Air

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.

The poor of Delhi and beyond are not just breathing polluted air – they are breathing the consequences of delayed justice. Blue skies remain a distant dream while painful breaths define their daily reality.

What started as an informal attempt to ease congestion and reduce the physical toll on pedal rickshaw pullers has now evolved into a dominant transport mode across Dhaka’s North and South city corporations.

The EPA, which enforces federal environmental laws, said it would stop estimating the economic value of health benefits from reducing ozone and fine particulate matter, even though it acknowledges that they contribute to pulmonary disease, heart attacks, and premature deaths.