Tag: air pollution

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No solution for pollution? Know these key enablers of healthy lungs

Incidentally, in the past, many of these Ayurvedic drugs were part of grandmother’s vast repertoire of home remedies that fortified households against various ailments, the publication pointed out

With so many Indian cities reported to have high levels of air pollution, the importance of lung hygiene cannot be understated. Lung hygiene is the best defence that the body can put up against air pollution, especially during winters, and ayurveda has a bunch of remedies to enable it.

The New Delhi-based Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, reports, lists tulsi, neem and turmeric as key enablers of healthy lungs.

Ayurveda details about various plants and measures in combating environmental impurities and sanitizing the environment.

The ubiquitous and sacred Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) plays a vital role in absorbing pollutants, according to CCRAS. Neem (Azadirachta indica A.Juss.) leaves boiled in water have detoxification properties beneficial for skin and hair.

Turmeric has an anti-inflammatory property that protects lungs from the toxic effects of pollutants. Haritaki (Terminalia chebula Retz.) and ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) too are beneficial for respiratory ailments.

Triphala taken with honey reinforces immunity, restoring balance to the system. The herb Pippali (Piper longum L.), with honey, purifies lungs and facilitates easy breathing, according to a paper by CCRAS.

Likewise, the smoke emitted from burning drugs like Laksha (Laccifer lacca), Haridra (Curcma longa L.), Ativisha (Aconitum heterophyllum Wall) and Haritaki is known to purify toxic air.

Shobhanjan mooladi agad may be used for treating those affected by such pollution, recommends CCRAS.

Incidentally, in the past, many of these Ayurvedic drugs were part of grandmother’s vast repertoire of home remedies that fortified households against various ailments, the publication pointed out.

Your lungs are constantly working to provide your body with all the oxygen it needs to function well. The respiratory system is vital for you to live. However, just like all other systems of our body, even the respiratory system is prone to wear and tear, more so due to high levels of toxins and pollutants in the air, says Dr Anil Shukla, Professor of Ayurveda at Mansarovar Ayurved Medical college, Bhopal.

Lung health also varies from season to season. In Ayurvedic context, when too much Vata (space +air) accumulates in the lungs we experience breathlessness, dry coughs, asthma, hoarseness of the voice, weak voice, pain when breathing and even lung allergies. If you are experiencing any of these, your lung health might be out of balance.

Ayurveda has effective remedies to bring an agitated dosha back into balance through diet, lifestyle and herb concoctions. To ensure the health of our lungs, let’s dive into ancient wisdom that’s highly effective even today, adds Dr Shukla.

ALSO READ-Ayurvedic tips to protect lungs

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-Top News India News

SC seeks states’ response on worsening Delhi air pollution

The top court emphasised that directions have been issued and the authorities hope that all will be good. “But, on the ground, the result is zero,” noted the bench…reports Asian Lite News.

The Supreme Court on Monday said if the state governments do not implement the direction issued — by top court, the Centre, and the air quality management commission — to curb air pollution, then the court will set up a task force for the implementation of these directions.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant said: “Closer to create an independent task force (as a measure to curb air pollution) …if states not taking action,”

The top court emphasised that directions have been issued and the authorities hope that all will be good. “But, on the ground, the result is zero,” noted the bench.

The Supreme Court directed state governments — Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana — to comply with the directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR and sought compliance reports from them. The next hearing will be on Thursday.

The top court expressed its deep concern in connection with the worsening air pollution in the capital. The Chief Justice told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Centre says it is taking steps, yet pollution level in the capital is worsening day by day and also there is a looming threat of coronavirus. The Chief Justice said: “What to do?”

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the petitioner minor Aditya Dubey, contended that the ongoing construction activity in connection with the Central Vista project is also adding to the air pollution in Delhi and urged the court to issue directions to stop it. The bench asked Mehta to file an affidavit to explain what steps the government has taken to curb air pollution in the areas which fall under the central government in Delhi.

The bench queried Mehta, what is the commission, created for monitoring air quality index in NCR region, doing? “It is just passing on the directions (issued by the top court) to the states.”

The bench further queried Mehta about the steps being taken by the state governments to implement the directions. “Tell us which states are not complying with the directions. We will seek explanation,” said the bench.

The bench said it needs strict compliance with the measures issued by the Centre, the top court, and the air quality management commission. The top court asked the state governments to explain the measures they have taken in connection with the menace of air pollution and scheduled the matter for further hearing on Thursday.

ALSO READ-Govt introduces several measure to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR

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-Top News Environment India News

Delhi’s air quality deteriorates to ‘severe’ on Diwali night

Aerial view of the city is engulfed in heavy smog in New Delhi, India, 05 November 2021, as Delhi's air quality hits the 'hazardous' category after Diwali festival. (Pallav Paliwal)

At 8 a.m., AQI at Delhi’s Ashok vihar was 464, Chandni chowk(371), Dwarka (472), Mandir Marg (466), IGI Airport(458), Lodhi road (459) and North campus (453) according to CPCB…reports Asian Lite News.

The air quality index (AQI) crossed the 600-mark at several places across the national capital with a few places in east Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida crossing the 800-mark on Friday morning, hours after the people burst firecrackers on Diwali night making the Delhi-NCR air hazardous.

The already severe condition of the air quality on Thursday evening deteriorated further with pm2.5 concentration at 467 and pm10 concentration at 631 at 9 a.m., according to SAFAR data. There was moderate fog early in the morning, indicative of air quality may not improve much for the day.

The fog conditions intensified in Delhi-NCR on Friday with moderate fog at visibility 200 to 500m range reported at its two airports from 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.

Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) Palam lowest visibility was 350m while the city side had a poorer visibility at 200m, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD)

At 9 a.m., AQI was 920 and 904 in Noida’s sector 116 and in Sector 62 respectively; 617 in Ghaziabad’s vasundhara; 897 and 699 in Delhi’s Patparganj and Sriniwaspuri respectively, according to the data from World Quality Index project, a non-profit organisation.

However, the data given by CPCB did not reflect these station’s and showed much lesser AQI levels for other stations.

At 8 a.m., AQI at Delhi’s Ashok vihar was 464, Chandni chowk(371), Dwarka (472), Mandir Marg (466), IGI Airport(458), Lodhi road (459) and North campus (453) according to CPCB.

The Meteorological agencies had predicted an AQI of 500 plus for Thursday and Friday if Delhiites burst firecrackers on Diwali day. However, none of the stations touched the 500-mark

According to the India Meteorological Department, there will be partly cloudy sky in Delhi and maximum temperature is expected to be 29 degree Celsius and minimum temperature is expected to be 14 degree Celsius.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, then 401 and between 500 is considered “severe”.

ALSO READ-Air Commission lists suggestions to check air pollution in Delhi-NCR

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-Top News London News

BAME and poorer Londoners face air quality risk

The programme aims to reach communities that research shows have poor air quality and lack access to green space, including low-income and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners…reports Asian Lite News.

The gap between the most and least deprived areas of London for exposure to harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has narrowed by up to 50 per cent since 2016, according to new data revealed last week.

However, the report also shows that communities which have higher levels of deprivation, or a higher proportion of people from a non-white ethnic background, are still more likely to be exposed to higher levels of air pollution.

The analysis, commissioned by City Hall, shows that significant inequalities remain, and more work is needed to further reduce pollution levels and the health inequalities that result from unequal exposure to air pollution.

Ahead of the UK hosting COP26 and the Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion later this month, Sadiq is determined for London to be a world leader in tackling the twin dangers of air pollution and the climate emergency and launched a new Breathe London community programme in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The new initiative is set to empower local action on air quality. Community organisations are invited to apply for a free air quality sensor to be installed in a location of their choice, providing real time, hyperlocal data.

The programme aims to reach communities that research shows have poor air quality and lack access to green space, including low-income and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners.

The sensors are being provided to some community groups and boroughs free of charge, but for the first time, Breathe London air quality monitoring sensors are also now available to purchase directly by organisations and individuals wishing to monitor air quality in their local area, measure the impact of existing schemes to improve air quality, or help communities lobby for action in areas with high levels of toxic pollution.

The Breathe London Network, managed by the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London and funded by the Mayor of London and Bloomberg Philanthropies, is an important part of Sadiq’s work to raise awareness of air pollution, making it easier for all Londoners to access reliable, localised, real-time air quality data.

The additional sensors will bring the capital’s total to almost 350 sensors. The Mayor will also provide two sensors for the South Circular which will be installed in collaboration with Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, co-founder of the Ella Roberta Family Foundation.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is also supporting the expansion of the Breathe London network to some of London’s leading civic buildings and cultural institutions, including the British Library, Kew Gardens, the National Gallery, the Science Museum and The Serpentine.

Poor air quality stunts the growth of children’s lungs and worsens chronic illnesses such as asthma, lung and heart disease. A study by Imperial College London’s Environmental Research Group, commissioned by City Hall via Imperial Projects, has found that the Mayor’s air quality policies and wider improvements in air pollution will increase the average life expectancy of a child born in London in 2013 by six months.

An estimated 3.8 million Londoners live in the expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) zone and are set to directly benefit from the scheme when it comes into operation on 25 October. The expanded zone covers an area 18 times larger than the existing ULEZ and will affect older, more polluting vehicles that don’t comply with strict emission standards.

Although around 80 per cent of cars are already thought to be compliant in the expanded zone, it is estimated that 100,000 cars, 35,000 vans and 3,000 lorries could be affected by the expanded zone and tighter standards every day. ULEZ expansion warning signs are being put up around the North and South circular roads to help inform motorists of the forthcoming changes following extensive awareness campaigns.

“The bold action we have taken since I become Mayor has reduced this gap by up to 50 per cent, but there’s still a long way to go,” Sadiq said. “That’s why I’m more determined than ever to do everything we can in London to consign air pollution to the history books. “

He said  a key step will be the expansion of the world-first Ultra Low Emission Zone up to the North and South circular roads, starting on 25 October, which will improve the health of all Londoners and help us deliver a cleaner, greener and fairer city.

ALSO READ-Air Commission lists suggestions to check air pollution in Delhi-NCR

READ MORE-Farm fires from Pakistan to increase air pollution load for Delhi-NCR

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Environment India News

North Indians face most extreme air pollution in the world: Study

The report by EPIC said that north India breathes “pollution levels that are 10 times worse than those found anywhere else in the world”…reports Asian Lite News.

A study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) has found that 480 million people in northern India face the “most extreme levels of air pollution in the world.”

Indian cities routinely dominate global pollution rankings and bad air kills more than a million people every year, the BBC reported.

The report by EPIC said that north India breathes “pollution levels that are 10 times worse than those found anywhere else in the world”.

This air pollution has spread over decades beyond the region to western and central Indian states such as Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, where the average person is now losing between two-and-a-half to three years of life expectancy as compared to early 2000, the study said.

Air pollution can reduce the life expectancy of Indians by nine years, said a report by a US research group.

The EPIC study said that 480 million people in northern India face the “most extreme levels of air pollution in the world”, and, over time, these high levels have expanded to cover other parts too.

Strong clean air policies can add up to five years to people’s lives, it added.

New data from the Air Quality Life Index report by EPIC said that residents in Delhi could see up to 10 years added to their lives if air pollution is reduced to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 10 µg/m³, the BBC reported.

In 2019, India’s average particulate matter concentration was 70.3 µg/m³ – the highest in the world.

The report said that Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, which together account for nearly a quarter of the global population, consistently figure in the list of top five most polluted countries on earth.

ALSO READ-Has the third wave of Covid-19 started in India?

READ MORE-Delhi air pollution show decreasing trend over last 4 years

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Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Homes from a virus-free perspective

Working spaces, on the other hand, have become threat-prone when you meet other people. This, to a large extent, has hampered collaborative working leading to reduced productivity of employees and a decrease in revenue of organisations…writes Siddhi Jain.

Everything in life has been adapted into a new lifestyle of post Covid era. Among the numerous challenges that businesses and organisations are facing in the post-Covid-19 world, the challenge of protecting employees and customers is the supreme concern, says Ravi Kaushik, CEO at AiRTH which is currently focusing on removal of microbial contaminants from the air to safeguard people against airborne disease transmission.

The IIT-Bombay alumnus further writes:

Almost a year ago, the notion of working from home seemed like a fascination blended with certain parts of uncertainty. Organisations all over the world have surely taken lessons from this large-scale work-from-home practice that became a norm over the months.

Now with the reopening of the economy, businesses, organisations, and other public settings need to ponder upon the existence and functioning of working and living spaces from a virus-free and pollution-free perspective. While re-establishing the businesses and co-existing spaces is at the top of the priority list, employee and customer health and safety is an equivalent too. Enhanced and monitored hygiene practices, reliable protection devices, and systematic management can help deal with the issue at hand.

Certainly, in the current phase of the global pandemic, there is a huge difference between working and living spaces. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in quite clear distinctions between the two in terms of safety. The living space, on the one hand, holds lesser chances of airborne disease transmission as you are secluded from the rest of the world and remain protected within the four walls of your homes. However, fear of indoor air pollution and pathogens has increased more than ever.

Working spaces, on the other hand, have become threat-prone when you meet other people. This, to a large extent, has hampered collaborative working leading to reduced productivity of employees and a decrease in revenue of organisations.

Indoor spaces possess higher chances of airborne disease transmission due to the accumulation of pathogens in the air. Ventilation, as matter of fact, can be a possible solution. But the unattended question remains intact. Are we up for exposing ourselves to long-term health effects due to air pollution?

Air Pollution

Therefore, clean and pathogen-free air will become a value proposition in the future. Sure, we can spot various air purifiers in the market that claim to protect from air pollution. However, they can become a source of airborne disease transmission due to the growth of pathogens inside these air purifiers. To solve this problem, the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Bombay has developed “Anti-Microbial Air Purifier” using patent filed “SAVE (Sanitizer for Airborne Virus Elimination) Technology” to protect from air pollutants as well as pathogens in the air by real-time deactivation.

These antimicrobial air purifiers by AiRTH function on the DCD (Deactivate-Capture-Deactivate) mechanism. It first deactivates the airborne pathogens via inflight deactivation followed by capturing of viruses and fine particles. Then deactivation of airborne and trapped pathogens takes place by providing sufficient residence time and exposure within the antimicrobial air purifier. Lastly, clean and pathogen-free air is given out into the indoor space.

Also Read-No Compromise in Building Homes

With support from SIIC, IIT Kanpur, AiRTH deployed its antimicrobial air purifiers at various organisations like offices and co-working spaces during the peak months of the Covid-19 pandemic. The technology, proudly developed in India, is resolved to enable businesses and organisations to revive in the post-Covid world. With a larger picture added to its roadmap, AiRTH is doing its part to rebuild the economy and allow the common people, the mainstay of our country, to resume their normal work lives by giving them a safe workspace.

Also Read-Renovate and redesign homes

Read More-How Clean Is Your House?