Who is responsible for the Deaths in the road accidents : Dainik Bhaskar

Do you require an Outdoor Air Purifying Equipment absolutely Free?

All of us have seen the worst few days of Smog & Pollution in Delhi. The levels of PM 10, as well as PM 2.5, were many times more than the prescribed norms. These PM 10, as well as PM 2.5, are very harmful to everyone, especially the Children & Elderly persons.

The Director of AIIMS has stated a few days ago, that almost 25000 - 30000 persons are killed every year, by the effects of Pollutants, in Delhi & NCR, though its an estimate as it is the silent killer. The Chicago University has mentioned in one of its studies, that the residents of Delhi & NCR are losing up to 6 - 9 years of their life due to pollution.

Keeping in mind the above facts, a company is now offering an Outdoor Air Purifying Equipment at very nominal cost. In case you don't want to pay anything, you can get it Absolutely Free, i.e. at No Cost to you, as in that case, it will carry an Advertisement of the Sponsoring company. The overall dimensions are height 4.5 Ft & Dia 3 Ft only.

In fact, once the cost is recovered, you will start even making a small earning out of it, without investing anything. The Electricity consumption is very little and you have to keep the Equipment at any crowded place, in any market location, at any religious place, hospital, community center etc, for the benefit of the visitors as well as to cover the Advertisement costs.

If interested, please Email us with your complete contact details, mobile number, as well the Address of the desired location for the feasibility analysis and it will be forwarded to the manufacturers of the equipment for further action. RWAs/MTAs/NGOs may plan for such equipment for their localities/markets for making the GREEN ZONE for the benefit of residents/visitors.

For more details, please email us at rwabhagidari@yahoo.in

Moody's Rating Scale: India has jumped from Baa3 to Baa2

Moody's Upgrades India Rating After 13 Years, Betting On PM Modi's Reforms, Markets Up

Moody's Investors Service raised India's sovereign rating for the first time since 2004, overlooking a haze of short-term economic uncertainties to bet on the nation's prospects from a raft of policy changes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The rupee, bonds and stocks rallied after the ratings firm upgraded India to Baa2 from Baa3 and said reforms being pushed through by PM Modi's government will help stabilize rising levels of debt. That's a one-level shift from the lowest investment-grade ranking and puts India in line with the Philippines and Italy.

"This is an overdue correction," PM Modi's Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian told Bloomberg Quint, referring to the upgrade. "This is a recognition of India's macro economic reforms. But it has also to be kept in mind that these are external factors. And the government will pursue its own reform agenda. And those will drive our economic development."

Some investors termed it a surprise given that India recently surrendered its status as the world's fastest-growing major economy amid sweeping policy change. The upgrade could prove to be a big win for ruling party BJP, which has faced increasing attacks about the economic slowdown before key elections in PM Modi's home state Gujarat next month.

"This is a positive surprise to the markets, especially in terms of timing," said Vivek Rajpal, a rates strategist at Nomura Holdings Inc. in Singapore. "One fear that was developing in the market was debt-flow positioning."

The rupee surged as much as 1 percent to 64.67 per dollar in Mumbai while the yield on the 10-year sovereign bond tumbled 11 basis points to 6.96 percent and the benchmark equity index rose 1.25 percent. Markets have welcomed the move, with the Sensex rising over 400 points on Friday morning at 33,520 and the Nifty gaining 120 points.

Ease of Business

PM Modi has pushed through sweeping reforms, with mixed results. Last year's removal from circulation of almost 90 percent of the nation's currency weighed on growth. Expansion in gross domestic product slipped below 6 percent in the April-June quarter, sparking expectations that the government will need to announce a fiscal stimulus package to boost activity.

Other measures -- such as efforts to cut red tape and the imposition of a new consumption tax -- have met with mixed success. The government won praise from ratings firms for a $32 billion program to recapitalize banks that economists say will revive lending and stoke demand on the ground.

The World Bank has acknowledged it's getting easier to do business in India, with Asia's third-largest economy jumping 30 places to rank 100th in the latest ranking released last month. Earlier this week, Pew Research Center said PM Modi remained a popular leader and public confidence in the economy and the overall direction had improved.

Debt Burden

Moody's cited the goods and services tax, which it said will promote productivity by removing barriers to interstate trade, improvements to the monetary policy framework, measures to clean up non-performing loans, and efforts to bring more areas into the formal economy.

"While India's high debt burden remains a constraint on the country's credit profile, Moody's believes that the reforms put in place have reduced the risk of a sharp increase in debt, even in potential downside scenarios," according to the firm's release.

With Thanks: NDTV: LINK for Detailed news report. Must view.

Worried about the outdoor pollution, but do you know about the indoor pollution, that is hurting you, inside your own home?

Pollution is a major killer & till date, we have mostly focused on the outdoor pollutants that come from Vehicular traffic, power plants, construction debris, etc., in the form of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), i.e. PM 1, PM2.5, PM10,  Benzene, Carbon Monoxide (CO), Sulpher Dioxide (SO2), Ozone (O3), Heavy metals (Lead & Mercury), as well Volatile organic compounds (VOC), etc. 

  

But today, we will talk about the Enemy inside your house, i.e. the indoor pollutants in your home, which are also the serious cause of concern, as they too are the silent killers. These indoor pollutants include the Volatile organic compounds that come from your wall paints, as well the bio-aerosols, Nitrous oxides from the cooking gas in your kitchen, and so on. Please watch the Indoor Air Quality & Indoor Pollution video embedded below, that shows 5 areas of concern.

The above Air Advice for homes, clearly shows the status of various danger levels, inside your home, i.e. 

Danger level 5 - Carbon Monoxide, low level causes mild health effects such as Headaches, Dizziness, Disorientation, Nausea, Fatigue, while high level can be Fatal; 

Danger level 4 - Microbial Growth, i.e. Microorganisms, Mold, Fungal spores, causes Allergies, Sinus & Respiratory infections as well as Infertility;

Danger level 3 - Allergens & Particulates, i.e. Dust, Pollen, Pet dander, Insect debris & Smoke, causes Nose & Throat irritation, Congestion, Sneezing, Coughing & Asthma;

Danger level 2 - Infectious illness, i.e. Bacteria, Viruses, Germs, Cold, Flu, Airborne illnesses & Microorganisms; 

Danger level 1 - Contaminants, Toxic compounds, Building material, Furniture, Carpets, Paints, Cleaning chemicals, and so on, along with other pollutants as above, may be the cause of serious health hazards such as Cancer, Asthma, as well a Stroke. 

The risk of indoor pollution has increased manifolds due to the massive use of  Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), in the buildings, painting of walls, as well varnishes used inside. Please view the video embedded below to understand, what are the Volatile Organic Compounds.

Various opinions on the Indoor pollution :
1A. If you check the World Health Organization (WHO) Key facts on the indoor pollution, you will be shocked, as it says that over   People die every year from the exposure to indoor & household air pollution. # More than 50% of premature deaths due to pneumonia among children under 5 are caused by the particulate matter inhaled from household air pollution. # 3.8 million premature deaths annually from noncommunicable diseases including stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are attributed to exposure to household air pollution. 

1B. In yet another study, World Health Organisation (WHO) said,  # Ambient and household air pollution caused, respectively, 2.8 & 3.7 million NCD deaths from ischaemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer in 2012. #  Globally, 29% of COPD deaths are attributed to household air pollution, 8% ambient and 11% workplaces. # Reducing air pollution from transport, energy generation, and industrial emissions; and exposures to ionizing and UV radiation, and chemicals, such as solvents, pesticides, asbestos, and formaldehyde, can prevent lung and other cancers. Workers in certain occupations are at particular risk.

2. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said, “Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing and hobby products.Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored”.

3. Tina Porwal, in her Abstract, “Paint Pollution Harmful Effects on Environment”, has said, that “Paint generally include pigment (the color), carried by a resin and/or binder, a solvent to help the paint application, and a dryer. In vinyl and acrylic paints they will also include plastics compounds. Some will include formaldehyde, arsenic, thinners, and foam makers”.

She continues,"Every year we like to paint our home, furniture, etc., for decoration, protection, identification, sanitation. But we forget the impact of paint on our environment. This can cause some serious hazardous effect on our body like headaches, trigger allergies, asthmatic reactions, irritate skin, eyes, and put increased stress on vital organs such as heart and not only paints but also its byproducts or by which paint creates are also more dangerous to us and our environment".

Please note, University of Chicago, in its recent report, has mentioned that "National Capital Region residents are losing out on almost 6 years of life because of the dangerous air pollution levels. If WHO standards were met in NCR, people would live 9 years longer. In Kolkata and Mumbai better air quality would translate into almost 3.5 years longer life spans". The report says,"4.6 billion life years would be added in the country by complying with WHO standards". Hindustan Times Delhi covered this news very significantly:

With thanks to various sources, named in the blog post above.

B S Vohra 

Delhi still in the grip of smog

Who cares for the city, the National Capital, Delhi?

B S Vohra
Environmentalist,
with thanks to Sunday Pioneer

TOI - Parking lots stay empty as people choose roadsides

Red Fort invisible as dense smog grips Delhi

It's not a hill station, instead Delhi in the Grip of Smog

Delhi in the grip of Smog and Pollution

Is that the Real Time Air Quality Index monitoring at Delhi - Asks B S Vohra, Environmental Activist

It has been observed that the Real Time Ambient Air Quality data, being shown by DPCC, on its website has some Technical flaws. On the Diwali night, our Team was keeping an eye on the figures of Air Quality Index and the outcome at a specific time was very Shocking and as below: 

ITI Shahdara,  23.20pm,  PM10 NIL, PM2.5 NIL

Patparganj,  23.20pm,  PM10 NIL, PM2.5 NIL

Sriniwaspuri,   23.20pm,  PM10 NIL, PM2.5 NIL

Rohini,  23.15pm,  PM10 NIL, PM2.5 NIL

R K Puram, 23.20pm,  PM10 NIL, PM2.5 NIL

Mandir Marg, 23.20pm, PM10 NIL, PM2.5 317

JLN Stadium, 23.20pm, PM10 985, PM2.5 NIL

DITE Okhla, 23.20pm, PM10 NIL, PM2.5 NIL

Ashok Vihar, 23.10pm, PM10 NIL, PM2.5 NIL

DITE Wazirpur, 23.20pm,  PM10 NIL, PM2.5 NIL

IGI Airport: No Data at all - page not in operation

Civil Lines: No Data at all - page not in operation

It clearly shows, that out of the 18 stations, at least 12 critical points as above, were not showing any data, at a critical juncture, on the Diwali night, when Hon’ble SC had ordered a ban on the crackers, to analyse the impact of the ban on the levels of Pollution in Delhi.

DPCC must look into it very seriously & must take necessary steps to remove the technical problems if any, so that the clear figures could come out for making the serious policy decisions, in this most polluted city.

B S Vohra

Environmental Activist,  
President, East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation

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