Air

WHO has launched updated data on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators tracking the link between air pollution and health.

The report comes as India is in the grip of a escalating heat crisis and heatwaves are becoming more frequent, intense, and deadly, threatening lives, livelihoods, public health, agriculture, and economic productivity.

As Delhi and much of India endure this punishing heat, the event serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by rising temperatures.

Aligning national air-quality standards with the stringent guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO) is an essential, non-negotiable step in safeguarding public health.

To ensure the new laws do not remain merely symbolic, the CEA has initiated a massive recruitment drive, onboarding 281 new environmental officers to fill a critical staffing void that had persisted for nearly a decade.

The report arrives on World Meteorological Day under the theme “observing today to protect tomorrow.” It highlights how interconnected economies and societies remain vulnerable despite scientific progress.

If scrapped, the ECC's removal could set a precedent for similar levies in other cities, prompting a nationwide discussion on pollution funding. Environmental groups, however, caution that alternatives must ensure continued investment in clean air strategies, lest Delhi's AQI woes persist.

Groups like Greenpeace India praised it for upholding the precautionary principle amid rising pollution levels, noting cement plants contribute significantly to air toxins like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, linked to acid rain and respiratory ailments.