Environment

New Delhi, Nov 9 (PTI) Delhi's air quality slipped to the "severe" category again on Tuesday with stubble burning accounting for 27 per cent of its PM2.5 pollution, authorities said.

Low temperature -- Delhi recorded a minimum of 13.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, the season's lowest so far -- allowed accumulation of pollutants, said Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet Weather.

The minimum temperature is expected to dip to 10 degrees by November 15, the India Meteorological Department said.

GLASGOW, Nov 9 (Reuters) - New national pledges to tackle climate change this decade would lead to around 2.4 degrees Celsius of global warming this century, far above safe levels, analysts predict.

Climate Action Tracker (CAT) said on Tuesday that the promises by countries attending the U.N. summit in Glasgow to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 would still allow the Earth to heat up far beyond the United Nations target by 2100.

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) instigated people to flout the ban on firecrackers on Diwali by linking it to religion.

The minister said Delhi's air quality deteriorated due to a surge in farm fires and some people bursting firecrackers on purpose.

"A large number of people did not burst firecrackers. I thank them all. But some people burst firecrackers on purpose. I categorically say the BJP instigated them to do it," he told reporters here.

New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) With the share of stubble burning in Delhi's pollution rising to 25 per cent on Diwali, the highest this season so far, authorities have said that the air quality in the city may turn "severe" by midnight and shoot up rapidly by Friday morning if firecrackers are burnt.

The PM2.5 pollution in the capital may enter the "severe" zone by midnight even if there is 50 per cent of firecrackers emissions as compared to last year, said Gufran Beig, the founder project director of SAFAR.

Kanpur: The shops selling firecrackers in the city areas Kanpur are fewer compared to previous years.

A shopkeeper selling firecrackers on the festive occasion said that restrictions were quite confusing as it becomes hard to distinguish between a genuine green cracker and a sham one.

The demand and supply have gone down. The spectre of lockdown also looms large on the business. Some traditional sellers have opted out to other kinds of business.

Ayodhya, Nov 1 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government will light 12 lakh earthen lamps, nine lakh of which will be lit on the banks of the Saryu, bettering the previous Diwali record.

Last year, over six lakh earthen lamps were lit during the "Deepotsav" to celebrate the festival, creating a world record.

According to government statement, the staging of Ram Lilas, a 3D holographic display, laser show and fireworks will be part of the five-day-long celebrations, beginning Monday.

28 Oct 2021; MEMO: Turkey is getting nearly $3.16 billion from abroad to spearhead its climate-friendly projects, the nation's president said on Thursday, and reported by Anadolu News Agency.

"We will use $3.157 billion of resources that were brought to Turkey through the World Bank and developed countries for green climate-friendly projects," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the inauguration ceremony for the Nation's Garden in the capital Ankara.

29 Oct 2021; MEMO: Saudi Arabia is in talks with several carmakers about manufacturing in the country, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih told Reuters, with an announcement expected this year.

The discussions are part of plans to attract foreign investment to support the transformation of Saudi Arabia's economy and diversify it away from oil.

"A car manufacturer will be announced before year-end, and following that there will be another one or two car manufacturers, and they will be cars of the future," Falih said.

Kolkata, Oct 29 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered a ban on the sale and use of all firecrackers during Diwali, Chhath Puja, and other festivities to check air pollution amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A division bench comprising justices Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya and Aniruddha Roy directed the police to initiate legal action against anyone found violating the ban after having confiscated the crackers.

Kanpur: UP Govt has decided to set up war rooms to fight with air pollution menace in Kanpur and other cities.

The new infrastructure will be managed by the Road Dust Management. It will keep a check on various sources of pollution.

According to the reports, similar war rooms will also be set up in NCR districts to improve the overall air quality in UP.

The onset of winter only spells more trouble for the cities. The mercury dip along with high moisture content, the rise of smog and emission of greenhouse gases are factors that worsen the air quality.