According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) scale categorizes 0–50 as ‘good’, 51–100 ‘satisfactory’, 101–200 ‘moderate’, 201–300 ‘poor’, 301–400 ‘very poor’, and 401–500 ‘severe’. Over the last few days, several parts of Delhi have recorded AQI levels between 350 and 450, pushing the city into the “very poor” and “severe” zones.

Following recommendations from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the Directorate of Education and Sports issued an advisory to all government, private, MCD, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board schools. The directive urges institutions to immediately suspend all strenuous outdoor activities, including athletic meets, sports tournaments, and practice sessions.

Health experts have welcomed the move, warning that exposure to highly polluted air during physical exertion can severely impact children’s lungs. During winter, stagnant and cold air traps pollutants closer to the ground, increasing the risk of respiratory infections, breathing difficulties, and long-term lung damage—especially in children and young athletes.

Schools are now exploring alternatives such as indoor sports activities and virtual fitness sessions. Authorities added that new dates for sporting events will be announced once air quality improves.

The government’s decision highlights growing concerns over Delhi’s recurring pollution crisis and its direct impact on public health, particularly among school-going children.

The post Delhi Air Pollution: Schools Asked to Postpone All Outdoor Sports Events appeared first on India Podcast.

Using satellite data from NASA’s OCO-2 and the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5P, the team identified methane hotspots around industrial zones, landfills, and wastewater areas. The researchers also created city-specific models to forecast emissions and understand trends in urban GHG concentrations.

Professor Sahu said satellite-based monitoring helps policymakers target key sources of pollution such as landfills and heavy-traffic corridors. The study emphasized the importance of such data in designing climate policies and evaluating their effectiveness. The Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model used in the study also showed strong forecasting potential.

The findings, published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, underscore the urgent need for climate action. Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality has worsened again, prompting the Central Air Quality Management (CAQM) to enforce Stage 1 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) ahead of Diwali.

The post IIT Bombay Study Warns of Rising GHG Levels in Delhi, Mumbai appeared first on India Podcast.