Latest news with #AmbientAirQuality
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Rs157cr spent, but Trichy roads riddled with potholes
Trichy: Trichy corporation has spent Rs157.4 crore, or 37% of its total spending in the last financial year, on road development projects but none of the widely used arterial roads are in good shape. Unscientific and shabby patchwork on roads damaged to rectify pipe bursts in drinking water networks and arrest seepage in underground drainage (UGD) pipelines has left prominent roads uneven and riddled with potholes and craters. Most roads connecting commercial streets in Thillai Nagar, Salai road, Thennur, Puthur, and Cantonment areas are partially damaged, with potholes visible every 500 metres on major roads. "Pattabiraman street in Thennur is a nightmare for two-wheeler riders as the patchwork was unprofessional, causing scooters to skid. Proper restoration work is needed," said C Balasubramanian, former member, district road safety council. Roads for a length of 1,423.5km are maintained by Trichy corporation, including 53km-long major roads, while the state highways department manages 117km of roads in the city. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cách giao dịch ETH/USD mà không cần nắm giữ Ether IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo In the last two years, as the local body expedited installation of pipelines for drainage as well as drinking water, major roads in the city were dug open. Soon after the work was completed, the roads were relaid, some without waiting for the ideal resting time for the soil to set. Later, recurring seepages on the UGD network and pipeline bursts in the drinking water network damaged many roads. The corporation had to cut open the roads to identify the problem. However, appropriate patchwork was not ensured while restoring the damaged roads, hampering smooth accessibility for residents. Between Oct 2024 and Jan 2025, multiple roads with patches bore the brunt of the monsoon, and deteriorated further. Since patchwork fails to restore the original condition even as new work to install telecommunication cables is progressing in parts of the city, residents said that special funds have to be allocated to relay the roads end to end without increasing the height. However, it is pointed out that roads relaid under Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Funds (TURIF) and Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) improvement scheme in recent months should wait another 3-5 years to get the next tranche of funds. "We should repair the road damages with our own revenue. Some roads that were repaired had caved in during the last monsoon, attracting another layer of patchwork. We will survey such roads to take up a comprehensive work before monsoon," mayor Mu Anbalagan told TOI.
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Delhi's 5th waste-to-energy plant at Bawana gets environmental nod — despite protests by residents
The Union Environment Ministry has granted environmental clearance (EC) to a proposed Waste-to-Energy Plant (WTE) in Bawana, making it the fifth such facility set to come up in Delhi. The clearance was granted on June 20 and was made public by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee this week — despite staunch opposition by local residents who have raised environmental and health concerns. As per the EC report, the 30-megawatt plant is to be developed under a public-private partnership with Jindal Urban Waste Management (Bawana) Limited in Sector 5 of the Bawana Industrial Area in Northwest Delhi. There are four other WTE plants in the city — Okhla, Ghazipur, Tehkhand and Narela. The 15-acre plot where the proposed plant is to be developed was allotted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in February under a concession agreement, the report stated. As per the report, the plant will process 3,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) per day using refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The firm has also committed to ensuring that 'no groundwater shall be used for the proposed project' and that it will operate under a 'zero liquid discharge' system. While pitched as a key step in addressing the city's waste crisis, the Rs 660-crore project (capital cost) has been met with continued protests. A JJ colony is located within a kilometre of the proposed project site. During a mandatory public hearing last December, residents objected to the facility and flagged worsening air quality, health risks, and waste handling concerns. As per the EC report, one of the concerns flagged was: '… Pollution is at its peak, and we, the residents, especially those who are living near the industrial area, are already exhausted due to pollution emerging from industrial units.' In response, as per the report, the company stated that an 'Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System will be installed in the plant to track pollution levels and ensure compliance with environmental regulations…' Flagging health concerns, residents pointed to an already 'big landfill' in the area and noted that the local air quality index remained in the 'dangerous zone'. The company responded that the development of any new landfill sites had already been disallowed by the Delhi High Court, the EC report noted. The company further assured that 'all emission parameters from the plant shall be within prescribed limits,' and reiterated the installation of pollution monitoring systems for ongoing compliance. The issue of job creation was also raised by the community, many of whom asked whether the project would lead to local employment. The company, as per the report, noted the suggestion and stated that 'employment will be provided to local people'. Another area of concern was the large-scale handling of waste and the potential impact on sanitation and worker safety. Addressing this, the company stated that municipal waste would be brought into the facility in closed hook loaders and stored in an enclosed pit maintained under negative pressure to prevent odour. 'The WTE plant will not emit odour,' the company said, as per the report, adding that a leachate management system and odour control sprays would be implemented. The EC was granted based on standard and specific conditions applicable to thermal power projects, including compliance with the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. A natural nallah passes through the site. As per the EC, it will not be diverted. Instead, a green buffer will be developed along its banks and stormwater management systems will be installed. The project also includes a Material Recovery Facility, ash handling systems, and an RDF fuel pit. Non-recyclable ash and rejects will be sent to sanitary and secured landfills designated by the MCD.
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Data dressing will not help in fight against pollution
In a city where the air quality routinely hovers in the 'poor' or 'very poor' range, you would think that every decision made to tackle air pollution would be strategic, data-driven, and laser-focused on the most affected zones. Unfortunately, the Delhi government's latest move to install six new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across the Capital appears to defy that logic. The new monitors are being placed at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi Cantonment, Netaji Subhash University (West Campus), and the Commonwealth Games Sports Complex – all relatively low-density, green, and institutionally controlled environments. These are not areas grappling with the thick of Delhi's pollution crisis. Instead, they are among the city's better performing pockets when it comes to air quality. Compare this with Anand Vihar, where the AQI regularly crosses the 300–400 mark during peak pollution seasons; almost double that of readings in campus zones like JNU or Delhi Cantonment, where AQI can be 100 points lower on the same day. In fact, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 426 on a November day in 2023 when the Cantonment area clocked in at a relatively benign 172. Yet, the state's newest high-tech monitors are being positioned in the latter. What's more, the decision comes at a time when Delhi's air quality remains a ticking time bomb. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi logged a 24-hour average AQI of 194 (moderate) on Monday — the fourth consecutive day in the same range. But these moderate readings are heavily influenced by the location of the monitoring stations. If most monitors are concentrated in 'green zones,' the city's average AQI is bound to look deceptively cleaner. The distortion has serious implications. These monitors guide everything from public health warnings to school closures and traffic restrictions. They also serve as a foundation for long-term environmental and urban planning. Placing them in sanitised, low traffic areas paints an unrealistically optimistic picture of Delhi's air -- a dangerous form of self-deception. Let's not forget the cost. A single CAAQMS setup can cost upwards of ₹1 crore in installation and operational expenses. These are taxpayer-funded investments that should be strategically deployed where they are most needed -- high-density residential areas, congested intersections, industrial belts, near waste-to-energy plants and construction-heavy zones. These are the locations where residents, especially children and the elderly, suffer the worst health impacts due to sustained exposure to polluted air. Indeed, Delhi already has 40 CAAQMS spread across the city, but several critical areas remain under monitored. For instance, highly polluted zones like Okhla, Nangloi, and parts of North-East Delhi are still without round-the-clock monitoring. Shouldn't these be the priority? Of course, there is a role for monitors in campus areas too, particularly for research and long-term trend analysis. But the current strategy is imbalanced. One or two monitors for such zones might be justified, but not at the cost of neglecting frontline pollution hotspots. The Delhi government must course-correct. The public deserves clean air, but more importantly, it deserves truthful air quality data. Sugarcoating the numbers by planting monitors in leafy enclaves is not environmental stewardship; it's optics. Until pollution is tackled where it hurts the most, Delhi will remain a city gasping for breath. Monitoring clean air is easy. The real challenge — and responsibility — lies in facing the dirtier truths. Bhavreen Kandhari is an advocate for environmental rights. The views expressed are personal
