Road dust and vehicles major polluter, not industry: Pb orders new study for steel hub
2
Chandigarh: In a policy shift aimed at aligning air quality management with scientific evidence, the Punjab govt has decided to revise its 2019 action plan for clean air in Mandi Gobindgarh—Punjab's largest steel manufacturing hub—by commissioning a fresh source-apportionment study and carrying-capacity assessment through a reputed scientific institute.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary KAP Sinha following a representation submitted by the All-India Steel Rerollers Association (AISRA). The association urged the govt to re-evaluate the action plan based on the findings of a 2023 source-apportionment study conducted by IIT-Delhi, which presented a revised, evidence-backed scenario that significantly altered the understanding of pollution sources in the city.
AISRA pointed out that the original 2019 action plan was based on in-house projections by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), which estimated that industrial emissions contributed 50% to ambient air pollution, while vehicular emissions and road dust together accounted for 35%. These estimates led to stringent regulatory actions focused primarily on the industrial sector.
However, the 2023 study by IIT-Delhi, conducted specifically for Mandi Gobindgarh, revealed a different pollution profile.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Seniors Born 1939-1969 Receive 11 Benefits This Month If They Ask
Super Saving Online
Undo
It found that vehicular emissions contributed 35%, industrial emissions 26%, and road dust a significant 37% to PM2.5 concentrations in the city.
During the meeting, it was acknowledged that Mandi Gobindgarh—along with eight other cities: Dera Bassi, Nangal, Patiala, Khanna, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Pathankot, and Amritsar—was declared non-attainment cities by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), based on PM10 ambient air quality data from 2011–2015.
In response, PPCB prepared 'clean air action plans' in 2019 for all nine cities. However, due to time constraints, detailed source apportionment and carrying capacity studies were not carried out.
Instead, the 2019 plan for Mandi Gobindgarh relied on internal estimates that placed industrial pollution at 50% and vehicular emissions at 15%.
The 2019 plan also mandated the conversion of coal-based industrial units to cleaner fuels like PNG/CNG.
PPCB was directed to promote this shift, while the state govt was advised to reduce VAT on cleaner fuels to make the transition financially viable. The initial deadline for conversion, March 31, 2021, was later extended to Dec 31, 2023, due to practical challenges.
Following this, PPCB commissioned IIT-Delhi to conduct both a 'particulate matter carrying capacity study' (submitted in Sept 2021) and a source-apportionment study (submitted in Sept 2023).
During the July 2025 meeting, it was acknowledged that the 2023 IIT-Delhi study had certain limitations and did not fully capture changes that took place since 2019, including the installation of air pollution control devices by several industries and demographic shifts in the area.
Given these facts, the govt concluded that a fresh, scientifically robust study—conducted by an independent and reputed institute—is essential to reflect the current pollution scenario and to guide future amendments to the action plan and state fuel policy.
PPCB has been entrusted with initiating this process and submitting a revised strategy before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which is hearing a case concerning violations of air quality norms by coal-fired furnaces operating in Mandi Gobindgarh.
PPCB issues 120 closure notices
According to the latest status report filed by PPCB, of the 258 industrial units in Mandi Gobindgarh, 113 adopted PNG/LPG, 34 closed permanently, electricity supply was disconnected to 96 units, and pollution-causing machinery was sealed in 52.
Additionally, three units switched to induction heating using electricity.
The report also noted that PPCB issued 120 notices under Section 31-A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, directing industries to shift from coal to PNG, failing which their electricity supply would be disconnected. As of now, 24 of those units ceased operations, while the remaining 96 are still required to comply.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Rohan Jaitley demands apology from Rahul Gandhi over remarks on Arun Jaitley
New Delhi: Rohan Jaitley , son of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and chief of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), on Saturday demanded a public apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks claiming that Arun Jaitley had threatened him over the farm laws. Calling the allegations "highly condemnable," Rohan Jaitley earlier pointed out that the farm laws were introduced in 2020—13 months after his father's death in August 2019—making it impossible for Arun Jaitley to have been involved. "Threatening people was not in Arun Jaitley's nature. He was a staunch democrat and a consensus builder. To say he threatened anyone over the Farmer's Bill, which came after his death, is unacceptable," Rohan Jaitley told ANI. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Project Management Artificial Intelligence Data Science Degree Technology Data Analytics Public Policy Operations Management Management Healthcare others CXO Product Management Digital Marketing PGDM MBA MCA Cybersecurity Leadership Data Science healthcare Finance Design Thinking Others Skills you'll gain: Project Planning & Governance Agile Software Development Practices Project Management Tools & Software Techniques Scrum Framework Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Certificate Programme in IT Project Management Starts on Jun 20, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management Project Planning & Risk Analysis Strategic Project/Portfolio Selection Adaptive & Agile Project Management Duration: 6 Months IIT Delhi Certificate Programme in Project Management Starts on May 30, 2024 Get Details He urged Rahul Gandhi to "let the departed rest in peace" and discharge his duties "with responsibility." In a post on X, Rohan also reminded Gandhi of his earlier controversial remarks about the late Manohar Parrikar, saying such statements were in "equally poor taste." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Business Sneaker Loved by CEOs and NFL Stars Wolf & Shepherd Shop Now Undo BJP leaders Amit Malviya and Anurag Thakur also came out strongly against Rahul Gandhi. Malviya termed Gandhi's statement "factually incorrect and misleading," clarifying that the farm bills were drafted and enacted in 2020, well after Arun Jaitley's demise. Thakur accused Gandhi of spreading "a new lie every day" and demanded he apologise to Jaitley's family and the BJP. "Rahul Gandhi should apologise to Arun Jaitley's family, the BJP, and the entire country," Thakur said, pointing out that the farm laws were passed in Parliament over a year after Jaitley's death. Live Events Rahul Gandhi had earlier alleged that Arun Jaitley was sent by the Modi government to "threaten" him for opposing the farm laws, sparking a sharp backlash from the BJP and Jaitley's family.
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
Meet Sonali Sahu, who received record-breaking job offer due to AI Skills; got recruited at.., not from IIT, IIM, IIIT, BIT, VIT, NIT, but..
Who doesn't wish to study at India's top premium colleges, such as IIT and NIT? Well, after completing Class 12, many students aspire to pursue a BTech from premier institutes like IITs and NITs. However, it is not necessary to study in these top-notch colleges or institutes to acquire a high-paying job in the reputed companies. One can also achieve his/her goals by studying in different colleges. And, the success story of Sonali Sahu is a perfect example. Who is Sonali Sahu, and what's her educational background? Sonali Sahu did not go to IIT. She completed her Bachelor of Technology, Information Technology degree from Banasthali Vidyapith. Later, she took admission at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, to complete her Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence. Where did Sonali work before Microsoft? Earlier, she spent over four years at Walmart Global Tech India. She began her journey there as a Software Development Intern, later becoming a Software Engineer II from August 2020 to August 2022, and then promoted to Software Engineer III from August 2022 to May 2024. At present, she is working at Microsoft. She is currently a Software Engineer -II serving at Microsoft. 'Currently part of Microsoft's innovative tech sphere, my journey in software development continues to be fueled by a rigorous Master's in AI from BITS Pilani. With a solid foundation in backend development, I'm adept at crafting scalable solutions and optimizing data storage, having previously enhanced Walmart's form-building platform and API efficiency,' reads her LinkedIn bio. Her LinkedIn bio reads, 'My technical toolkit, enriched by certifications in Kafka and AI, complements my hands-on experience with cloud platforms like Azure and GCP. As I navigate through complex technical challenges, my focus remains on driving impactful software advancements that align with business objectives and user needs.'
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Mundu, not so mundane: The unstitched revolution that's wrapping up Indian fashion
For Delhi-based Ramachander Poodipeddi, a 36-year-old consumer electronics and policy professional, the initiation into veshtis happened during his stint as a government official in Tamil Nadu where he would see politicians wear it quite often. It looked comfortable and he decided to give it a go, in and around the house. Starting with the wrap, which is called veshti in Tamil Nadu and mundu in Kerala, he tried other styles, inspired by the sari draping his wife Rajeswari M Ramachander, a handloom enthusiast and founder of Label RaMa, did. Today, his wrap wardrobe has weaves sourced directly from Kerala, West Bengal, Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh, Salem in Tamil Nadu and Gopalpur in Odisha. Poodipeddi's favourites are the 120-180-count dhotis from Bengal and Kerala and he sticks to handwoven fabrics. 'The comfort factor of a handwoven cotton dhoti is addictive,' he says. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Analytics Data Science Operations Management Finance Artificial Intelligence Product Management Public Policy Data Science Healthcare Others healthcare Project Management Technology Degree Management Cybersecurity MBA others CXO Design Thinking PGDM Leadership MCA Digital Marketing Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Visualization Predictive Analytics & Machine Learning Business Intelligence & Data-Driven Decision Making Analytics Strategy & Implementation Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Applied Business Analytics Starts on Jun 13, 2024 Get Details Like all drapers, Poodipeddi had initial inhibitions: what if it comes loose? Is it too transparent? He says, 'One of my key motivators was to wear clothing suitable to the Indian climate. I ask myself why others aren't experiencing this comfort and still wearing jeans in such hot weather?' It is a question that many style mavens are asking as they try to wrap their head around the idea of a draped lower for men. Ramesh Menon, Kochi-based textile revivalist and founder of Save The Loom , says nothing works better than the traditional wraps—dhoti, veshti, mundu, lungi—for keeping it cool in the Indian weather. The draped garment, worn in large parts of Asia, lost its sheen with the entry of tailored and silhouetted garments. Menon says it became largely confined to certain segments: worn at home, by the poor, in rural areas, on traditional occasions. THE COOL WRAP It was this shackle that Coimbatore-based Ramraj Cotton's founder and chairman KR Nagarajan tried to break with its 'Salute Ramraj' campaign in 2006. Starring actor Jayaram, it drew from Nagarajan's own experience of being denied entry into a five-star hotel as he was wearing a veshti. Live Events Ramraj Cotton is one of the biggest success stories in the veshti market. It made the garment a style statement, backed by high-decibel marketing and some big-ticket names as ambassadors— Rishab Shetty, Venkatesh Daggubati, Abhishek Bachchan and Shreyas Iyer. 'When we started in 1983, no one wanted to make veshtis,' recalls Nagarajan. 'The weavers were losing their livelihood. I took it upon myself to uplift these families. We started with about 15 weavers and today more than 50,000 weavers work with us.' They include power - loom and handloom weavers. Nagarajan says the 'Salute Ramraj' campaign was a turning point. The ad showcased the celebrity model as a successful business - man stepping out of a luxury car wearing a veshti. He enters hotels and boardrooms where men in suits greet him. Nagarajan says sales soared by about 30% after the campaign and the company continues to see growth at a steady clip of 20-30% year-on-year through various innovations—like Velcro closure and pockets, and shorter veshtis for children. Ramraj now has 350+ stores, offering over 3,000 styles of dhotis as preferences vary from state to state. It is a different mundu game in Kerala. 'For me, being a Malayali, a mundu is a given. Unlike dhoti in north India, the culture of wearing a mundu is very much alive in Kerala. So one does not need to work extra hard to revive it,' says Kochi-based designer Sreejith Jeevan of Rouka. For Rouka, mundus happened by chance when Jeevan put up a picture of his own embroidered mundu. Enquiries poured in, giving him the cue that people are looking for something fresh. Rouka, whose mundus retail for Rs 2,500-3,500, sold 400 pieces last year. 'People go for mundus for various occasions. The Aksharamala mundu (with Malayalam letters) sells the most during Vidyarambham, our Kolam mundu is picked for Pongal. But the main sales happen around Vishu and Onam. Thanks to the multiple Onam celebrations now—at home, work, school and even gyms—the demand is robust.' Apart from Kerala, Rouka's orders come from Bengaluru, Mumbai and West Asia. That there's a need to revamp the wrap is clear to Menon. In his seventh year in business, he is busy doing that with the mundu—the wrap he's most familiar with. He says, 'Cultural significance is not sacrosanct. It should adapt to modern needs and not merely be seen packed by history and nostalgia.' His initial research revealed that the mundu commanded the biggest market share, about 65%, of all woven products in Kerala. There is a steady market for men's mundu which comes in two sizes: the double mundu (4 m) and the single mundu (2 m). The Kerala State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (Hantex) sold 14,120 premium mundus through its showrooms in the state in 2024-25 for Rs 1.4 crore. This is a 20% growth in value over the previous year. Ajith K, marketing manager, Hantex, says, 'When it comes to quantity, the numbers tend to fall for traditional garments like mundu, but value addition, like in the case of the premium mundu, which costs Rs 1,000- 1,900, has pushed up the figures.' Menon says there has not been much innovation in product and design: 'Most commercial brands or designers work simply by embroidering , screen printing, or hand painting.' In 2018, they did a line in the colours of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. In 2021, they launched a four-way double mundu and a two-way single mundu that can be worn in multiple ways with different-coloured karas or borders. Menon says, 'Additionally we also devised newer ways of wearing/ stitching the mundu to appeal to a larger urban audience and travellers.' This November, Menon is gearing up for The Mundu Project where Save The Loom will reimagine the mundu in collaboration with designers like Vivek Karunakaran, Gaurav Khanijo, Divyam Mehta, Gaurav Jai Gupta and Ujjawal Dubey NO STITCH, PLEASE The versatility of the mundu—a piece of unstitched fabric in a onesize-fits-all format—makes it easy to reinvent. It's the drapery that excites Ateev Anand, designer and founder of re-ceremonial, an ethical fashion brand that tries to understand how clothing within the subcontinent is worn and understood as a concept, and then gives it a modern, relevant con - text. The mundu was part of its first ever collection in 2022. 'Just by adding a pocket, the look turned, for want of a better word, fresh.' This year, he worked with the mundu as a co-ord set. But even now, he's not putting it out as retail pieces because he feels men need to be talked into it. 'The challenge is to offer it as an unstitched drape. If you tailor it too much, it loses its versatility,' says Anand. His bigger mission is to make people comfortable with making an effort to dress up. 'I want them to under - stand that the minute you invest time on how you dress, you invest time in yourself.' And for him, the unstitched draped garment is 'it'. The Bengal dhoti surged in popularity after actor Saif Ali Khan was seen in the traditional Mayur Puchha dhoti last year, catapulting Abhisek Roy, who designed it, to fame. Earlier this year, he debuted his Lakme Fashion Week collection that concentrated heavily on dhoti. He swears by the unstitched dhoti that can be worn in 100 different ways. 'There's slowly a change in men's approach to style. They are eager to experiment with silhouettes, fits and patterns. What's also causing a stir is a back-to-the-roots movement in fashion,' he says. 'And people are not restricting themselves to their own region.' Not just big players like Ramraj and MCR, but smaller enterprises are looking to capitalise on the niche style needs of men. Sari giant KKE Venkatachala Bhagavathar & Sons, which runs the online platform Muhurth, is tapping the formal dhoti segment apart from focusing on their staple, silk saris. Prasad Dayalan, founder of Muhurth, says, 'While silk dhotis have always been part of our offering, we have noticed a growing demand in recent years, especially from men who are particular about quality, design and colour.' Their silk dhotis with angavastram cost Rs 14,000 to Rs 50,000. Their B2B dhoti sales are 350-400 a month, while D2C sales are around 50, though it is not their primary focus. Silk dhotis are mostly produced in and around Salem. For Kerala mundu, the major hubs are Balaramapuram, Chendamangalam, Kannur and Kuthampully. Says Menon: 'A majority of mundus in Kerala are hand - loom, while the rest of the South mostly wears power - loom mundus that start at Rs 150.' GENDER NEUTRAL The gender fluidity of the garment is what made designer Pranav Misra, founder of Huemn—a contemporary Indian streetwear label—launch a lungi skirt in June. The design merges the comfortable lungi silhouette with elements of the skirt. Misra says, 'The lungi represents memories of fathers lounging at home, trips back to ancestral homes and the films we watched growing up. What our design does is make the garment accessible to a younger crowd, removing the constraints of gender, gaining the comfort of the skirt, while remaining true to its essential nature.' While these lowers are traditionally worn by men, women too are adding it to their wardrobe. Bengaluru-based artist and interior designer Susan John has three lungis that she picked from Tiruchirappalli . She wears it around the house. 'It's easy to move around in and I feel good.' Women are the prime clientele of The Sufi Studio's take on lungi and dhoti. The Goabased design studio's founder Varsha Devjani says women are more open to experimentation though the number of men, too, are rising for them. 'Most people feel it takes time to drape the garment and that it compromises mobility,' says Devjani. Their bestsellers have pockets, a belt to keep it freesize and a waistband to make it easy to wear. Reinvention is needed for these garments to survive, Menon reasons out why: one, handloom is still largely seen as a cottage industry and that creates a perception problem; two, weavers are still making conventional products; three, machine-made products do sell. Menon found a way around: they took the Kerala khadi mundu and worked with about 20 national designers to reinterpret it as garments. The ongoing project, since 2018, is a permanent exhibit at One Zero Eight by Save The Loom, their concept retail space in Kochi. 'As a mundu, it is not fetching enough to sustain weavers and is prone to competition from power looms,' he says. SOCIAL SARONGS One big push for draped garments is happening on social media, says content creator and Indian textiles hobbyist Pritha Dasmahapatra. 'Unlike in the South where these garments are everyday wear, the dhoti has not had as much acceptance in North India,' she says. Could that change? Delhi-based content creator Rohit Bose found his fame, thanks to dhotis, on Instagram (@boseoninsta). He started out as a fitness influencer and is currently on a multi-city draping workshop tour. 'I try to do many looks with dhotis—with blazer, shirts, T-shirts and denim— to modernise it,' says Bose, 35. He would like to see the dhoti go abroad—like the Met Gala or the Cannes red carpet. Goa-based designer Praful Makwana, who started documenting traditional Indian drapes in 2020, uses his Instagram account @mistermakwana as a drape chronicle. 'I try to connect with the younger lot by showcasing traditional drapes with modern accessories like leather jacket, harness, boots or in neon colours. It's unfortunate that we have to do all this to make our traditional wear seem 'cool',' he says. Menon recalls how economist Abhijit Banerjee wore a Suket Dhir ensemble that had a Kerala kasavu weave worn as a Bengal-style dhoti to receive the Nobel memorial prize in economics in 2019. 'It's a product that can have a universal market. It's on the verge of finding its moment,' says Menon. It's time to wrap it up.
