pollution Archives - Disasters News

May162025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Dust Drift from Pakistan Dims Delhi Skies as Heat, Pollution Intensify

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A new wave of dust from northern Pakistan has begun sweeping into Delhi-NCR raising fresh concerns over the capital’s air quality amid rising heat. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) strong lower-level westerly winds are carrying the dust through Punjab and Haryana into the heart of Delhi threatening to reverse recent gains in pollution control. While visibility in areas like Palam has improved to 4,000 meters far above the threshold that defines a dust storm the increase in airborne particulates has pushed Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) back into the ‘poor’ category. The Central Pollution Control Board reported an alarming AQI of 350 in Punjabi Bagh with several neighborhoods following suit. This resurgence of pollution comes after a short-lived improvement that...

May152025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Industrial Boilers Responsible for 7% of India Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Reveals New Report

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

A comprehensive study has revealed that industrial boilers across India contribute nearly 7% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting a critical and under-addressed source of pollution. With more emissions of particulate matter and sulphur dioxide than the entire automobile sector, the report calls for urgent reforms, including a proposed nationwide “Green Boiler Mission.” The findings underline the importance of overhauling aging industrial systems to achieve India’s climate goals, improve air quality, and enhance energy efficiency. India’s Boilers: A Hidden Climate Challenge India industrial growth has long depended on the power of boilers, especially in sectors like food processing, textiles, and chemicals. However, a new study released during the National ...

May92025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

15,000 Deaths from Wildfire Smoke Linked to Climate Change in U.S. Study Finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

A landmark study has found that human-caused climate change led to 15,000 additional deaths from wildfire air pollution in the continental United States over a 15-year period ending in 2020. The research, led by Oregon State University and published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, is the first to quantify how many people have died as a result of climate-driven increases in wildfire-related fine particulate pollution (PM2.5). The study reveals that 2020 alone accounted for over a third of these deaths, during which massive wildfires burned across California, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. These fires released vast quantities of fine particulate matter—PM2.5—tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, causing and worsenin...

May62025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Urban Climate Crisis Fuelling Asthma Surge: Pulmonologists Warn on World Asthma Day 2025

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

World Asthma Day 2025, observed on May 6, highlights a growing health concern the increasing prevalence of asthma, especially in urban regions grappling with climate change and pollution. Doctors and pulmonologists are raising alarms about how worsening environmental conditions are directly contributing to this chronic respiratory illness. Urban Heat Islands and Respiratory Strain In cities, daily temperature fluctuations are becoming more extreme a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. During the day, concrete structures and lack of greenery trap heat, pushing temperatures above 30°C, only for the nights to cool down quickly. This irregular temperature swing severely affects human respiratory systems, particularly in densely populated zones where air circulation is p...

May52025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Heat, Health & Superbugs: Climate Crisis Could Drive Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surge, Study Warns

Breaking News, Fact Check, Learning & Developments

A major international study led by Chinese researchers has found that unchecked climate change could significantly worsen the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), potentially raising global AMR levels by more than 2% by 2050. The burden, the study warns will fall hardest on low- and middle-income countries already grappling with poor healthcare access and fragile infrastructure. The research was conducted by a team from Peking University, using data from more than 32 million bacterial samples collected across 101 countries between 1999 and 2022. It focused on six priority drug-resistant pathogens, including carbapenem-resistant strains of E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria known to cause deadly infections that are increasingly untreatable wi...

Apr142025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Toxicity of PM2.5 in Kolkata Spikes Sharply Beyond 70 µg/m³ Bose Institute Study Warns

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

A recent study by Kolkata’s Bose Institute has revealed a concerning spike in the toxicity of PM2.5 particles once their concentration crosses 70 µg/m³ underscoring the urgent need for stricter pollution controls. The findings suggest that beyond this threshold, the health risks posed by PM2.5 particles increase sharply posing a greater threat to public health than previously understood. PM2.5, or fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, is among the most dangerous air pollutants. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, leading to serious respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological issues. The study focused on the oxidative potential (OP) of PM2.5, which measures its ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) compounds that ...

Apr102025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Life on the Climate Frontline Seoul Poorest Suffer the Most Pollute the Least

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

In one of Seoul most impoverished corners residents of jjokbang-chon cramped windowless rooms often without basic amenities live quietly in the shadows of a rapidly developing city. These marginalized communities contribute the least to climate change, yet they endure its harshest effects. A new study from the University of Kansas exposes this stark climate injustice and calls for a shift in how the world addresses both poverty and the climate crisis. Dr. Joonmo Kang, assistant professor of social welfare at KU, spent a year living inside this so-called “last remaining slum” in the heart of South Korea’s capital. His goal was to understand how climate-related disasters shape the lives of the poorest residents. What he found was not just poverty but systemic neglect, environmental vulner...

Apr72025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

kolkata Pollution Harming sundarbans Experts call for united climate action

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

Kolkata and the Sundarbans two regions separated by just 100 km, are now being seen as climate twins. At a recent meet in Kolkata, experts said that the air and water pollution from the city is damaging the Sundarbans mangroves an ecosystem that, in turn, acts as a vital buffer protecting Kolkata from extreme weather. The loss of these mangroves is making the city more vulnerable to climate shocks. At the heart of the meet was the Kolkata Declaration 2025, a five-point agenda focused on a shared climate security strategy. Experts stressed the need for an integrated approach rather than treating Kolkata and the Sundarbans as separate climate cases. The event, a citizen assembly, was organised by Tramjatra an international tram-lovers’ movement involving activists from Kolkata and Melb...

Apr72025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Experts Call for Unified Climate Strategy to Protect Kolkata and Sundarbans Push for Revival of Trams

Breaking News, Climate Actions

The climate futures of Kolkata and the Sundarbans are deeply intertwined, and experts now warn that failing to address them together could worsen the vulnerabilities of both regions. In a recent meeting held in Kolkata, scientists, activists, and urban planners came together to issue the ‘Kolkata Declaration 2025’, calling for an integrated climate security strategy, particularly highlighting the revival of eco-friendly public transport like trams as part of the solution. The air and water pollution from Kolkata is degrading the Sundarbans mangroves, which in turn weakens the city’s natural shield against cyclones and extreme weather. Experts said that despite being just 100 km apart, Kolkata and the Sundarbans are often dealt with separately in climate policies a mistake that needs urg...

Mar292025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

J&K Govt Admits Untreated Wastewater Discharged into Streams, Raising Jhelum Contamination Fears

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

The Jammu and Kashmir government has acknowledged in the Legislative Assembly that untreated wastewater from Anantnag, Bijbehara, and Mattan is being discharged into nearby streams, raising concerns about pollution in the Jhelum River, Kashmir’s primary source of drinking water. The disclosure came in a written response from the Housing and Urban Development Department, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on March 11, 2025. The response was given to Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, an MLA from Srigufwara-Bijbehara, who sought details on drainage networks and sewage treatment facilities in these towns. The government stated that municipal bodies and the Urban Environmental Engineering Department (UEED) constructed drainage networks, which are interconnected where possible. It claimed that wh...