Kathmandu [Nepal], March 30 (ANI): For the last one week, the air quality of Kathmandu has deteriorated and the Himalayan nation's capital has remained in the list of the top ten most polluted cities in the world, as per the report by IQAir, a Swiss air quality tech company.

New Delhi Mar 23 PTI NHRC chairperson justice retd Arun Kumar Mishra on Wednesday expressed serious concern over climate and environment degradation impacting human rights even as he said that time has come to supervise supervisory bodies like various pollution control boardsHe said this while chairing a meeting of the commissions first Core Advisory Group on Environment Climate Change and Human Rights here the rights panel said in a statementEfforts and funds pumped in to clean the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers without yielding the desired results are the two most visible and glaring examples of our collective failure to keep our environment clean and pollution-free he was quoted as saying in the statementMishra said human beings have not spared even the Mt Everest which also requires to be cleaned nowMindless mining is going on so much that even Antarctica has not been spared Development without following norms is not sensible the NHRC chief lamentedHe also expressed concern over a recent estimate according to which of all the polluted cities in the world a large number are from IndiaDelhi was found to be the most polluted capital in the world for the fourth consecutive year in 2021 and 35 of the 50 cities with the worst air quality were in India according toWorld Air Quality Report 2021 prepared by Swiss organisation IQAir and released globally on TuesdayIn 2021 none of the cities in India met the prescribed World Health Organization air quality standards of 5 micrograms per cubic metre stated the report As part of the global fraternity we all as individuals have to take up the responsibility to protect and save planet earth from environment degradation to ensure that it doesnt lead to massive climate change impacting lives and ecological imbalances Mishra saidTime has come to act or perish he addedMishraexpressed serious concern over climate and environment degradation impacting human rightsDespite the enabling laws and rules the ground situation is not changing for good much due to ineffective implementation of regulatory measures to check various environmental pollution which may be impacting climate change and thus the lives of the peopleTime has come to supervise the supervisory bodies like various pollution control boards he was quoted as saying in the statementHe also questioned how would the society achieve the Sustainable Developmental Goals without fixing the problems related to the environmental hazards agricultural practices industrial and domestic waste management among other issues Earlier highlighting the significance of the meeting of the core advisory group NHRC Secretary General Bimbadhar Pradhan said that there is no doubt that climate change is real and its effects are disastrous He said environment degradation is leading to climate change resulting in forced migration of people causing miseries which need to be given a serious thought to shape up the enabling policies through deliberationsA gamut of issues concerning environment clean air and water pollution were discussed as part of the four specific agenda points of discussion including gaps in implementation and monitoring of laws judgments and schemesinitiatives concerning environment climate change and human rightsBest practices in environment management in India and abroad and replication thereof empowering the local government and authorities to tackle environmental issues and protecting the population especially vulnerable sections from the impacts of climate change were other agenda points according to the statement Besides the discussions and the presentations in the meeting the NHRC chairperson asked the participants to send their specific suggestions identifying the gaps in the laws rules regulations and implementation thereof to chalk out recommendations for the way forward to protect environment and check climate change the statement said PTI KND RHL

New Delhi Mar 23 PTI Air pollution is the second biggest factor affecting human health in India and its economic cost is estimated to exceed USD 150 billion annually a latest report saidThe World Air Quality Report 2022 prepared by Swiss organization IQAir and released globally on Tuesday found that Indias PM 25 level returned to pre-COVID lockdown concentrations measured in 2019Air pollution has a massive impact on human health in India It is the second biggest risk factor for disease and the economic cost of air pollution is estimated to exceed USD 150 billion dollars annually it statedThe major sources of air pollution in India include vehicular emissions power generation industrial waste biomass combustion for cooking the construction sector and episodic events like crop burningIn 2019 the Environment Ministry enacted the National Clean Air Programme NCAP which seeks to reduce particulate matter PM concentrations by 20 to 30 per cent by 2024 in all identified non-attainment cities increase air quality monitoring and implement a city regional and state-specific clean air action plan as well as conduct source apportionment studiesThe report observed that the lockdowns restrictions and the resulting economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic have made it difficult to determine NCAPs impact based on air pollution levels aloneIt said apart from city-specific action plans no other plans have been formulated under NCAP prescribed timelinesAdditionally there is little information about the activities related to the NCAP making it difficult to dispel the publics dissatisfaction with the slow progress under the programmeIt is estimated that 20 to 35 per cent of total urban PM25 concentrations is directly or indirectly due to internal combustion engines in motor vehicles Annual vehicle sales in India are expected to increase with an estimated fleet number reaching 105 million in 2030 the report noted PTI AG NSD NSD

New Delhi Mar 22 PTI Delhi was found to be the most polluted capital in the world for the fourth consecutive year in 2021 and 35 of the 50 cities with the worst air quality were in India according to a new reportIn 2021 none of the cities in India met the prescribed World Health Organization air quality standards of 5 micrograms per cubic meter stated the World Air Quality Report 2021 prepared by Swiss organization IQAir and released globally on TuesdayThe report presenting an overview of the state of global air quality in 2021 is based on PM25 air quality data from 6475 cities in 117 countriesThe report mentioned that among the most polluted capital cities Dhaka ranked second after Delhi followed by NDjamena in Chad Dushanbe in Tajikistan and Muscat in OmanNew Delhi saw a 146 per cent increase in PM25 concentrations in 2021 with the levels rising to 964 micrograms per cubic meter from 84 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020 the report saidIndia also continues to feature prominently among the most polluted cities with 35 of the top 50 most polluted cities being in this country Indias annual average PM25 levels reached 581 gm3 in 2021 ending a three-year trend of improving air quality It stated Indias annual PM25 averages have returned to pre-quarantine concentrations as measured in 2019 Alarmingly in 2021 none of the Indian cities met the prescribed WHO standards of 5 gm3 The report also revealed that 48 per cent of Indian cities exceeded 50 gm3 air quality level which is well over 10 times the WHO guidelinesCommenting on IQAirs recent data Avinash Chanchal the Campaign Manager at Greenpeace India said the report is a wake-up call for governments and corporationsIt is once again highlighting that people are breathing dangerously polluted air Vehicular emissions are one of the major contributors to urban PM25 concentrationsWith annual vehicle sales in India expected to increase it is certainly going to impact air quality if corrective measures are not taken in time Chanchal saidHe asserted that air pollution has a massive impact on human health and is a major indicator of the accelerating climate catastropheHe called for switching to cleaner fuels and the promotion of renewable energy for transportationThe good thing is we dont need to invest in science to find the solutions to the air pollution crisis We know the solution and it is readily accessible PM air pollution is produced by the burning of fuels which is a major contributor to the climate crisisIt is high time that governments promote renewable energy for transportation and build infrastructure that encourages cycling public transport and pedestrians he saidOn the global front the report finds that only three per cent of cities and no single country met the latest WHOs PM25 annual air quality guidelines PTI AG NSD

Lahore [Pakistan], November 1 (ANI): Pakistan's Lahore is ranked second among the top five cities with bad air quality in the world, reported local media.