Latest news with #AnumitaRoychowdhury
Time of India
3 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Rain, winds give Delhi best AQI since Sept 29
New Delhi: Rain accompanied by gusty winds helped Delhiites inhale the purest air they had access to in 261 days. The city's AQI on Wednesday was 81 and 'satisfactory', with the index lower than this only on Sept 29 last year at 76. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This year so far, Delhi has witnessed just three 'satisfactory' days and there has been no 'good' air day. The last 'good' air day was Sept 10, 2023, when the AQI read 45 due to rains and the restrictions imposed for the G20 Summit. The Central Pollution Control Board defines a 'good' air day as one when AQI is below 51, while a 'satisfactory' level has AQI reading 51-100. The city's AQI was 104 on Tuesday. Delhi logged 29mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours till 8.30am on Wednesday. The rain was accompanied by winds with speed up to 45 kmph. These aided in settling the pollutants. Experts said on Wednesday that pollution has to be dealt at the source level to ensure similar AQI readings throughout the year. "Weather and climate will always impact daily short-term trends. But irrespective of this variation and climatic influence, we need to achieve sustained longer-term reduction with scale and speed of clean air action," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment. Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst, EnviroCatalysts, said, "The fact that sustained rain and good wind speed could bring AQI down to the 'satisfactory' level says loudly that emissions from contributing sectors, transport, industry, construction, and waste, etc., are so high that even the wind and rain washing the pollutants couldn't provide breathable 'good' air quality." Dahiya added that while the slightly better air quality was a respite for the citizens, aggressive actions towards reducing emission load from contributing sectors were the only solutions that can help reduce pollution throughout the year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In March, the city enjoyed two consecutive 'satisfactory' air days on March 15 and 16 with AQI, respectively, of 85 and 99. CPCB's data shows that between Jan 1 and June 17, Delhi recorded 80 'moderate' days, 68 'poor' days and 18 'very poor' days. In the same period last year, there were 84 'moderate' days, 49 'poor' days, 32 'very poor' days and three 'severe' days. CPCB classifies AQI between 101 and 200 as 'moderate', between 201 and 300 as 'poor', between 301 and 400 as 'very poor' and over 400 as 'severe'.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Ozone pollution this year highest since 2021 in Delhi: Report
Delhi has recorded its highest ozone (O3) levels this summer in the last five years, with readings breaching the safe mark for 14.2 hours on an average in a day, a report shows. This eight-hour rolling average has gone up from 12 hours in a day from the last two summers, 11.7 hours in 2022 and 12.2 hours in 2021, according to the report released by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on Tuesday. The eight-hour safe standard for the pollutant is 100 μg/m3. The analysis also shows that Delhi recorded its widest geographical spread of ozone exceedance in the past five years this summer, with south Delhi and northwest Delhi being the worst impacted. CSE said ground-level ozone levels exceeded the national safety standards on all 92 days in the summer period – considered as March 1 till May 31, while it exceeded the safe standards on 83 out of the 92 days in the summer. 'Ground-level ozone pollution remained consistently high across the region, with the maximum concentration exceeding 100 µg/m³ on each of the 92 days between March 1 and May 31, highlighting the persistent and widespread nature of the problem. The worst day in terms of spatial spread was April 28, when 32 out of 58 monitoring stations across the region reported ozone levels above the safe limit. The highest regional intensity was recorded on April 13, with the Delhi-NCR average reaching 135 µg/m³..' said the analysis. Unlike primary pollutants (emitted directly from sources), ozone is not emitted directly from any source, but is formed through chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon monoxide — pollutants released by vehicles, power plants, factories and other combustion sources. In the presence of sunlight, these substances undergo a series of cyclic reactions that result in the formation of ozone near the ground. CSE took into account summer trends from 2021 to 2025 (up to May 31) available on the Central Pollution Control Board's official portal. Data showed that Nehru Nagar was the worst impacted station, exceeding standards on all 92 days. This was followed by Najafgarh (82 days) and Okhla Phase-II (81 days). In comparison, six locations – Anand Vihar, IHBAS, ITO, Shadipur, Narela and Knowledge Park in Greater Noida did not exceed the standards even on a single day this summer. 'This summer, several days have recorded ozone — instead of particulate matter — as the lead pollutant in the daily Air Quality Index (AQI). Out of 18 days between May 25 and June 11, ozone has been the lead pollutant on 12,' said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director and in-charge of clean air programme at CSE. 'But there is no system to address this problem under the current Graded Response Action Plan for emergency action to reduce exposure or to address its sustained mitigation with longer term clean air action plan. While the policy attention is nearly fully focused on particulate pollution, co-control of toxic gases from vehicles, industry and combustion sources that contribute to ozone formation in the air is neglected,' she said, calling for focused action against the highly reactive gas.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Ground-level ozone at 5-yr high; south, northwest Delhi worst hit
New Delhi: The city experienced its highest ozone levels in five years this summer, according to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment. The eight-hour rolling average of the gas exceeded safe standards for 14.2 hours daily, increasing from 12 hours in previous summers. The analysis revealed that south and northwest Delhi were most affected, showing the broadest geographical spread of ozone exceedance since 2018. The study indicated that ground-level ozone surpassed national safety standards throughout the 92-day summer period from March 1 to May 31, with breaches occurring on 83 days. The established eight-hour standard for O3 is 100 micrograms per cubic metre. "Ground-level ozone pollution remained consistently high across the region, with the maximum concentration exceeding 100 microgram per cubic metre on each of the 92 days between March 1 and May 31, highlighting the persistent and widespread nature of the problem," the study said. "The worst day in terms of spatial spread was April 28, when 32 out of 58 monitoring stations across the region reported ozone levels above the safe limit. The highest regional intensity was recorded on April 13, with the Delhi-NCR average reaching 135." Ozone forms through chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide, which are released by vehicles, power plants and factories. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 34歳以上の男性が今年最高のPCゲームと絶賛！今すぐ無料でダウンロード BuzzDaily Winners ゲームをプレイ Undo These substances react in sunlight to create ground-level ozone. This highly reactive gas poses serious health risks. It can inflame and damage the airways, increase susceptibility to infections and worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. CSE analysed summer trends from 2021 to 2025 (until May 31) using CPCB's official online portal, Central Control Room for Air Quality Management. The findings showed Nehru Nagar breached the safe level on all 92 days, followed by Najafgarh (82 days) and Okhla Phase-II (81 days). Only six locations, Anand Vihar, IHBAS, ITO, Shadipur, Narela and Knowledge Park in Greater Noida, maintained levels below the standard. On several days this summer, therefore, ozone was the lead pollutant instead of particulate matter in the daily air quality index. "Out of 18 days between May 25 and June 11, ozone was the lead pollutant on 12," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, CSE. The study also said there was no system to address the ozone problem under the Graded Response Action Plan. "While the policy attention is nearly fully focused on particulate pollution, co-control of toxic gases from vehicles, industry and combustion sources that contribute to ozone formation in the air is neglected," Roychowdhury pointed out, calling for measures to curb ozone.
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Ozone exposure up, experts point at health hazards
New Delhi: With the rising mercury, ozone levels have also increased in the city. An analysis of hourly ozone concentrations for this summer showed that it was above 120 micrograms per cubic metre for 75 hours this season from March 1 to June 8. Delhi crossed this mark for 11 hours last season, stated the analysis carried out by think tank Envirocatalysts. At 100 hours, the city went beyond the current duration level in the 2019 summer. The national ambient air quality standard for ozone for an hour is 180 micrograms per cubic metre. Though the city met the standard, experts pointed out that the number of hours showing elevated levels of ozone was higher than in the past few years. Ozone is a very hazardous gas, resulting in aggravated health impacts even at short-term high exposures and leading to high asthma cases and other respiratory illnesses, said Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts. "Higher sunlight and precursor gas emissions from transport, industries and other combustion activities, in the form of NOx and other gases, result in high ozone formation. Rising temperatures and the presence of precursor gases make the summer months more susceptible to high ozone build-up," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of research and advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment, said ozone is not directly emitted by any source. "However, gases emitted from vehicles and industry react with each other under the influence of sunlight to form ozone in the air. The ozone levels are usually high during summer months when we notice frequent exceedance. Ozone is a highly reactive gas and can trigger and aggravate serious respiratory and asthma symptoms even after short-duration exposure," she said. Calling the rising ozone an "emerging air pollution challenge in the city", Roychowdhury emphasised the need to make it the focus of clean air action plans and implementation. "This will require strong curbs on emissions from all sources and also an accelerated zero emissions pathway," she added. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which analysed ground-level ozone in 10 metropolitan cities in 2023 and 2024, found that Delhi-NCR and Mumbai metropolitan region reported higher exceedances of ozone concentration compared to other regions in the country. TOI reported that the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change informed National Green Tribunal in April that it would constitute an expert committee to study the impact of ozone pollution in cities across the country and submit a report. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
City cyclists urge CM to lift ban on cycling
Kolkata: Cyclists in Kolkata rallied behind chief minister Mamata Banerjee, hailing her visionary Sabuj Sathi scheme that distributed over 1.15 crore bicycles to girl students across Bengal. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a heartfelt open letter, cycling enthusiasts and advocacy groups appealed to the CM to go a step further by lifting restrictions on bicycle use across city roads and formally recognising cycles as a legitimate, non-polluting mode of transport in the urban mobility landscape. The appeal comes amidst growing concern over police-imposed restrictions that prohibit cyclists from using several arterial roads in Kolkata. These curbs, according to the letter jointly signed by organisations, including Kolkata Cycle Samaj, BYCS, Cyclology India, Nagarik Mancha, and Sabuj Mancha, run counter to the spirit of Sabuj Sathi, a scheme globally recognised for its environmental and social impact. "Bicycles are not a problem—they are the solution," reads the letter. "The ban on cycles contradicts the CM's pioneering vision, and it disproportionately harms livelihood cyclists who rely on this humble, sustainable vehicle to support their families." Recent studies back the cyclists' claim. A speed-mapping analysis found cycles outperforming motor vehicles on 60% of Kolkata's congested corridors. In high-traffic zones like Tollygunge Phari, cycles matched or exceeded the average bus and car speeds during peak hours. Health and mobility experts are echoing the urgency of policy change. "Kolkata has already made strides by integrating non-motorised transport into its mobility plans," said Anumita Roychowdhury, a mobility expert from CSE. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The next big leap is implementation—designing our cities for people, not just cars." The Sabuj Sathi initiative, implemented by the West Bengal SC/ST Development and Finance Corporation, not only empowered students but also made a substantial dent in the state's carbon footprint. According to data from the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, Sabuj Sathi cyclists saved nearly 8.4 million tonnes of CO₂ between 2013 and 2022—valued at over Rs 750 crore in climate benefits. Despite having one of the highest rates of walking and cycling commutes among Indian cities, Kolkata lags in infrastructure. Cycle parking at metro hubs, protected bike lanes, and designated corridors are either missing or inadequate. "Kolkata's compact layout makes it ideal for cycling," said Satanjib Gupta, bicycle mayor of Kolkata. "It's time we stop penalising cyclists and instead invest in making streets safer and more inclusive. " Christopher Gerber, Ajay Mittal, Inspector Prosenjit Chakraborty of Kolkata Police, and others pointed to promising examples across Indian cities like Chennai, where 40% of streets are earmarked for walking and cycling, with Rs 200 crore allocated for NMT in 2025. Pune, where 15% of the transport budget is for NMT, integrates public bicycle sharing with bus networks. Bengaluru, where Safe School Zones and dedicated cycle corridors are say Kolkata now stands at a crossroads—quite literally. "This is a choice between choking in traffic or moving towards a healthier, accessible, and more breathable city," said Sanjiv Gopal from Asar. "Cycling must no longer be treated as an afterthought in policy and planning."
