-Livemint.com Since state administrations failed to contain the noxious smoke of farmland stubble fires in north India, the Supreme Court has had to order a crackdown. Here’s what else we could do There was hope for the residents of a broad expanse of north India, who faced a public health emergency due to air pollution, a significant part of which was caused by smoke arising from the burning of crop stubble—stalks of...

  Air quality in North India in general and Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi NCR) in particular plunged to its lowest point in recent years during October-November thanks to a variety of factors. Through media reports one comes to know that stubble burning (also called paddy straw burning/ crop residue burning) is chiefly responsible for the public health crisis in India's capital and its nearby regions. Data accessed from the website...

-The Indian Express The state government maintains that farm fires in Punjab contribute barely over 15 per cent to Delhi’s pollution. But officials in Sangrur admit there are problems, including the slow switch to “expensive” mechanical alternatives to stubble burning. Sangrur: To know why the National Capital is choking, visit Sangrur in Punjab — the district that recorded the highest number of farm fires in a single day this year. One of...

-Livemint.com * The transport sector is also the main source for PM2.5 emissions, a pollutant which can have disastrous long-term impact of human health * With as many as 3,182 industries located across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), industrial pollution adds about 18.6% to the bad air quality NEW DELHI: As Delhi struggles to cope with one of the biggest health emergencies due to severe levels of air pollution, it has not quite...

-The Indian Express Delhi, Punjab and Haryana asked to send enforcement teams: Top official With Air pollution levels increasing to ‘severe levels’ in the National Capital region and Air Quality Index measuring an alarming 494 Sunday, with at least 37 flights diverted between 9 am and 1 pm because of poor visibility, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Sunday called a review meeting on air pollution in Delhi and its surrounding areas. A...