Tag:smog

Despite short-term improvements when winds disperse pollutants, Pakistan’s larger “smog season,” which typically lasts from October through February, has become a recurring annual crisis with economic and social costs that reverberate beyond public health into education, productivity and infrastructure planning.

Yadav assessed the compliance status of various Central ministries, municipal authorities, and government bodies in relation to decisions taken earlier – particularly those from a September 16 review.

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has ordered a time-bound scientific study of photocatalytic “smog-eating” coatings, including titanium dioxide-based surfaces, hoping they may offer a drawbridge between policy and technological innovation to reduce harmful pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and volatile hydrocarbons.

For Delhi’s nearly 30 million residents, the coming weeks will test whether the city’s multi-pronged strategies can meaningfully reduce the haze that has become synonymous with its winters.

The programme would also develop an integrated pollutant and a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory system to provide a comprehensive approach to tracking and managing emissions data.

This smog season, AQI levels exceeding 1,000 have become routine, with Multan even breaching the 2,000 mark. Hospitals are overflowing with patients suffering from respiratory ailments, their numbers a stark testament to the invisible enemy in the air.

The Supreme Court of India has cast doubt on the continued closure of schools in Delhi-NCR due to air pollution. In a hearing today, the court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to review its decision, particularly for grades 10 to 12.