DownToEarth The Aral Sea, the world’s fourth-largest lake until the early 1960s, dried up after that decade in Soviet Central Asia and became a byword for environmental disaster later, almost on the lines of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Now, a new study has found that the desert which emerged due to the drying up of the lake, has made Central Asia a much dustier place. Not only is the dust more hazardous...
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9 of World's 10 most air-polluted cities in South Asia, deadly air causes 2 million premature deaths - World Bank
Urgent action needed to curb deadly air pollution in South Asia A new report by the World Bank states that Nine out of the world’s 10 cities with the worst air pollution are in South Asia. Ambient air pollution is a public health crisis for South Asia, not only imposing high economic costs but also causing an estimated 2 million premature deaths each year. The health impacts of air pollution range...
More »Delhi choking, but do not blame stubble burning alone -CK Mishra
-The Hindu The reality is that Delhi’s air is bad even when stubble is not being burnt, which points to the need for comprehensive, long-term measures throughout the year Every year around Deepavali, and like clockwork, Delhi’s Air quality makes it to the headlines. But there is a problem. You would have noticed that the noise on TV channels and even newspapers over the issue dies down after one ‘strong wind speed...
More »Water link to air crisis: 2009 Punjab law spark for stubble fires -Zia Haq
-Hindustan Times In north India’s food-bowl states, farmers set aflame paddy stalks around October to clear their fields for their next crop. This releases millions of tonnes of smoke, carbon dioxide stored in plant biomass, toxins and planet-warming gases in the atmosphere. Some environmentalists reckon this to be the deadliest spell of pollution in all of South Asia. In north India’s food-bowl states, farmers set aflame paddy stalks around October to clear...
More »Due diligence reqd. prior to blanket school closures as a precautionary measure against air pollution
--Press release by National Coalition on the Education Emergency dated November 9, 2022 The Delhi government had announced the closure of primary schools last week, as recommended by the NCPCR, owing to the air pollution crisis in the city. While the concern about the health and well-being of children is certainly valid, the response to such a crisis needs to take into account other contributing factors such as the importance of...
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