logo
Delhi Air Foulest Among Serial Offenders

Delhi Air Foulest Among Serial Offenders

Time of India2 days ago
Delhi remains the most polluted among the 130 non-attainment cities (those that have consistently failed to meet
air quality standards
) in the
National Clean Air Programme
(NCAP), despite a 15 per cent improvement in PM10 levels over seven years. The city also utilised only 22.5 per cent of the funds released to combat air quality under NCAP and 15th Finance Commission.
The
Union environment ministry
provided this information while replying to questions asked by two members of the Lok Sabha. The ministry's reply said that the annual average PM10 level in Delhi had dropped from 241 micrograms per cubic metre in 2017-18 to 203 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024-25. This is still the highest in the country, second only to Patna, which recorded 167 micrograms per cubic metre. The national standard for annual average PM10 concentration is 60 micrograms per cubic metre. PM10 pollutants the coarser aerosols that penetrate deep into the lungs and sources may vary from transport and dust to industrial emissions and burning.
The reply, however, dubbed the improvement "notable". In four of the major non-attainment cities, Delhi did better than Chennai (12 per cent improvement), even if it had a PM10 concentration of a mere 58 units. "As per recent data, there has been notable improvement in PM10 levels in major Indian cities. Mumbai has shown improvement in PM10 levels with a 44 per cent reduction in 2024-25 compared with 2017-18, followed by Kolkata (37 per cent) and Delhi (15 per cent)," stated the ministry reply.
The reply also stated that Rs 62 crore was sanctioned for action under NCAP and the 15th Finance Commission in 2019-20. Of this, just Rs 13.9 crore has been utilised to date.
The reply listed measures taken to control pollution in Delhi, including the use of cleaner fuel and formulation of Graded Response Action Plan. "To address vehicular emissions, govt has taken proactive measures such as the introduction of BSVI fuel norms for vehicles from April 1, 2018, in Delhi and from April 1, 2020, for the rest of the country, introduction of a vehicle scrapping policy and the promotion of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure through various central schemes," the reply stated.
It added that the Commission for Air Quality Management also directed Delhi govt to migrate public transport services, especially buses in NCR, to cleaner modes and ordered other anti-pollution measures, like getting brick kilns to adopt zig-zag technology, banning pet coke and furnace oil as industrial fuel, use of piped natural gas for industries and installation of anti-smog guns and dust control measures in the city.
Launched in Jan 2019, NCAP aims to reduce PM10 concentrations by 20-30 per cent by 2024, 2017 being the base year. It was later extended to 2026 with a revised target of a 40 per cent reduction against the 2017 level.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

North-eastern Railway projects faced losses of over Rs 200 crore from natural disasters in 5 years: Railway Minister Vaishnaw
North-eastern Railway projects faced losses of over Rs 200 crore from natural disasters in 5 years: Railway Minister Vaishnaw

Indian Express

time19 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

North-eastern Railway projects faced losses of over Rs 200 crore from natural disasters in 5 years: Railway Minister Vaishnaw

The Indian Railways has incurred losses worth over Rs 200 crore in the last five years due to the relentless impact of natural disasters such as floods and landslides on the projects in the Northeast. In a written response in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the geological weakness of the Northeast is always accounted for at the stage of design and implementation of Railway projects. These projects are being carried out by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone of the Indian Railways. 'Due to floods, landslides etc. in the last five years, some damage to railway tracks and structures took place in Northeast Frontier Railway which was assessed to be over Rs 200 crore. Geology of the North Eastern Region is such that it is prone to landslides,' said Vaishnaw. He added that for all major Railway projects in the hilly terrain (those in Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland), detailed geo-technical investigations and environmental impact assessments are carried out before going ahead with construction. 'These studies specifically assess slope stability, rock and soil characteristics, vegetation cover and hydrological patterns. Findings of these studies are used to anticipate the risk of landslides that can result from construction activities,' said the minister. According to Railway Ministry data, as of April 1, 2025, 12 railway projects (eight new lines and four doubling), totaling 777 km in length and costing Rs 69,342 crore, have been sanctioned for the region. Out of this, 278 km of length has already been commissioned at an expenditure of Rs 41,676 crore incurred up to March 2025. While the Bairabi-Sairang line, which connects Mizoram's capital Aizawl for the first time, is set to be operational, some of the key ongoing projects in the Northeast are the Dimapur-Kohima New Line (Dhansiri-Zubza) to connect Nagaland's capital Kohima, the Murkongselek-Pasighat new line, the Sivok-Rangpo new line to connect Sikkim to the national network for the first time and the Jiribam-Imphal new line. Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal correspondent with The Indian Express, Business Bureau. He covers India's two key ministries- Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. He frequently uses the Right to Information (RTI) Act for his stories, which have resulted in many impactful reports. ... Read More

ED raids 50 sites linked to Anil Ambani in Rs 3,000 cr Yes Bank loan fraud probe
ED raids 50 sites linked to Anil Ambani in Rs 3,000 cr Yes Bank loan fraud probe

Time of India

time19 minutes ago

  • Time of India

ED raids 50 sites linked to Anil Ambani in Rs 3,000 cr Yes Bank loan fraud probe

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday raided 40–50 locations linked to Anil Ambani in a money laundering probe tied to the Yes Bank loan fraud case. The ED suspects ₹3,000 crore in loans were diverted to shell firms between 2017 and 2019, with evidence pointing to bribery and major procedural lapses. Over 50 companies and 25 individuals are under investigation. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided 40 to 50 locations linked to businessman Anil Ambani in connection with the Yes Bank loan fraud searches follow two FIRs registered by the CBI and inputs shared by agencies including SEBI, the National Housing Bank, Bank of Baroda, and the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA).According to the ED, preliminary investigations show that loans worth around Rs 3,000 crore, sanctioned by Yes Bank between 2017 and 2019, were allegedly diverted to shell firms and other group entities. Investigators have also found evidence suggesting possible bribery of Yes Bank officials, including its agency flagged serious lapses in Yes Bank's approval process, including back-dated credit documents, absence of due diligence, and loans given to firms with weak financials and common directors. It also found violations of loan terms, evergreening of accounts, and instances where disbursal occurred on the same day as or before loan ED said over 50 companies and 25 individuals are under the scanner. SEBI has also submitted findings related to Reliance Home Finance Ltd (RHFL), which saw its corporate loan book more than double within a year, raising concerns about irregularities and process searches are being conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store