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The Silent Killer - World’s Most Polluted City

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  In 2014, The World Health Organization studied the air quality of 1,600 cities in 91 countries. New Delhi, India, was ranked number 1 as the most polluted city in the world. Beyond the findings for Delhi, 13 of the top 20 cities with the highest annual averages of PM2.5 in the WHO study were also in India. The figures were alarming and concerning!   Using satellite-based remote sensing technology and ground-level data from the Central Pollution Control Board, Dr. Michael Greenstone and his team from WHO produced an insightful study (Greenstone et al., 2015) showing that 660 million people (more than half of India’s population at that time) lived in areas that highly exceed India’s standards for fine particulate pollution. Large portions of India, particularly in the north along the Indo-Gangetic plain, were heavily polluted and in non-compliance with India’s National Air Quality Standards (NAAQS.) Since 2014, this data has been updated yearly by the W.H.O. Though New Del...
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Winter is Coming!

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As the temperatures start dipping and the city looks forward to the forthcoming festive season, Delhi Government gears up for high levels of air pollution in the coming months. The good news is that air pollution is recognized as a serious threat and it is heartwarming to see the National Capital take cognizance of the fact.  In October Delhi’s AQI dropped to “poor” for the first time in almost four months. This prompted the phase 1 of GRAP to kick-in. A complete ban on coal and wood fires, dust mitigation measures during construction and demolition, use of anti-smog guns, water sprinkling on roads to check dust pollution and zero tolerance of visible emissions from polluting vehicles are some of the restrictive anti-air pollution measures in effect across the region. The transport department has been instructed to tighten its vigil and penalize polluting vehicles. Construction and demolition activities in projects with plot size equal to or more than 500 square meters which are no...
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Recipe for Disaster – What Ails the Air Quality and Ways to Gauge It

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In our previous blogs, we have discussed what constitutes air pollution, its quantified statistics, and the governmental regulations and measures to tackle the problem. However, such an effort can only be successful if we know the accurate methods to interpret these pollution statistics and pinpoint the precise reasons or things that cause such pollution. This blog thus attempts to uncover some of the components that together form a recipe for disaster related to the health and safety of people. Each comes with its set of causes, and each requires our attention and effort to prevent or minimize it.   Air pollution is caused by solid and liquid particles called aerosols, suspended gases, and chemical reactions that make them worse pollutants than in their original form. Most air pollution comes from energy use and production. Certain gases in the atmosphere can also cause air pollution. In addition, EPA (United States Environmental Agency) has identified six pollutants as "crit...
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