Latest news with #Sirsa
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Delhi breathes easy for second straight day with AQI at 89
Delhi continued to record clean air for the second consecutive day, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) remaining in the 'satisfactory' category at 89. On Wednesday, the city recorded its cleanest air in over eight months, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed. According to the CPCB, 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'. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa credited the government's 100-day action plan for the improvement in the capital's air quality. He said 6,482 km of roads were swept in just 24 hours, as part of over 11 lakh km cleaned since February 20, claiming that 1,353 km of roads were being sprinkled daily, with 744 kilolitres of water used in the last 24 hours. "This improvement is not accidental. It is the result of a relentless 100-day effort — of policy-backed implementation, sustained on-ground action, and political determination. Delhi has finally proven that with the right will and vision, clean air is possible," Mr. Sirsa said. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a 'yellow' alert for thunderstorm and moderate to heavy rainfall in the capital for Thursday night. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.6° Celsius on Thursday, five notches below the season's normal, the IMD said. The relative humidity was 82% at 8:30 a.m., while the minimum temperature was recorded at 27.2° Celsius, normal for this time of the season, it said. The weather department has predicted thunderstorm with rain for Friday. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to settle around 37 and 28° Celsius, respectively, according to the IMD.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt hopeful of cloud-seeding trials by month-end
New Delhi The Delhi government is hopeful of conducting a pilot cloud-seeding trial by the month-end, environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Wednesday, pointing out that barring a few technical clearances from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Delhi government has received approval for the project. The ministry of defence has allowed the government to fly a plane for the project from the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad. Sirsa said that once the final clearance is in place, the government will seek a six-hour plan from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which will analyse moisture content in the air, geographical spread of clouds and their density in the Capital. 'The good news is that the permissions we needed from the agencies and central government departments have all been received, barring a few technical clearances from the DGCA, which should be in by next week,' Sirsa said. 'We have already spoken to IMD and they will share with us a deep analysis of the atmospheric conditions. These six-hour plans will basically tell us when to fly the plane and in which areas we have suitable moisture and conditions to do cloud-seeding,' Sirsa said. Cloud-seeding is a weather modification technique, wherein silver iodide (AgI) is released into the atmosphere to aid the formation of ice crystals and improve the ability of the cloud to create rain. 'A team from IIT Kanpur met us on Tuesday night. The team will remain in Delhi and once we get the data from IMD, we can practically hold the first trial within 24 hours,' Sirsa said. The government said the trial will take place only in the outer parts of Delhi. 'The flights will avoid restricted airspace such as VIP-89 (Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament, PM residence), as per standard aviation protocol,' an official said. When put to the minister that the southwest monsoon, which generally hits the Capital on June 27, was progressing at a faster-than-usual pace, Sirsa said it would not impact their plans. 'We will not hold a trial on the day it is already raining, but on a day when there is sufficient moisture but less chance of natural rain,' Sirsa said. On Wednesday, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) was 81 (satisfactory), its lowest since it was 76 (satisfactory) on September 29, 2024. Sirsa said testing the impact on Delhi's air quality was not the primary aim of this trial. 'We already know rain positively impacts air quality. The goal of this trial instead will be to determine whether or not this will work, how much area it can influence and how much rain is possible,' he said. Sirsa said that according to IIT Kanpur, Nimbostratus (Ns) clouds were most suitable for seeding experiments, and these are usually at heights between 500 and 6,000 metres. 'The clouds also need to have 50% or higher moisture content.,' he said, adding IIT Kanpur custom seeding mixture, in addition to silver iodide, also contains powdered rock salt, iodized salt and a free-flowing agent that combines hygroscopic and glaciogenic cloud-seeding capabilities. 'The seeding mixture requirement will vary according to moisture content.' On May 8, Sirsa announced that the government sanctioned a project outlay of ₹3.21 crore, with five trials to cost ₹55 lakh each. The remaining ₹66 lakh would cover aircraft calibration, chemical storage, logistics, and other preparatory arrangements. 'The pilot will be conducted with five flights and in a coverage area of 100 sq km. The trial will be done in northwest or outer districts of Delhi,' Sirsa had said in May. To be sure, the state government needs clearances for trials from the Special Protection Group (SPG), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Union ministries of environment, defence and home, the Uttar Pradesh state government, IMD, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Manindra Agarwal from IIT Kanpur said that while Delhi's air was fairly clean at present, the trial will allow them to assess the impact of silver iodide. 'A concern being raised by people was how silver iodide will impact the environment. As per our assessment, the impact is negligible. However, this run will provide us with fresh data for the same. We will collect water samples after it rains to assess the concentration of silver iodide,' he said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
‘All clearances in place for artificial rain pilot'
New Delhi: Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday said the artificial rain pilot is ready for execution, with all scientific systems and clearances in place. He mentioned that the cloud seeding flights will commence when suitable weather conditions—especially cloud moisture and depth—are observed over targeted zones. "All preparations are complete except for a few minor operational clearances. Now, we're just waiting for the right clouds to appear. The moment the weather cooperates, Delhi will witness its first artificial rain. This is a national-first experiment rooted in science, executed with military-grade precision, and evaluated in real time," Sirsa said. India Meteorological Department has confirmed cloud feasibility and will provide real-time data on cloud type, altitude, wind conditions, and dew point to aid planning. As the pilot project will be executed in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur, the institute will deploy specially equipped Cessna aircraft with flare-based seeding systems using a proprietary formulation made of Silver Iodide nanoparticles, iodised salt, and rock salt. A maximum of five sorties are planned, with each flight covering 100 sq km and lasting at least 1 hour and 30 minutes over non-sensitive zones of northwest and outer Delhi. "Flights will avoid restricted airspace such as VIP-89 (Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament, PM residence), as per standard aviation protocol. However, real-time impact on air quality (PM2.5 and PM10) will be measured using Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) placed in and around the seeding zones," Sirsa added. TNN
Canada Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Canada Standard
PM Modi has done a lot for Sikhs in last 11 years: Delhi Minister Sirsa
New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): As pro-Khalistan protestors held demonstrations ahead of the G7 summit in Canada, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday urged the Sikh community in foreign countries to speak against such 'violent' acts. Sirsa pointed out that these protestors are causing more harm to the Sikh community on the global stage in the name of opposing India. 'We believe in working according to the ethos of our religion, but some are presenting our children like ISIS today for their politics... This is creating a global narrative against Sikhs. Sikhs are being shown in a way that is spoiling their image... I urge the Sikhs in foreign countries to speak against this. They are the enemies of your children; they are portraying your children as Taliban... They will create a situation for your children, they will receive hatred all over the world... While opposing India, they are causing harm to the Sikhs, which would not be compensated...' Sirsa told ANI. Sirsa also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for putting a special emphasis on the Sikh communities in the past 11 years at the Centre. 'The way children are being manipulated, it is unfortunate. All Sikhs of India respect PM Modi... PM Modi has done a lot in the last 11 years, whether it is to celebrate historical days at the Red Fort, to celebrate Sahibzaade day in the entire country, bringing Sikhs and the Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan, sending culprits of the 1984 Sikh massacre to jail,' he said. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also ashed out at the pro-Khalistan protestors holding demonstrations ahead of the G7 summit in Canada. Puri and said that they should not be taken 'seriously'. 'They (pro Khalistani supporters) staged a dharna from the neighbouring country (Pakistan) where they get funding, but when they did not get the funding, they turned on take them seriously', Hardeep Singh Puri said while speaking to the reporters on Monday. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up the Cyprus leg of his three nation tour and has now emplaned for Canada where he will be attending the G7 Summit. This will be PM Modi's sixth consecutive participation in the G7 G7 Summit is an international forum held annually for the leaders of the G7 member states of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada and the European Union (EU). (ANI)
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
PM Modi has done a lot for Sikhs in last 11 years: Delhi Minister Sirsa
New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): As pro-Khalistan protestors held demonstrations ahead of the G7 summit in Canada, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday urged the Sikh community in foreign countries to speak against such 'violent' acts. Sirsa pointed out that these protestors are causing more harm to the Sikh community on the global stage in the name of opposing India. 'We believe in working according to the ethos of our religion, but some are presenting our children like ISIS today for their politics... This is creating a global narrative against Sikhs. Sikhs are being shown in a way that is spoiling their image... I urge the Sikhs in foreign countries to speak against this. They are the enemies of your children; they are portraying your children as Taliban... They will create a situation for your children, they will receive hatred all over the world... While opposing India, they are causing harm to the Sikhs, which would not be compensated...' Sirsa told ANI. Sirsa also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for putting a special emphasis on the Sikh communities in the past 11 years at the Centre. 'The way children are being manipulated, it is unfortunate. All Sikhs of India respect PM Modi... PM Modi has done a lot in the last 11 years, whether it is to celebrate historical days at the Red Fort, to celebrate Sahibzaade day in the entire country, bringing Sikhs and the Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan, sending culprits of the 1984 Sikh massacre to jail,' he said. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also ashed out at the pro-Khalistan protestors holding demonstrations ahead of the G7 summit in Canada. Puri and said that they should not be taken 'seriously'. 'They (pro Khalistani supporters) staged a dharna from the neighbouring country (Pakistan) where they get funding, but when they did not get the funding, they turned on take them seriously', Hardeep Singh Puri said while speaking to the reporters on Monday. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up the Cyprus leg of his three nation tour and has now emplaned for Canada where he will be attending the G7 Summit. This will be PM Modi's sixth consecutive participation in the G7 G7 Summit is an international forum held annually for the leaders of the G7 member states of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada and the European Union (EU). (ANI)
