13 Karnataka rebels join BJP, get bypoll tickets

NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP on Thursday gave tickets to 13 of the 17 disqualified lawmakers, whose resignations toppled the Congress-janata Dal (Secular) government in Karnataka in July, for the bypolls in the state next month. The tickets were allotted hours after 16 of the 17 joined the BJP in Bengaluru in the presence of chief minister B S Yediyurappa and party’s state unit chief, Nalin Kumar Kateel, and general secretary, P Muralidhar Rao.

NEW DELHI: People in Delhi were exposed last year to pollution levels 11 times higher than what is considered safe by the World Health Organization, an analysis of average PM2.5 particle concentrations showed, suggesting the crisis was not limited only to prewinter months when the levels reach concentrations up to 45 times as high as the global standards and become a talking point.

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi’s annual average PM 2.5 (particulate matter of 2.5 micron size) last year was 115 microgram per cubic metre while the WHO recommends this be kept under 10 micrograms per cubic metre.

PM2.5 are ultra-fine particles roughly 3% of the diameter of an average human hair and lead to the most harmful of health effects, including respiratory distress and cardiovascular condi

Delhi received diffused sunlight while a layer of clouds and smoke formed a toxic combination. Low wind speed too didn’t help disperse pollutants

Delhi is likely to wake up to marginally better air even as AQI is expected to remain in the ‘severe’ category for the fourth consecutive day, according to Safar tions, that have been linked to millions of premature deaths around the world every year.

“The WHO guideline is 10 micrograms per cubic metres for

The share of PM2.5 due to farm fires is expected to come down on Friday. However, rain in Haryana & Punjab may extend the stubble-burning season to up to two weeks a reason. The levels we are recording round the year are not safe at all. That needs to be under