. Delhi, a major market for alcoholic beverages, recently changed its excise policy. From September 1, Delhi and Ghaziabad went back to their old excise policies, leaving private players in the lurch. Private players were offering one plus one free alcohol to sell the remaining stock before the old excise policy came back. “The old excise policy favoured the private players more than the government vendors. Label and registration fees have gone up 100 fold and marketing is restricted. For registering a label in Delhi, we have to pay ₹15 lakh per year. For us, Delhi has been very expensive from the beginning, “ said Simba’s Bhatia. The entrepreneurs in the industry say Tier 1 cities were facing hiccups getting back on track due to the high inflow of travellers post pandemic leading to Covid cases. The tier 2 and tier 3 cities were quicker to adapt. “It is more difficult to sell alcohol in India rather than abroad because every state is a different country with its own excise rules. We have a separate team just to monitor the rapid changes in excise rules across states in India. The southern region of India is especially difficult to tap into as it forms 40% of the beer sales,” said Bhatia. Despite these issues, the Indian alcoholic beverage industry is expecting to grow robustly in the next few years and are looking to expand. UK-based research agency <keyword id="14971974" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="iwsr-drinks" source="Orion">IWSR Drinks</keyword> market analysis says Indian spirits segments will grow 4.4% in the next five years while beer will grow 9.3%. “We have been pushing our franchise model quite aggressively and have already begun talks for outlets in Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan among other states. We plan to have at least 30 outlets across India in the next few years,” said Ironhill India’s Chekuri. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/sanjay-khanna-appointed-ceo-of-american-express-india/articleshow/94169933.cms">Sanjay Khanna appointed CEO of American Express India</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/a-fire-at-an-ev-showroom-has-killed-8-several-injured-while-trying-to-escape/articleshow/94167880.cms">A fire at an EV showroom has killed 8, several injured while trying to escape</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech-buying-guides/amazon-great-indian-festival-sale-kickstarter-deals-revealed/articleshow/94157835.cms">Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale: Kickstarter deals revealed</a>

Spurt in social gatherings post-Covid is boosting alcohol sales in India

New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS) Along with bad air, there's bad news for residents of Delhi-NCR, the Ministry of Earth Sciences informed that overall AQI in the region has deteriorated to 'severe' category on Saturday morning and there is "no quick recovery" in sight unless "a drastic reduction of stubble fire counts takes place". Delhi's Air Quality Index was 405, while that of Ghaziabad was 432; Greater Noida 418; Millennium City Gurugram 411, Noida 404 and Faridabad a 410. SAFAR has synergized stubble fire counts over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and neighbouring areas which increased and stood at 4,528 as on Friday -- the highest this season. "Despite moderate day time dispersion condition, air quality has declined, owing to sustained unusually high fire emissions. Surface winds have become calm today morning and pollutants are accumulating near the surface," said the ministry in a statement on Saturday. The boundary layer wind direction is Northwesterly, and favourable for the fire-related intrusion to Delhi-NCR region, stubble burning share in PM 2.5 in Delhi's air is estimated at 32 per cent for Saturday, said the ministry. However surface winds are forecast to decrease on Sunday and Monday. "No quick recovery is expected unless a drastic reduction in fire counts takes place. Air quality is forecast to stay at the 'Severe' to the higher end of 'Very Poor' category for the next two days. "In summary, fire-related emission is impacting air quality of the entire Indo Gangetic Plains, approaching winter making conditions hard for efficient dispersion of pollutants," added the Ministry. The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) air lab, which was installed a few days ago to monitor the pollution levels across the Millennium City, have identified 18 most polluted locations on Friday. These 18 places are: Sector 14, Sector 18, Sector 30, Sector 32, Sector 42, Sector 44, Sector 47, Sector 51, Atlas Chowk, Shankar Chowk, Huda City Centre, Teri Retreat, Teri Gram, Manesar, Vikas Sadarn, DLF Belvedere Towers, Vatika Chowk and Gwal Pahari. With the pollution level deteriorating, an alert was issued a few days ago by the Gurugram administration for Covid patients, children and senior citizens asking them to stay indoors. In western India, in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad, the situation is fairly better. The air quality of Pune is the higher end of the Satisfactory category and Mumbai, and Ahmedabad is in the Moderate category. Pune AQI is likely to marginally deteriorate and stay in the Moderate for the next three days. Mumbai and Ahmedabad AQI is forecast to stay in the Moderate to Poor category for the next three days. The health officials in Delhi-NCR have claimed that due to worsening air quality, the number of patients with eye infections and other ailments have increased. The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) of Gurugram has been in force since October 15. A team of the MCG has levied a fine of Rs 29 lakh on the violators, but it has had little effect. --IANS team-in

Toxic air: Delhi-NCR AQI 'severe'; govt says 'no quick recovery'

(Eds: Adds more details) Lucknow, Apr 4 () With 60 more people confirmed positive for the coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, the total number of cases climbed to 234 in the state, officials said. Of the total cases, at least 94 are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi, they said. As many as 21 cases have fully recovered while others are undergoing treatment at various hospitals, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said. The state's count on Friday was 174 and two people -- one each in Basti and Meerut -- have died. There has been a steep rise in the cases in the past two days, primarily because of a number of those linked to the Tablighi Jamaat testing positive, Prasad said. According to an official bulletin, the total cases testing positive in the state has reached 234, with 60 fresh cases being reported on Saturday. The number of districts of the state affected by the virus has also gone up to 28, as per the bulletin said. Cases were reported from Agra, Ghaziabad, Gautambudh Nagar, Varanasi, Shamli, Baghpat, Ghazipur, Pratapgarh, Saharanpur, Banda, Maharajganj, Hathras and Mirzapur on Saturday. The overall district-wise tally since the coronavirus crisis began is Gautam Buddh Nagar (58), Agra (44), Meerut (25), Ghaziabad (14), Saharanpur (13), Lucknow (10) , Kanpur (7), Bareilly, Shamli and Maharajganj (6 each), Basti, Varanasi (5 each), Firozabad and Hathras (4 each ), Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Ghazipur , Bulandshahr, Pratapgarh (3 each), Pilibhit, Mirzapur, Baghpat (2 each), Shahjahanpur Hardoi, Hapur, Moradabad, Lakhimpur Kheri and Banda (1 each). An aggressive campaign has been undertaken and those showing symptoms are quarantined and their samples sent for testing, Prasad said. The numbers are rising because of an aggressive strategy that has been adopted by the state for containment of the spread of the virus, he said, adding a total of 57,963 people who have come from abroad to the state were taken into surveillance, out of which 41,506 have completed 28-day quarantine period. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said a total of 1,281 people associated with the Jamaat have been identified, of which 977 have been quarantined. Besides, 306 foreigners have been identified in the state and 36 FIRs have been registered under the Foreigners Act, he said, adding that 228 passports have been seized. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will hold a video conference with religious leaders of different districts on Sunday, Awasthi said. The chief minister has directed that places which have been identified as hotspots, the district magistrates should launch all out efforts to minimise the load of infection to ensure that the disease is controlled. Fire brigade teams who have been involved in sanitisation work have started working in Lucknow and all the districts having fire brigade vehicles should use them, Awasthi added. SAB AQSAQS

Coronavirus cases rise to 234 in UP, 94 linked to Tablighi Jamaat

The national capital recorded its air quality in the 'very poor' category on Thursday morning even as experts said the situation was "much better" compared to two days ago when pollution levels were above the emergency threshold. A change in the wind direction -- from north westerly to north-north easterly -- was the reason behind the dip in pollution levels as it reduced the contribution of stubble burning significantly, according to government agencies and weather experts. The city recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 315 at 9 am. The 24-hour average AQI was 344 on Wednesday and 476 on Tuesday. Delhi witnessed six "severe" air days on the trot from November 4 to November 9, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. The AQI in neighbouring cities of Faridabad (306), Ghaziabad (336), Noida (291), Greater Noida (322), and Gurgaon (261), which fall in the National Capital Region (NCR), was also recorded in the "poor" and "very poor" categories. An official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the "situation is much better compared to Tuesday". The wind direction has changed preventing the transport of smoke from farm fires in Punjab and Haryana, he said. The official, however, said the air quality is likely to deteriorate marginally on Friday. The IMD said winds were calm in the morning and the minimum temperature was 11.6 degrees Celsius. Calm winds and low temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground, while favourable wind speed helps in their dispersion. There was shallow fog in the morning and the visibility was 800 metres at the Safdarjung Observatory. The Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said the change in transport level wind direction has led to a significant decrease in stubble burning-related intrusion in spite of high fire counts. The share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 was almost negligible -- 3 per cent -- on Wednesday due to unfavourable transport-level winds, it said. "Deterioration (in air quality) is expected on Friday towards the higher end of the 'very poor' category," it said. The CPCB had on Wednesday ordered closure of hot mix plants and stone crushers in Delhi-NCR till November 17 in view of a likely increase in pollution levels during the festive season. It also asked the governments of Punjab and Haryana to take immediate stringent actions to curb stubble burning and authorities in Delhi-NCR to strictly check biomass burning. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/instagram-down-users-complain-of-frozen-timelines-and-likes/articleshow/79146012.cms">Instagram down for a second consecutive day — Facebook is working on a fix but has not disclosed what's wrong</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/spicejet-shrink-its-losses-to-112-59-crore-in-the-second-quarter-ended-september-30/articleshow/79172678.cms">Spicejet is losing one rupee where it was losing four thanks to cheaper fuel and cut in rentals</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/two-tiny-asteroids-to-zoom-past-earth-on-diwali-2020/articleshow/79170635.cms">Two tiny asteroids to zoom past Earth this Diwali — likely without any fireworks</a>

Pollution levels dip in Delhi but air quality remains 'very poor'

New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) : As Delhi faces another tryst with air pollution, a nine-year-old climate activist, Licypriya Kangujam has appealed the government to declare health emergency in Delhi, emphasising that people are choking due to the noxious air. The national capital has been recording severe category air quality since the last five days due to an increase in stubble burning and unfavourable wind speed. Delhi's air quality index stood at 474 micrograms per cubic meter at noon, almost touching the hazardous category. "I would like to appeal to everyone to not use firecrackers to celebrate Diwali, because it creates a lot of noise and air pollution which is very dangerous for our health. Millions of children are dying every year due to the air pollution crisis," said Licypriya Kangujam, holding a placard which read "Declare health emergency in Delhi. We are choking!" Kangujam, who is also the founder of 'The Child Movement', has always been on the forefront of the fight against air pollution. Last month, she and 12-year old activist Aarav Seth were briefly detained by the police for protesting against the rising air pollution outside Parliament House. "I am fighting to save our planet and future. Please celebrate Diwali by not using firecrackers. If we are all together, we will fight this air pollution. We can make a change if we are together," Kangujam further said. Speaking to IANS, Aarav Seth said: "Enough has been said and done for saving the environment. Now is the time to take action and to ensure clean air for us and generations to come." On a brighter note, the National Green Tribunal on Monday imposed a total ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region from November 9 to November 30. The direction also apply to all cities and towns where the air quality during November fell under the 'poor' and above categories. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel emphasised that citizens are entitled to breathe fresh air which right cannot be defeated on the ground that enforcement of such right will lead to closing of such business activity. Meanwhile, Delhi's neighbouring regions - Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Greater Noida -- are also logging severe quality of air. Gurugram and Greater Noida's air quality remained the worst amongst all, with air quality of 484 and 483 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively. According to Ministry of Earth Science's System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, "Low dispersion condition continues in Delhi region along with high fire-related intrusion, this has led to the accumulation of pollutants near the surface. No quick recovery is expected unless a drastic reduction in fire counts takes place." (Aakanksha Khajuria can be contacted at aakanksha.k@ians.in) -- IANS aka/ash

'Declare health emergency in Delhi,' 9-year-old climate activist requests govt as pollution spikes

New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) The morning after Diwali celebration, a thick blanket of noxious smog enveloped the national capital and shot up the pollution in the city to "emergency" level on Sunday where the hourly average concentrations of PM 2.5, a deadly pollutant, touched more than 1000ug/m3 at midnight, the Ministry of Earth Sciences officials said. The satellite towns also showed emergency and severe level readings of AQI. The situation has followed after the non-compliance of people from bursting crackers. As per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the effective Stubble fire counts (with sufficient potential) estimated reduced significantly to around 350 on Saturday in contrast to around 2,586, a day before Diwali. "In view of this, stubble burning share in PM2.5 in Delhi's air is almost negligible and estimated as around 4 per cent for today," the officials shared. As per SAFAR, the overall AQI of Delhi remained 525 while in Noida, it crossed 600 with PM10 being the lead pollutant. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) measured AQI in Ghaziabad at 473, in Greater Noida at 432, and Gurugram at 425. In Delhi, the air quality has maintained emergency level deterioration for the last five days. However, the ministry officials noted three very positive developments which were expected to bring a quick recovery from the current pollution scenario. "(1) The boundary layer winds have picked up and changed its direction to easterly now which is not favorable for stubble fire-related intrusion. (2) The better ventilation condition is likely to prevail now for faster dispersion; and (3) An isolated scattered rainfall under the influence of fresh Western Disturbance by today evening is also expected," the officials reasoned. The officials also forecast that the AQI is likely to start improving from the afternoon and settle in the lower end of very poor category on Monday. They also said that the AQI may touch the poor category in case of enough rains and washout. Before Diwali, the Ministry of Earth Sciences had claimed that the level of PM2.5, is likely to be lowest in the past four years under zero-firecracker scenarios during Diwali. On November 9, the National Green Tribunal had imposed a blanket ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region till November 30. The direction was also applied to cities and towns where air quality during November fell to 'poor' and above categories. In 2019, however, even though the Delhi Government had organized four days of laser shows to convince the residents to choose life over firecrackers, the morning after Diwali, city's air quality had turned worse than 2018. With the spike in air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had ordered closing of hot mix plants and stone crushers till November 17 and also asked Punjab and Haryana to take stringent actions to curb stubble burning. The AQI is forecasted to stay in the middle-end of the Very Poor category on Monday and Tuesday. However, only drizzling may trigger secondary particulate formation to only slightly improve the current level to balance the recovery, but it has very less probability. --IANS str/in

Unbreathable: Public apathy shoots AQI to emergency level in Delhi-NCR

A layer of haze lingered over the national capital and its suburbs on Thursday morning, with raging farm fires and a fall in the wind speed and temperatures pushing air quality to the worst levels in around a year. As the skies hung heavy and acrid over the region, people complained of itchy throat and watery eyes. Experts said unfavourable meteorological conditions -- calm winds and low temperatures -- and smoke from farm fires in neighbouring states led to a dense layer of haze on Wednesday night as the air quality index entered the "severe" zone. PM10 levels in Delhi-NCR stood at 561 microgram per cubic meter ( g/m3) at 8 am -- the highest since November 15 last year, when it was 637 g/m3, according to CPCB data. PM10 levels below 100 g/m3 are considered safe in India. PM10 is particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers which is inhalable. These particles include dust, pollen and mold spores. The levels of PM2, finer particles which can even enter the bloodstream, were 347 g/m3. PM2.5 levels up to 60 g/m3 are considered safe. On Wednesday evening, the noxious haze reduced visibility to merely 600 metres at the Safdarjung Observatory, smudging landmarks from view. It was 1,200 metres on Thursday morning. If this was not enough, a large number of people across Dehi-NCR burst firecrackers to mark the festival of Karwa Chauth. "People are bursting crackers and it is not even Diwali yet. The city has already become a gas chamber. This happens every year. For how long will this continue," asked Shiv Shrivastava, a resident of south Delhi. "I can feel the pollutants in my throat despite wearing a mask. My eyes are burning. It is going to make the pandemic worse. I am scared," said Piyush Vohra, a resident of Jangpura. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum wind speed was 5 kilometres per hour on Thursday morning and the minimum temperature 11.2 degrees Celsius. Calm winds and low temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground, while favourable wind speed helps in their dispersion. Health experts said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution has become a serious health concern for about the two crore residents of the national capital. According to a doctor at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, intake of every 22 micrograms per cubic metre of polluted air is equivalent to smoking a cigarette. Ajit Jain, the nodal officer for COVID-19 at Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, said air pollution was turning the pandemic catastrophic. IMD officials said sudden change in the wind pattern led to "subsidence" -- the downward movement of air over a large area when it cools and becomes heavier. "The wind speed slowed down suddenly after 10 am in the Delhi-NCR region. The temperatures have dipped alarmingly over the last few days," V K Soni, the head of IMD's environment monitoring research centre, said. The haze was primarily smoke from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. Unfavourable meteorological conditions trapped it in Delhi-NCR, he said. Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 461 at 8 am. It was 279 at 10 am on Wednesday. All the 36 monitoring stations recorded the air quality in the ''severe'' category. The neighbouring cities of Faridabad (431), Ghaziabad (484), Greater Noida (463), Gurugram (440) and Noida (461) also recorded ''severe'' levels of air pollution. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". Stubble burning accounted for 40 per cent of Delhi''s pollution on Sunday, the maximum so far this season. Last year, the farm fire contribution to Delhi''s pollution had peaked to 44 per cent on November 1, according to SAFAR data.

Toxic haze chokes Delhi, pollution levels enter 'severe zone' – highest since November last year

The national capital's air quality remained "severe" for the fifth consecutive day on Monday, with calm wind speed exacerbating the effect of stubble burning. V K Soni, the head of <keyword id="3573341" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-India-Meteorological-Department">the India Meteorological Department</keyword>'s environment research centre, said a major improvement in Delhi-NCR's air quality was highly unlikely in the coming days. "The air quality is likely to be recorded in the upper end of the 'very poor' category on Diwali if we discount firecrackers emissions. If people burst crackers, pollution levels can increase to 'severe' to 'severe plus' category (emergency)," he said. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday imposed a total ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight, saying "celebration by crackers is for happiness and not to celebrate deaths and diseases". An official said the newly-constituted Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas is likely to hold a review meeting on Monday considering the situation. The city's air quality index (AQI) stood at 474 at 11 am, according to Central Pollution Control Board data. Its 24-hour average AQI was 416 on Sunday, 427 on Saturday, 406 on Friday and 450 on Thursday, the highest since November 15 last year, when it was 458. The neighbouring cities of Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, and Gurugram also recorded "severe" air quality. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". PM10 levels in Delhi-NCR stood at 591 microgram per cubic meter (g/m3) at 10 am, the highest since November 15 last year, when it was 637 g/m3, according to CPCB data. PM10 levels below 100 g/m3 are considered safe in India. PM10 levels are considered in the "severe plus" category if their concentration is more than 500 microgram per cubic meter, according to the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi-NCR notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2017. PM10 is particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers and is inhalable into the lungs. These particles include dust, pollen and mold spores. The levels of PM2.5 - finer particles which can even enter the bloodstream - were 381 g/m3 at 11 am. PM2.5 levels up to 60 g/m3 are considered safe. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the wind speed was 3 to 4 kilometres per hour in the morning and the minimum temperature 10 degrees Celsius. Calm winds and low temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground, while favourable wind speed helps in their dispersion. There was shallow to moderate fog in the morning which led to smog. It reduced visibility to 600 meters at the Safdarjung Observatory, Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, said. He said the situation is likely to continue till November 15 as the wind speed is not expected to pick up significantly. The central government's Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi also said a "significant improvement in air quality is not likely" owing to slow wind speed, particularly during night time, and contribution from farm fires. "The farm fire count over Punjab remains very high which is likely to impact the air quality of Delhi-NCR and other parts of northwest India," it said. The Ministry of Earth Sciences' air quality monitor, SAFAR, said surface winds have become calm and are predicted to remain so for the next two days. "This is a major factor due to which no quick recovery is expected unless a drastic reduction in fire counts takes place," it said. SAFAR said the share of stubble burning in Delhi's PM2.5 pollution was 29 percent on Sunday. It was 42 percent on Thursday, the maximum this season so far. Last year, the stubble contribution to Delhi's pollution had peaked to 44 percent on November 1, according to SAFAR data. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hyperloop-pod-carries-two-humans-through-a-tube-at-over-160-kmph-for-the-first-time-ever/articleshow/79121765.cms">Hyperloop pod carries two humans through a tube at over 160 kmph for the first time ever</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-cyber-espionage-groups-that-have-india-in-their-crosshairs/slidelist/79120867.cms">Top cyber espionage groups that have India in their crosshairs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/bigbasket-the-e-grocery-startup-which-tata-group-is-eyeing-admits-a-data-breach-of-over-20-million-users/articleshow/79122791.cms">BigBasket, the e-grocery startup which Tata Group is eyeing, admits a data breach of over 20 million users</a>

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