Cookies help us run our site more efficiently.

By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information or to customize your cookie preferences.

Accept Deny

GoGreenNation news

India's Capital Chokes As Air Pollution Levels Hit 50 Times The Safe Limit

News Feed
Monday, November 18, 2024

NEW DELHI (AP) — Authorities in India’s capital shut schools, halted construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city on Monday after air pollution shot up to its worst level this season.Residents of New Delhi woke up to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city of some 33 million as the air quality became increasingly hazardous. It rose further into the severe category, according to SAFAR, the country’s main environmental agency, which measures tiny particulate matter in the air that can enter deep into the lungs.The deadly haze covered monuments and high-rise buildings in the capital, with visibility so low that airlines warned of delays.In several areas of the city, pollution levels were more than 50 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit. Forecasts say the poor air quality will continue into the week.Air pollution in northern India rises every year, particularly in winter, as farmers burn crop residue in agricultural areas. The burning coincides with colder temperatures, which trap the smoke in the air. The smoke is then blown into cities, where auto emissions add to the pollution.Commuters drive through a thick layer of smog as air pollution shoots up in New Delhi, India, on Nov. 18, 2024.Emissions from industries and the burning of coal to produce electricity are also linked to the pollution, which has been steadily ticking up in recent weeks.Starting Monday, authorities began enforcing stage 4 of a graded response action plan, or GRAP 4, based on the severity of the air pollution. Earlier stages of the plan were already in place, and stage 4 includes stricter curbs.Classes for all grades except 10 and 12 will be held online and no trucks will be allowed to enter the city except for those carrying essential items. Some older, diesel guzzling vehicles have been banned inside the city, and all construction activities have been halted. Authorities also urged children, the elderly and others with chronic diseases or respiratory issues to avoid going outside as much as possible.We Need Your SupportOther news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.Over the weekend, farmers in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state burned their fields, releasing plumes of gray smoke that winds likely carried into New Delhi and other nearby areas. Despite the poisonous air, many in the capital continued their usual routines, including morning walks in the city’s beloved Lodhi Garden.“Everyone has a sore throat,” said Sanjay Goel, a 51-year-old shopkeeper in New Delhi. “They should ban crop residue burning ... it’s just smoke everywhere.”The worsening air quality in the capital also sparked outrage from residents on social media. Many complained of headaches and hacking coughs, describing the city as “apocalyptic” and a “gas chamber.” Others urged officials to solve the public health crisis once and for all. Several studies have estimated more than a million Indians die each year from pollution-related diseases.Authorities have invoked similar measures in the past and have at times deployed water sprinklers and anti-smog guns in an attempt to control the haze. But critics say there needs to be a long-term solution that drastically reduces pollution itself, instead of actions that aim to mitigate the effects after it has already plagued the region.

Authorities in India’s capital have shut schools, halted construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Authorities in India’s capital shut schools, halted construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city on Monday after air pollution shot up to its worst level this season.

Residents of New Delhi woke up to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city of some 33 million as the air quality became increasingly hazardous. It rose further into the severe category, according to SAFAR, the country’s main environmental agency, which measures tiny particulate matter in the air that can enter deep into the lungs.

The deadly haze covered monuments and high-rise buildings in the capital, with visibility so low that airlines warned of delays.

In several areas of the city, pollution levels were more than 50 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit. Forecasts say the poor air quality will continue into the week.

Air pollution in northern India rises every year, particularly in winter, as farmers burn crop residue in agricultural areas. The burning coincides with colder temperatures, which trap the smoke in the air. The smoke is then blown into cities, where auto emissions add to the pollution.

Commuters drive through a thick layer of smog as air pollution shoots up in New Delhi, India, on Nov. 18, 2024.

Emissions from industries and the burning of coal to produce electricity are also linked to the pollution, which has been steadily ticking up in recent weeks.

Starting Monday, authorities began enforcing stage 4 of a graded response action plan, or GRAP 4, based on the severity of the air pollution. Earlier stages of the plan were already in place, and stage 4 includes stricter curbs.

Classes for all grades except 10 and 12 will be held online and no trucks will be allowed to enter the city except for those carrying essential items. Some older, diesel guzzling vehicles have been banned inside the city, and all construction activities have been halted. Authorities also urged children, the elderly and others with chronic diseases or respiratory issues to avoid going outside as much as possible.

We Need Your Support

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.

Over the weekend, farmers in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state burned their fields, releasing plumes of gray smoke that winds likely carried into New Delhi and other nearby areas. Despite the poisonous air, many in the capital continued their usual routines, including morning walks in the city’s beloved Lodhi Garden.

“Everyone has a sore throat,” said Sanjay Goel, a 51-year-old shopkeeper in New Delhi. “They should ban crop residue burning ... it’s just smoke everywhere.”

The worsening air quality in the capital also sparked outrage from residents on social media. Many complained of headaches and hacking coughs, describing the city as “apocalyptic” and a “gas chamber.” Others urged officials to solve the public health crisis once and for all. Several studies have estimated more than a million Indians die each year from pollution-related diseases.

Authorities have invoked similar measures in the past and have at times deployed water sprinklers and anti-smog guns in an attempt to control the haze. But critics say there needs to be a long-term solution that drastically reduces pollution itself, instead of actions that aim to mitigate the effects after it has already plagued the region.

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

Related News

Bali plastic recycling scheme swamped with garbage

Scheme has collected a fraction of the waste it set out to handle and is struggling with broken machinery and poor financesFive firms in plastic pollution alliance ‘made 1,000 times more waste than they saved’The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) makes high-profile claims about the projects around the world it supports in the pursuit of clearing up plastic waste leaching into the environment.It works with partner organisations in developing countries to support community initiatives to collect and recycle plastic waste. Continue reading...

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) makes high-profile claims about the projects around the world it supports in the pursuit of clearing up plastic waste leaching into the environment.It works with partner organisations in developing countries to support community initiatives to collect and recycle plastic waste.But a visit to one of the earliest projects in Bali reveals it has collected a fraction of the plastic waste it set out to handle.Based in Jembrana, west Bali, the scheme set out to develop a “life-changing” waste system catering for 160,000 people. It was designed and implemented by the alliance in partnership with Project STOP, which aims to support waste management projects in south-east Asia.Jembrana’s scheme includes a household waste collection service, an educational campaign and sorting buckets for residents, and a new recycling facility, where waste is processed and composted.The facility was built next to an existing landfill. When the Alliance handed Project STOP Jembrana over to the local government and community last year, it said that it had “reached financial sustainability”. But it reported collecting less than a quarter of the 2,200 tonnes of plastic it originally intended to prevent from entering the oceans each year.The Peh landfill on Bali, run by the local government. It takes unprocessed waste from the community including the neighbouring recycling facility, built as part of Project STOP Jembrana in collaboration with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Photograph: Made Nagi/GreenpeaceBut when a reporter from Greenpeace’s Unearthed team went to visit it earlier this month, it was swamped with garbage from an adjacent landfill and struggling with broken machinery and poor finances.The local organisation that took over the site with the local government has fallen into debt, and the mountain of waste at the surrounding landfill is bigger than when Project STOP began.The project recently announced plans for waste to be burned in cement kilns – a practice that has raised concerns over the impact of air pollution on local communities, and which campaigners say disincentivises recycling.Unearthed was told by workers that only 35 of the original 53 waste collection vehicles were still operational, and many of those frequently broke down.“There has been no fleet to pick up trash from my house for a long time. So I still use a bucket to collect trash, but I burn the trash behind my house,” resident Ni Luh Sumitri told Unearthed.Crucial waste sorting and recycling equipment is also broken, contributing to the growing waste pile adjoining the site. This waste pile has reportedly caused frequent fires, pollution and foul odours.A landfill worker, who spoke to Unearthed on condition of anonymity, said smoke from fires at the landfill often entered residents’ homes at night.A spokesperson for the AEPW said: “We fund a portfolio of projects of different sizes and nature with the objective of helping to solve the plastic waste challenge as well as develop learnings for future activities.“As with any portfolio, we recognise projects may not work perfectly or achieve the same level of success. If these projects were easy, we wouldn’t be fulfilling our purpose of developing new solutions. Accordingly, we not only measure our progress by volume, but also through the funding of projects and the advancement of what we hope are scalable solutions that may have the potential to scale.”The head of Jembrana’s environmental agency, Dewa Gede Ary Candra Wisnawa, told Unearthed that his party was still trying to improve management, but added: “We in the regions [are facing] budget constraints … there are many things that need to be fixed or adjusted. That is normal in adjusting the system.”“More and more residents are collecting and sorting waste before being transported to [the recycling facility], but the problems at the [facility] are now an obstacle,” I Ketut Suardika, the head of the Jagra Palemahan community organisation, told Unearthed.

Pollution
Waste
Government

Japanese Manicurist Takes on Plastic Pollution, One Nail at a Time

By Tom BatemanCHIGASAKI, Japan (Reuters) - Before global leaders take the problem of plastic pollution into their hands this month, Japanese...

CHIGASAKI, Japan (Reuters) - Before global leaders take the problem of plastic pollution into their hands this month, Japanese manicurist Naomi Arimoto is putting it into her fingernails.At the beach near her home south of Tokyo, Arimoto carefully sifts sand for tiny bits of plastic that she can mould into decorative tips to put on the false nails at her salon. She came up with the idea after taking part in community cleanups along the coast."I became aware of environmental issues the moment I saw with my own eyes just how much plastic waste was in the ocean," 42-year-old Arimoto said. "I thought it was horrifying."An estimated 20 million tonnes of plastic waste is dumped into the environment each year, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A United Nations summit in Busan, South Korea, starting on Nov. 25 aims to craft a landmark treaty that would set global caps on plastic production.The United States, one of the world's biggest plastic makers, signalled in August it would support a global treaty, a shift that environmental watchdog Greenpeace called a "watershed moment" in the fight against plastic pollution.Arimoto opened a nail salon in her home in 2018 after a spinal condition forced her to give up her career as a social worker, and she's been using Umigomi, or "sea trash," to make nail art since 2021. To gather the raw materials, she uses a custom wheelchair to scour the nearby beach every month to gather microplastics that other cleaners might miss.To turn sea trash into treasure, Arimoto starts by rinsing the plastic in fresh water and then sorting it by colour. She cuts the plastic into smaller pieces and places them into a metal ring before melting the plastic to form a colourful disc that can be attached to the artificial nails. Prices for a set start at 12,760 yen ($82.52)."I know there are other things made of recycled materials, like toilet paper and other daily necessities, but I had no idea you could have nails too, that was a surprise," said salon customer Kyoko Kurokawa, 57.Arimoto acknowledges that her nail art is a drop in an ocean of plastic pollution, but says raising consciousness of the problem is a step to towards working together for a solution."I hope that by putting these in front of people's eyes, on their fingertips, they'll enjoy fashion while also becoming more aware of environmental issues," she said.(Reporting by Tom Bateman and Rocky Swift, Editing by Kate Mayberry)Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.

Pollution
Conservation
Waste

Flatulence tax: Denmark agrees deal for livestock emissions levy

It is part of a wider plan to reduce emissions and pollution and restore natural habitat.

Denmark has agreed on how to implement the world’s first tax on agricultural emissions, including flatulence by livestock.This comes after months of negotiations between the country’s major parties, farmers, the industry, trade unions and environmental groups. The Green Tripartite agreement was first announced in June.From 2030, farmers will have to pay a levy of 300 kroner ($43; £34) per tonne of methane (as per carbon dioxide equivalent) on emissions from livestock including cows and pigs, which will rise to 750 kroner in 2035.The Green Tripartite minister said they will “do what it takes to reach our climate goals” after receiving a “broad majority” in parliament.“[It is a] huge, huge task that is now underway: to transform large parts of our land from agricultural production to forestry, to natural spaces, to ensure that we can bring life back to our fjords,” Jeppe Bruus said.Part of the Green Tripartite agreement between the government, the agriculture industry and environmental organisations is to also reduce nitrogen pollution in an effort to restore the coasts and fjords. Nitrogen emissions could be reduced by 13,780 tonnes annually from 2027, AFP news agency reported.A concerted effort will also be made to improve the country's biodiversity.According to Danish daily The Copenhagen Post, 250,000 hectares of new forest will be planted, and 140,000 hectares of peatlands that are currently being cultivated will be restored to natural habitat.Peatlands are wetlands characterised by waterlogged conditions and are known carbon stores.Around 60% of Denmark's territory is currently cultivated, making it together with Bangladesh the country with the highest share of cultivated land, according to a Danish parliamentary report."Danish nature will change in a way we have not seen since the wetlands were drained in 1864," Mr Bruus said, as quoted by AFP news agency.Speaking about the agreement, the Danish minister for climate, energy and utilities, Lars Aagaard, said it showed the country’s “willingness to act”.“It also shows the Danish model - broad political majority in the Danish parliament [and] involvement of the sectors that will be affected by the tax and involvement of environmental stakeholders," he added, explaining these are "things that we could all benefit from if the rest of the world could foster such cooperation in the climate fight.”

Pollution
Agriculture
CO2

Landmark Study Links Common Air Pollutants to Autism

Scientists uncover intricate connections between air pollution and neurodevelopmental disorders in a landmark brain medicine emerging topic review. Environmental exposure to air pollutants during critical developmental periods may significantly influence autism risk, according to a groundbreaking Emerging Topic review recently published in the journal Brain Medicine. The study highlights how common air pollutants, including fine [...]

Scientists uncover intricate connections between air pollution and neurodevelopmental disorders in a landmark brain medicine emerging topic review. Environmental exposure to air pollutants during critical developmental periods may significantly influence autism risk, according to a groundbreaking Emerging Topic review recently published in the journal Brain Medicine. The study highlights how common air pollutants, including fine [...]

Pollution

United Utilities refuses to hand over data on sewage discharges into Windermere

Water company claims information is not in the public interest despite widespread pollution of UK waters• ‘It’s a national disgrace’: fury at sewage-filled Windermere over toxic algae and dead fishOne of the UK’s biggest water companies is fighting a legal battle to block public access to data on treated sewage it is discharging into Windermere in the Lake District.United Utilities initially claimed that data from phosphorus monitors at sewage treatment works at the lake “was not environmental information”. It later claimed the information on phosphorus – which can pollute watercourses when at high levels – was “internal communication” and exempt from disclosure. Continue reading...

One of the UK’s biggest water companies is fighting a legal battle to block public access to data on treated sewage it is discharging into Windermere in the Lake District.United Utilities initially claimed that data from phosphorus monitors at sewage treatment works at the lake “was not environmental information”. It later claimed the information on phosphorus – which can pollute watercourses when at high levels – was “internal communication” and exempt from disclosure.It is also trying to block the release of data on ammonia checks from a plant at Cunsey Beck where hundreds of fish were killed in a pollution incident in 2022 that was caused by an unknown source. The water company is fighting the rulings by the freedom of information watchdog to disclose all the data to the public.Matt Staniek, the founder of the Save Windermere campaign, said it was “disgraceful” that United Utilities was repeatedly blocking the public from access to environmental information on potential pollutants. The water company has not commented on the costs to date of fighting the cases.“United Utilities is withholding information which would tell us even more about the true impact of discharges of raw and treated sewage into Windermere,” he said. “There is an overwhelming public interest in understanding how a water company is polluting England’s largest lake.”David Black, the chief executive of Ofwat, the water regulator, said earlier this year that he expected water firms to have a culture of transparency. “Customers have paid companies to install monitors and collect their data,” he said. “They have a right to see what it says.”Matt Staniek, campaigner and founder of Save Windermere at Waterhead. Photograph: Richard Saker/The ObserverThe legal battle comes as a new report obtained by the Observer reveals that United Utilities has presided over suspected illegal sewage spills for more than 500 days over a period from 2018 to 2023 in Windermere and the surrounding area. The analysis by expert Peter Hammond is based on data obtained by Save Windermere and the Windrush Against Sewage Pollution campaign.Windermere is on the frontline in the sewage scandal that has polluted so many of the UK’s rivers, coastal waters and lakes. Residents in Windermere say England’s largest lake is now regularly blighted by blooms of potentially toxic blue-green algae, which are fuelled by sewage pollution.Save Windermere requested data in January from phosphorus monitors on treated effluent at Windermere’s wastewater treatment works on the eastern side of the lake. It is concerned that treated effluent may be threatening the ecology of the lake, as well as raw sewage discharges. United Utilities refused to release the information under the environmental information regulations, classifying it as internal communications. It also tried to claim it was not environmental information.It said the information was “non-regulatory” and was collected for operational purposes, and may not be as accurate as regulated sampling. It said it was not in the public interest to disclose the information because it might inhibit “free and frank” discussions and have a “chilling effect” on site management.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) ruled that the information should be disclosed, concluding: “If the phosphorus monitoring is accurate enough to be used for operational purposes … and to indicate the level of toxins present in the water, there is a public interest in this information.” The ICO has also ruled that United Utilities should disclose information it was withholding on ammonia sampling data and turbidity data (measuring cloudiness in water) at Near Sawrey wastewater treatment works on Cunsey Beck, a site of special scientific interest which flows into Windermere.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionIn June 2022, hundreds of fish were killed in a pollution incident at Cunsey Beck, which receives discharges from the sewage works. A cause for the fish kill was never established by the Environment Agency, but its investigation was later found in an independent report to have been undermined by a series of failings.United Utilities is appealing to the first tier tribunal against the decisions to disclose the information requested by Save Windermere. A hearing on the cases, which are likely to be joined, is expected early next year.Last month, United Utilities was reprimanded by the ICO for failing to properly handle requests from the public on environmental information. It said there had been numerous cases where “United Utilities has erroneously refused to deal with a request for information on the basis that the information being requested isn’t environmental”.United Utilities said it is more committed to being more transparent and making information even more accessible. It says it will continue to engage with ICO processes.

Pollution
Water
Waste

Suggested Viewing

Giants of Big Sur: California Condor Stories Part 2: Leading the Way with Non-Lead

Through experiencing the work of Ventana Wildlife Society, Ross comes to understand the greatest threat to condors is lead ammunition. Ross meets Mike Stake, Non-Lead Ammunition Program Manager, who takes him to meet with a rancher in a key condor area to better understand these complex issues. Through responsible gun use, California condor recovery is achievable. We thank hunters and ranchers who switched to using non-lead ammunition.

Conservation
Extinction
Pollution

Ser Manguezal

Ser Manguezal, created by Eliseu Cavalcante, was inspired by Josué de Castro's book "Of Men and Crabs" from 1967. De Castro was a Brazilian geographer, physician, writer and activist against world hunger. In his book, Castro envisions men as crabs, learning to walk in the mangroves. This relationship between them seems to unify and blend all together making the human being part of that specific biome. This film is part of an ongoing project that examines those who depend on the mangrove ecosystem to survive, and the delicate relationship between humans and this particular ecosystem. It seeks to recognize the hard-working crab hunters of the mangroves and make their work more visible, and to bring awareness about the importance of mangroves to the environment. Worldwide, 3,400 square kilometers (1,300 square miles) of mangrove forests were lost between 2000 and 2016, or about 2% of the global mangrove area (NASA). About 62% of the losses were due to direct human causes such as agriculture and aquaculture. Mangrove degradation is greater than the average for tropical and subtropical forest loss.

Water
Conservation
Plants

Stalking Chernobyl: Exploration After Apocalypse

A documentary that examines the underground culture of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Three decades after the world's most infamous nuclear disaster, illegal hiking adventurers (known as “stalkers”), extreme sports aficionados, artists, and tour companies have begun to explore anew the mysterious, ghostly landscape, where trees and forest animals have reclaimed land abandoned by villagers. Even as survivors continue to reckon with a dishonest government’s attempts to cover up the extent of the disaster, and as humanity faces new nuclear incidents in place like Fukushima, the Chernobyl site has turned into a bizarre tourist attraction, drawing seekers with a taste for the post-apocalyptic. (a Cultures Of Resistance film)

Crisis
Culture
Pollution

The Story of Plastic

A searing expose uncovering the ugly truth behind the global plastic pollution crisis. Striking footage shot over three continents illustrates the ongoing catastrophe: fields full of garbage, veritable mountains of trash; rivers and seas clogged with waste; and skies choked with poisons from plastic production and recycling processes with no end in sight. Original animations, interviews with experts and activists, and never-before-filmed scenes reveal the disastrous consequences of the plastic flood around the world – and the global movement rising up in response.

Chemicals
Pollution
Crisis

Waters of the U.S.

The current administration is rolling back crucial protections for streams and wetlands across the country in a direct assault on the Clean Water Act. This incredibly beautiful film tells the story of the rivers, streams, and wetlands of Alabama to illustrate the dangers of the proposed regulation. By doing so, it shows the economic benefits, ecological health, and cultural way of life that hang in the balance. The director hails from Miami, Florida, with a strong passion for environmental advocacy. With a degree in Editing, Writing & Media from Florida State University and a background in environmental journalism, he intends to make documentaries to inspire protection wildlife and our natural resources.

Government
Water
Pollution

Join us to forge
a sustainable future

Our team is always growing.
Become a partner, volunteer, sponsor, or intern today.
Let us know how you would like to get involved!

CONTACT US

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Subscribers receive a free day pass for streaming Cinema Verde.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.