-Down to Earth ammonia concentration in the atmosphere over India is the highest in the world due to cattle population and excessive fertilizer use, says study A satellite study of airborne ammonia gas has revealed four major hotspots over productive agricultural regions across the world. Increased atmospheric ammonia is linked to poor air and water quality. Using data from NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder satellite instrument, researchers led by the University of Maryland...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Water supply was hit in several parts of the city as "dangerously high" levels of ammonia in raw water forced suspension of operations at Chandrawal and Wazirabad treatment plants on Sunday. Areas in north and central Delhi, Delhi Cantt, parts of south and southwest Delhi and those under NDMC were affected. The supply is likely to remain disrupted for a major part of Monday too. At...

-Livemint.com We need a strategy to control air pollution across north India, and better monitoring is the first requirement From the debate over Arvind Kejriwal’s odd-even policy to outrage over poisonous post-Diwali smog, India’s public discourse on air pollution was centred in and around Delhi in 2016. This needs to change if we want to evolve an effective strategy to counter pollution. Before delving into the reasons for this, it might be...

-The Hindu The massive pollution cloud enveloping northern India every year is a good example of the disconnect between official policy and ground realities. It has been known for long that burning of agricultural waste in the northern States significantly contributes to the poor air quality in large parts of the Indo-Gangetic Basin, with local and cascading impacts felt from Punjab all the way to West Bengal. Harmful fine particulate matter...

-The Indian Express Fertiliser makers rule out reduction in DAP rates, despite exhortations from Centre. Union Chemicals and fertilisers minister Ananth Kumar has stated that companies have “agreed” to slash maximum retail prices of non-urea fertilisers like DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) and MOP (muriate of potash) by Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 per tonne, even as plantings for the ongoing kharif season have picked up on the back of a good monsoon. But it...