In multiple posts on X, US entrepreneur Bryan Johnson wrote that despite wearing a mask indoors, he had to cut short his visit to India. He was in Mumbai to record a podcast episode.
While the number of air quality monitoring stations in India has grown in the last 5 years, most of the deployment was in urban centres—leaving rural areas sparsely monitored.
Environment ministry data in LS shows Vizag & Angul saw more than 50% spike in PM10 concentrations. Some cities made progress, Varanasi topping list & Delhi seeing marginal improvement.
Number of bad air days increased as compared to same period in 2023 & 2022, according to CSE. Local sources in Delhi & neighbouring areas responsible for this, it adds.
India's pollution increased last year, with PM2.5 levels about 11 times higher than the WHO standard, with New Delhi performing worst at 92.7 micrograms.
The smog crisis common to both India and Pakistan could provide an opportunity for collaborative climate action. It has the potential to reduce tension between the two countries.
Delhi government at least seems to be trying to deal with air pollution. In Kolkata, little is being done to control the menace. Guidelines are followed more in the breach than observance.
Professor Sachida Nand Tripathi conferred Infosys Prize 2023 in Engineering & Computer Science for deploying air pollution sensor networks & his work into understanding haze formation.
Bhiwadi in Rajasthan was the most polluted city in India and second-most polluted in central and south Asia region. Delhi was not far behind, followed by Darbhanga and Asopur.
Nick Jonas is not trying to modernise the mangalsutra, but his gesture shows that choices can be equal. If commitment must be flaunted, it need not be gendered.
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