Delhi pollution: Air quality in Delhi has plunged sharply since Diwali. (PTI)
The air quality index in Delhi moved from "severe" to "very poor" category on Monday. An increase in wind speed helped slightly reduce the deadly haze that has choked Delhi residents for about a week, news agency PTI reported. A day after pollution levels rose to a three-year high, Delhi's air quality index at 4 pm on Monday was 407. It dipped further and at 8.30 pm the AQI stood at 370 (very poor category).
The weather office has said that said Cyclone Maha and a western disturbance will cause rain in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR on Wednesday and Thursday, which might improve the situation, PTI reported.
On Monday, top officials from Delhi, Punjab and Haryana talked about several measures adopted by them to tackle air pollution over the past 24 hours in a meeting held by the Prime Minister's Office on Monday. The measures included fines on farmers involved in stubble burning and sprinkling water in "pollution hotspots" across the states.
Here are the highlights on Delhi's air pollution today:
PM Modi chairs meet to discuss pollution situation: news agency PTI
With the air quality in Delhi and surrounding areas hovering in the "severe" and "very poor" categories, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the pollution situation in northern India, reported news agency PTI.
"PM Narendra Modi chaired a meeting in which the situation arising due to pollution in various parts of northern India was discussed," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
The Prime Minister also reviewed the situation arising due to cyclone conditions in parts of western India.
The meet on pollution comes after back-to-back review meetings held by PK Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, with top officials of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana on Sunday and Monday.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi's air quality index dropped from 365 at 9.45 am to 331 at 3.45 pm on Tuesday.
Delhi Air Pollution: PM Modi Chairs Meeting
"PM chaired a meeting in which the situation arising due to pollution in various parts of Northern India was discussed. PM also reviewed the situation arising due to cyclone conditions in parts of western India," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
Air Pollution: Lucknow Schools Asked To Spray Grounds, Plant More Trees
"All schools are instructed to continuously spray their grounds, trees and water in their school premises to reduce air pollution," read a tweet from Lucknow District Magistrate's Twitter account.
Air Quality Index: Petitioner Seeks Ghaziabad Courts Directive For Implementation Of Odd-Even Scheme In District
A petition was filed on Monday in the Ghaziabad district court demanding that the administration extend Delhi government's odd-even scheme in the district as well.
The petitioner submitted the application while outlining rising air pollution in Ghaziabad, with Air Quality Index (AQI) in Ghaziabad on Sunday reaching upto the 500 mark.
Delhi Air Pollution: "Actions Taken By Us Deficient": Delhi Chief Secretary Tells Green Court
"We feel that the actions taken by us are deficient,we need to take more steps. We are coming down heavily on burning of waste. Anybody who sees burning of waste can report to us and we will take action against the responsible officials," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Green Court To Centre On Delhi Pollution
"We are told every activity of construction work has been stopped. Who suffers here? The construction workers become unemployed. Huge funds are lying unused in welfare fund under Building and Other Construction Workers Act."
Delhi Air Pollution: Centre Briefs Green Court
"Meetings have been held at the level of secretaries. We have given Rs 1,150 crores to different states, 14,000 machines were provided last year & 50,000 machines have been pressed this year too," the government was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Ghaziabad Air Quality Index In "Very Poor Category"
Delhi Air Pollution: What Inhaling Potassium, Nitrate And Chloride Can Do To Your Body
Potassium can cause lung cancer and thyroid complications. Nitrate can cause decrease in blood pressure, headaches and abdominal cramps. Inaling chloride can lead to coughing chest pain, irritation to the eyes and skin.
Delhi Air Pollution: How Toxins In The Air Are Harming You
Delhi Air Quality" - "Political Scoring": Manish Sisodia On BJP Protest Against "Odd-Even"
Asked about BJP leader Vijay Goel "protest" against the Delhi government's "odd-even scheme", Deputy Chief minister Manish Sisodia said it was onlty being done for political scoring.
Delhi Air Pollution: Can Win The War Against Pollution If North India Unites, Says Manish Sisodia
The ministers from UP, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana must get together for talks. We must do an honest assessment of how farmers are moving away from stubble burning. We can win the war against pollution with collective efforts, he said.
Delhi Air Pollution: Manish Sisodia Speaks To NDTV About Delhi Pollution
"We need to make people's lives better. We need to take a 360-degree view on the issue. We need to be practical about what can be banned and what cannot."
Air Pollution: Air Purifiers Installed For Taj Mahal
Gurgaon's Air Quality In "Very Poor" Category
Air Quality: Air Quality Index In Very Poor Category in Noida's Sector-62 area
Delhi Pollution: Thick Blanket Of Pollution Seen Near Akshardham Temple
Delhi Air Quality: Signature Bridge Seen Under Heavy Smog In Delhi
Air Pollution: Bihar Government Bans Vehicles Older Than 15 Year
The Bihar government on Monday imposed a complete ban of state-owned vehicles which were more than 15 years old in Bihar, taking note of the surge in pollution levels that has been recorded during the recent festive season.Talking to reporters in Patna after a high-level meeting on pollution control chaired by the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar said the restriction on vehicles more than 15 years old has also been extended to commercial vehicles "only for the Patna metropolitan area".
Delhi Pollution: On Monday, volunteers monitored vehicles after the Delhi government ordered half of the city's private cars to be taken off the road based on the odd-even scheme
Delhi Air Quality: PM 2.5 And P 10 Levels At Delhi's Lodhi Road