Articles by "Pollution"
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Hello Jammu News at 6:42:00 PM 0
New Delhi, Dec 11 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it will hear in January second week a plea seeking steps to curb pollution in Delhi-NCR caused by stubble burning in neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

A bench of justices A K Sikri, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer said that it is fixing the issue of stubble burning for final hearing in second week of January and asked the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Haryana and Punjab to file their response on the plea before the court by then.

It said that all pending applications including that of fire crackers manufacturers and compliance report of states with regard to use of green crackers will be taken up for hearing next month.

On October 23, the apex court had said that people in the country can burst firecrackers from 8 pm to 10 pm only on Diwali and other festivals and had allowed the manufacture and sale of just "green crackers" which have low emission of light, sound and harmful chemicals.

It had said that issue of pollution through stubble burning would be dealt separately.

The court had carved out an exception for Christmas and the New Year eve, saying that crackers for these occasions would be burst between 11.55 pm and 12.30 am, since these celebrations start at midnight.

It had, however, allowed the firecrackers which have already been produced to be sold in other parts of the country for this Diwali and other festivals and occasions including weddings.

For Gurupurab festival, the court had later allowed fireworks to be carried out for one hour in the morning between 4 am to 5 am and one hour in the evening between 9 pm to 10 pm.

The court had also banned the manufacture, sale and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or 'laris') saying that they cause "huge air, noise and solid waste problems".

It had said the noise and smoke emission limits of the crackers will have to be approved by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO), a body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

To curb pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), the court had directed the Centre, Delhi government and state governments of NCR to permit community fire-cracking (for Diwali and other festivals), wherever it could be done.

It had said that as directed earlier, the fire crackers generating noise level exceeding 125 dB(AI) of 145dB(C) at four metres distance from the point of bursting shall be banned.

The court had said that those crackers which have already been produced and do not fulfill the permissible conditions "will not be allowed to be sold in Delhi and NCR".   PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 5:05:00 PM 0

Bhubaneswar, Sep 17: In its bid to clean up the air, the Odisha government Monday launched a 'Star Rating' system here for industries, the first-of-its-kind initiative in the state, to ensure transparency in compliance to pollution standards.

The programme, launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, will rate industries from 1 to 5 based on their efforts to meet the standards set by Odisha's pollution control board.

A joint effort of State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago, the project is an example of the state's 3T framework - Teamwork, Transparency and Technology, the CM said.

"It will go a long way in strengthening the pollution board's regulatory efforts," he observed.

Describing the programme as yet another initiative, where his government has demonstrated commitment to transparency and accountability, Patnaik said "the system will encourage industries to adopt clean technologies".

"This 'Star Rating' programme will help public find out whether industries in their vicinity are fair in their environmental compliance. It will also recognise the efforts of industries that take responsibility to maintain clean environment," Patnaik said.

On the occasion, the chief minister also launched a website, where citizens can access information in this regard.

Development commissioner and chairman of SPCB, R Balakrishnan, said the pollution board has been collecting data through a Continuous Emission Monitoring System on industrial pollution.

"It has been an exciting journey working with researchers from the Energy Policy Institute (EPIC) to distill data into star ratings for public disclosure," he said.

Economist Michael Greenstone, who is also the director of EPIC, said citizens will be able to identify the sources of pollution through this project.

"The Odisha Star Rating program is a pioneering initiative to empower people to ensure that industries comply with existing laws," he said.

State Industries Minister Anant Das, Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray and Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi were among others who attended the programme here in the morning. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:03:00 PM 0

Houston, Aug 23: Ambient air pollution shortens an average Indian's life by over 1.5 years, say scientists who suggest that better air quality could lead to a significant extension of human lifespan around the world.

Researchers said that if PM2.5 concentrations worldwide were limited to the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality guideline concentration of 10 microgrammes per square cubic metre, the global life expectancy would be on average 0.59 year longer.

The benefit of reaching the stringent target would be especially large in countries with the highest current levels of pollution, with approximately 0.8 1.4 years of additional survival in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China.

This is the first time data on air pollution and lifespan has been studied together in order to examine the global variations to find out how they affect the overall life expectancy.

The researchers from University of Texas at Austin in the US looked at outdoor air pollution from particulate matter (PM) smaller than 2.5 microns. These fine particles can enter deep into the lungs, and breathing PM2.5 is associated with increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, respiratory diseases and cancer.

PM2.5 pollution comes from power plants, cars and trucks, fires, agriculture and industrial emissions.

They found that the life expectancy impact of ambient PM2.5 is especially large in polluted countries such as Bangladesh (1.87 years), Egypt (1.85 years), Pakistan (1.56 years), Saudi Arabia (1.48 years), Nigeria (1.28 years), and China (1.25 years).

India had a life expectancy impact of 1.53 years, according to the study.

The team used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study to measure PM2.5 air pollution exposure and its consequences in 185 countries.

They then quantified the national impact on life expectancy for each individual country as well as on a global scale.

"The fact that fine particle air pollution is a major global killer is already well known," said Joshua Apte, who led the study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

"We were able to systematically identify how air pollution also substantially shortens lives around the world. What we found is that air pollution has a very large effect on survival -- on average about a year globally," said Apte.

In the context of other significant phenomena negatively affecting human survival rates, Apte said this is a big number.

"For example, it's considerably larger than the benefit in survival we might see if we found cures for both lung and breast cancer combined," he said.

"For much of Asia, if air pollution were removed as a risk for death, 60 year olds would have a 15 per cent to 20 per cent higher chance of living to age 85 or older," he added.

"A body count saying 90,000 Americans or 1.1 million Indians die per year from air pollution is large but faceless," said Apte.

"Saying that, on average, a population lives a year less than they would have otherwise -- that is something relatable," he said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 7:15:00 PM 0


JAMMU, APRIL 05: The Government today ordered revision of rates for issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificate for the vehicles by the Pollution Checking Centres in the State.
According to an order issued by the Secretary to the Government, Transport Department, M Raju the new rate for issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificate for two-wheelers (Petrol) will be Rs 50, for three-wheelers (Petrol) Rs 60, for four-wheelers (Petrol) Rs 80 and for all Diesel Vehicles it will be Rs 100.
According to the order, the validity of Pollution Check will be 12 months for BS-IV vehicles and 6 months for all other vehicles.

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Hello Jammu News at 4:50:00 PM 0



Ulaanbaatar, Mar 3: The World Health Organization (WHO) released a set of long- medium- and short-term recommendations for the Government of Mongolia to tackle air pollution.
Air pollution causes more than 4,000 deaths every year in this Central Asian lower-middle income country with a population of three million. WHO is urging the Government to keep air pollution as a top priority for policies and implementation throughout the year, a WHO release on Sunday said.
Air pollution takes many forms. The most harmful for health is fine particulate matter (PM2.5). It is a major cause of diseases such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, acute and chronic respiratory diseases.
In 2012, one out of nine deaths in Mongolia was the result of air pollution-related diseases. More than half of child deaths from pneumonia in Mongolia are due to indoor air pollution. In Mongolia, indoor and outdoor air pollution account for 132 deaths per 100, 000 people per year, whereas the global average is 92 deaths per 100, 000 people.
Data from the Mongolian National Agency for Meteorology and Environment Monitoring indicate that air quality in Ulaanbaatar improved from 2011 to 2015. However, the annual mean concentration of PM2.5 in the air in Ulaanbaatar remains 6-10 times higher than the level considered safe by WHO air quality guidelines.
During the winter months (from November to March) the mean concentration of particulate matter is 8-14 times higher than the WHO guideline values.
“Air pollution has become one of the most challenging issues in Mongolia. WHO is pleased to see the Government’s efforts to identify comprehensive solutions to the air pollution situation in Ulaanbaatar, which will be vital for people’s health”, said Dr Sergey Diorditsa, the acting WHO Representative in Mongolia.
Half of the people in Mongolia’s capital live in traditional felt dwellings called 'Gers.' They heat them in the long winter months by burning raw coal. This is the main source of Mongolia’s air pollution, accounting for 80 per cent of air pollution in the country from November to April. WHO recommends switching to efficient, renewable and clean energy options both at production and consumption levels.
In the short term, WHO recommends the introduction of a ban on burning plastic, tires, and vinyl and other waste as fuel and calls for creating sustainable support schemes to help low-income groups adopt affordable cleaner technology.
In addition, WHO recommends improving indoor air quality by banning smoking indoors, improving ventilation in Gers and other homes, and controlling the overuse of burning solid fuels while using better insulation to reduce the need for heating.
At the same time, WHO highlights the need to increase public awareness of the need to substitute solid fuel with processed, then clean fuels.
Around 10 per cent of Mongolia’s air pollution comes from motor vehicle traffic in Ulaanbaatar. To combat this, WHO advises implementing measures to prevent traffic congestion and reduce the need for motorized transport. These include creating green areas and re-locating offices and commercial spaces to places that are convenient for pedestrians and cyclists. Integrating environmental and health considerations in urban planning requires long-term multi-sectoral coordination.
As a medium-term intervention, WHO recommends more stringent national standards for outdoor air quality to reduce air pollution concentrations to those recommended by WHO’s Air Quality Guidelines.
Concrete steps advised by WHO include introducing better solid waste management, paving roads in the Ger areas of the capital, and joining the WHO and UN Environment-led BreatheLife campaign to increase public awareness and action on air pollution. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:18:00 PM 0

New Delhi, Nov 13: The schools in the National Capital reopened on Monday, five days after the Delhi government ordered closure till Sunday, following the deteriorating air quality. 
On November 8, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the Education portfolio, citing the hazardous pollution levels in the city, had issued directions for closure of all government and private schools, apart from all colleges. Students in various parts of the city were seen wearing masks to protect themselves from 'smog', which can cause health problems. 
Last week, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government had also banned outdoor activities in schools, including morning assemblies, due to spiralling increase in pollution levels, which according to doctors, were apt to be declared a health emergency. Pollution levels continued to remain 'severe' in the National Capital, leading to 400 mt visibility at both national and international airports, while particulate matter was recorded at 581 and 367 for PM10 and PM2.5, respectively. UNI
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