ITO even more polluted than Anand Vihar

If you thought Anand Vihar was the most polluted spot in the city and curbing emission levels there could bring down the capital’s sky rocketing pollutionaverage, take a look at ITO. The ITO station, which was out of order for nearly three years, started operating again from July 2016.PM2.5 levels recorded there are often as severe as Anand Vihar, at times even higher. TOI assessed PM2.5 levels for the past fortnight and found that ITO recorded higher levels than Anand Vihar. For example, the PM2.5 average at ITO between December…

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Smog Lifts, But Companies’ View of Polluted Delhi Skies is Dim

As New Delhi grappled with its worst smog in 17 years, the head of India’s largest mobile payment firm got on a plane and left, one of thousands of professionals escaping pollution that could cost the capital and the broader economy dear. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of PayTM payment start-up, left last Sunday for a temporary stay in Mumbai, worried about the impact of hazardous clouds of dust, smoke and fumes that hang over Delhi during the winter months. “It became very visibly clear that it is going to be…

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Polluted Smog Covers Pakistani City of Lahore

Heavy smog loaded with pollutants has covered several urban and rural areas in eastern Pakistan, prompting breathing problems, and causing more than 20 deaths in traffic accidents caused by poor visibility on highways, officials and a senior meteorologist said. Several cities in Punjab province, including the provincial capital Lahore, have been engulfed in haze since earlier this week. Meteorologist Mohammad Hanid told The Associated Press that the smog is “very unusual and it contains toxic air.” He said the smog has caused irritation in residents’ eyes and an increase in…

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Delhi is the most polluted, but other metros aren’t getting better

Delhi is the most polluted, but other metros aren’t getting better MUMBAI Mumbai’s a coastal city isn’t always able to counter the pollutants in the air. On several days in the year, air quality drops into the poor category , and experts say more monitoring and data is needed to ensure it doesn’t go the Delhi way. Not all existing monitoring stations are able to give us the right picture because they don’t meet the required standards. Having access to data and using it to take precautionary measures is important,”…

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Polluted Ganga river can treat infections: Scientists

Polluted Ganga river can treat infections: Scientists The waters of the Ganga do have unusual healing properties despite all its muck and pollution. Until now, these properties were believed to be in the realm of belief and myth. Scientists from the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, have for the first time validated that the water of Ganga does not putrefy easily and there is scientific evidence for it. They have identified new viruses, or bacteriophages, which mimic bacteria in the sediment of the river and eat them up. Scientists…

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Delhi continues to top world’s most polluted megacities list: WHO

Delhi continues to top world’s most polluted megacities list: WHO (Image credit: AFP) Delhis air is the worst among world megacities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed recently, even as IndiaSpend‘s #breathe network of air-quality sensors reported fine-particulate-matter (PM2.5) levels were almost four times above daily safe levels, on average, for the seven-day period from September 22 to 28, 2016. For long-term exposure, these 24-hour levels are nearly 11 times above the WHO health standards. Over the monsoon, Delhi’s air was relatively cleaner because the rain and wind diminished the…

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