Mums ban outdoor fun as air pollution worsens in Vietnam capital
Hanoi, Vietnam Reuters Nga Trang has nearly stopped going out in the evening and forbids her kids to play outdoors after school because air pollution from burning trash gets worse in her neighbourhood in Hanoi in the late afternoon. A Hanoian by birth, Nga, 44, is one of many residents of Vietnam’s capital whose daily […]
Bangladesh, Pakistan and India bottom in air quality rankings in 2023, data shows
Singapore Reuters Pakistan remained one of the world’s three smoggiest countries in 2023, as Bangladesh and India replaced Chad and Iran, with particulate matter about 15 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization, data published on Tuesday showed. Average concentrations of PM2.5 – small airborne particles that damage the lungs – reached 79.9 […]
Vietnamese capital Hanoi tops list of most polluted cities
Hanoi, Vietnam Reuters The streets of Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi were enveloped in thick smog on Monday which dramatically reduced visibility due to air pollution caused by high levels of particulates from vehicle emissions and construction-linked fine dust. Levels of hazardous small particles known as PM2.5 in the air in Hanoi were at 187 micrograms […]
“It stinks!”: Milan residents grapple with high pollution
Milan, Italy Reuters Pietro De Luca lives in Italy’s finance and fashion capital Milan but often thinks of moving to a cleaner city with his wife and three children to escape high pollution and the health risks it causes. “It stinks! I smell a constant stench of smog, I cough, I feel my throat burning,” […]
Soaring pollution in Pakistan’s Lahore fills wards with sick children
Lahore, PakistanReuters In the packed paediatric emergency room of a Lahore public hospital, parents holding sick children lined up for treatment this week, part of a surge of young patients caused by the air pollution crisis in Pakistan’s second most populous city. “We are disturbed and tense,” said Mohamad Qadeer, holding a nebulizing device […]
Almost 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 attributable to filthy air – EU report
Brussels, BelgiumReuters Almost 400,000 deaths in Europe in 2021 were related to three main air pollutants and some could have been avoided if pollutants had been reduced to World Health Organisation-recommended levels, an EU report said on Friday. The European Environment Agency said that within the European Union, pollution caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), […]
Three Indian cities among world’s 10 most polluted after Diwali
New Delhi, IndiaReuters Two Indian cities joined New Delhi to be among the world’s worst 10 for pollution on Monday morning, with smoke heavy in the air a day after revellers let loose with firecrackers for Diwali – the annual Hindu festival of light. The capital New Delhi took, as it often does, the top […]
Indian capital gets a breather as rain brings respite from smog
New Delhi, IndiaReuters Overnight rain in New Delhi and its suburbs brought some relief to the Indian capital on Friday morning, where authorities were mulling seeding clouds to improve the toxic air gripping the city. The city, which was the most polluted in the world till Thursday, saw its air quality index improve to 127 […]
India’s top court tells states to stop crop burning as New Delhi’s air turns hazardous
New Delhi, IndiaReuters India’s Supreme Court ordered authorities in the states surrounding New Delhi on Tuesday to stop farmers burning crop residue, as the air quality from smog engulfing the world’s most polluted capital during the past week reached hazardous levels. Air quality dips every year ahead of winter, when calm and cold winds trap […]
New Delhi to restrict use of vehicles to curb air pollution
New Delhi, IndiaReuters India’s Delhi city will restrict use of vehicles next week to curb rising pollution as air quality in the capital remained dangerously unsafe for a third consecutive day despite mitigation efforts. New Delhi ranks among the world’s top polluted cities every year ahead of the onset of winter, when calm winds and […]