Search

Just another WordPress site

Air tickets delhi to mumbai

Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai among world’s top 20 most polluted cities; here is the full list

by indianexpress.com Leave a Comment

New Delhi , Kolkata and Mumbai are among the top 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels, according to the latest State of Global Air report on air quality and health in cities. While New Delhi and Kolkata rank first and second, respectively, Mumbai stands 14th on the list.

The study ranked cities on the basis of two major air pollutants found — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). PM2.5 is an atmospheric particulate matter of diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometres, which is around 3 per cent the diameter of a human hair. It causes respiratory problems and reduces visibility.

Meanwhile, road traffic is among the primary outdoor contributors of NO2, long exposure to which is linked to deaths.

There were no Indian cities in the top 20 in terms of population-weighted NO2 exposures in 2019. Shanghai, Moscow and Tehran are the top three cities in this list.

The Air Quality and Health in Cities report, published by the State of Global Air, is a collaboration between the US-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease Project.

As per the report, the highest population-weighted annual average PM2.5 exposure in 2019 was in Delhi at 110 μg/m3, followed by Kolkata at 84 μg/m3.

Here is the list of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world (PM2.5) with the PM2.5 levels in μg/m3:

  1. Delhi, India (110)
  2. Kolkata, India (84)
  3. Kano, Nigeria (83.6)
  4. Lima, Peru (73.2)
  5. Dhaka, Bangladesh (71.4)
  6. Jakarta, Indonesia (67.3)
  7. Lagos, Nigeria (66.9)
  8. Karachi, Pakistan (63.6)
  9. Beijing, China (55)
  10. Accra, Ghana (51.9)
  11. Chengdu, China (49.9)
  12. Singapore, Singapore (49.4)
  13. Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (47.4)
  14. Mumbai, India (45.1)
  15. Bamako, Mali (44.2)
  16. Shanghai, China (40.1)
  17. Dushanbe, Tajikistan (39.7)
  18. Tashkent, Uzbekistan (38)
  19. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (35.8)
  20. Cairo, Egypt (34.2)

Air India plans to increase international flights to Dubai and Qatar as part of winter schedule

by www.moneycontrol.com Leave a Comment

As part of plans to increase its presence on international routes, Air India plans to start new flights to Qatar and Dubai as part of its winter schedule.

The airline plans to add four weekly flights from Kolkata, Mumbai and  Delhi to Dubai, multiple company officials told Moneycontrol.

The airline is also looking to add six weekly flights between India and Qatar, between Delhi, Mumbai, and Doha, depending on available slots.

“Air India is looking to take advantage of the high passenger traffic to Dubai and Qatar due to the FIFA World Cup in November,” a senior company official said.

While Air India is confident about increasing weekly flights to Doha as part of the winter schedule, adding flights to Dubai may need some government approvals.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

View more

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

View more

Show

“We are currently using all our 69 entitled flights to fly into Dubai. Additional routes will require a change in bilateral agreements,” the person said.

Leasing plans

Air India is planning to use its Airbus A320 Neo planes on these routes and will also look to lease around five more Airbus A321 aircraft if it manages to add additional flights to both Dubai and Doha.

“Air India is in discussion with multiple leasing companies for A321 Neos. While discussions are in the preliminary stages, a bigger push is expected when there is more clarity on slot availability,” another company official said.

The airline has 70 narrow-body planes of which 54 are currently serviceable; it has 43 Air wide-body aircraft, of which 33 are operational.

Air India responded to emails sent by Moneycontrol with a statement that it was continuously looking to expand operations to cater to customer demand as part of its transformation roadmap, put in place after its transfer to the Tata Group.

“We are also evaluating new routes as part of the process. Air India has strong connectivity with key centers in the Middle East and we are a trusted brand in the region. However, we will not be able to comment specifically on the UAE and Qatar sector,” the statement said.

The airline under its new owners is in the process of expanding its international presence and restoring Air India’s global reputation.

Moneycontrol in June reported that Tata Group was looking to significantly expand the international operations of Air India Express in the next five years and will look to infuse $75-100 million in the airline as part of its expansion plan.

Air India Express is looking at around 30 countries including, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey and Vietnam to expand its international operations in the next few years, Air India Express’ chief of commercial operations Tara Naidu had said.

Last month, it was reported that Air India Express may add four Boeing 737 planes to its fleet of 24 aircraft by this year-end to meet increased demand for international travel.

Last week, reports said Air India was planning to lease six Boeing 777 airplanes in the next few months to double down on flight frequencies to North America.

The airline is also going to place a mega order for both new wide-body aircraft, the Airbus A350, and single-aisle planes.

Airline mergers

The Tata Group currently operates four airlines under its brand including full-service carriers Air India and Vistara as well as budget airlines Air India Express and AirAsia India.

While Air India and Vistara are expected to be merged into one airline, Air India Express, it is speculated, would be combined with AirAsia India to form the Tata Group’s consolidated budget entity.

In April, Air India sought approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to acquire AirAsia India, in which the Tatas have a majority stake of 83.67 percent.

While there has been no formal announcement, the merger – if and when that happens – is expected to support Air India Express in furthering its future ambitions for regional expansion.

Delhi, Kolkata Among World’s Top 10 Most Polluted Cities, Says Report. Check Details

by news.abplive.com Leave a Comment

Delhi and Kolkata have been listed among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world in terms of exposure to hazardous fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), according to a report published by the US-based research organisation Health Effects Institute (HEI) on Wednesday. The report titled ‘Air Pollution and Health in Cities’ released by the HEI’s State of Global Air Initiative used data from 2010 to 2019 and focussed on two of the most harmful pollutants; fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), reported news agency PTI.

Mumbai was listed in 14th position, and no other Indian city featured in the top 20. Around 18 of the 20 cities in India are found to have the most severe increase in fine particle pollutants (PM 2.5) from 2010 to 2019, according to a comprehensive and detailed analysis of air pollution and global health effects for over 7,000 cities.

ALSO READ: MEA Jaishankar On China Spy Vessel Yuan Wang 5 Docking In Sri Lanka Hambantota Port (abplive.com)

“Of 7,239 cities, India is home to 18 of the 20 cities with the most severe increase in PM 2.5 pollution from 2010 to 2019. The other two cities are in Indonesia,” the authors noted in their findings.

The report combined ground-based air quality data with satellites and models to produce air quality estimates for cities around the world.

How do other countries fare?

The report analysed the most populous cities in each region ie a subset of 103 cities across 21 regions. India and Indonesia witnessed the most severe increase in PM 2.5 pollution, whereas China has seen the greatest improvements.

“Of the 50 cities with the most severe increase in PM 2.5, 41 are in India and nine are in Indonesia. On the other hand, of the 20 cities with the greatest decrease in PM 2.5 pollution from 2010 to 2019, all are located in China,” they said.

The report found that exposures to PM 2.5 pollution tend to be higher in cities located in low- and middle-income countries, while exposure to NO2 remains higher across cities in high-income as well as low- and middle-income countries.

“Since most cities around the world have no ground-based air quality monitoring in place, estimates of particulate and gas pollution levels can be used to plan air quality management approaches that ensure the air is clean and safe to breathe,” said Susan Anenberg of George Washington University, one of the project collaborators, as reported by PTI.

In 2019, the author noted that 1.7 million deaths linked to PM 2.5 exposure occurred in the 7,239 cities included in the analysis. Cities in Asia, Africa, and Eastern and Central Europe saw the greatest health impacts during the year.

Going by the WHO’s Air Quality Database, only 117 nations currently have ground-level monitoring systems to track PM 2.5, and only 74 nations are monitoring NO2 levels.

Globally, air pollution is responsible for one in nine deaths, accounting for 6.7 million deaths in 2019, with most impacts on the young, the elderly, and those with chronic respiratory and heart diseases, it said.

Daily passenger count on Mumbai AC train services crosses one lakh mark for the first time

by indianexpress.com Leave a Comment

The number of passengers travelling by air-conditioned (AC) local trains on the suburban Western line in Mumbai crossed the one lakh mark for the first time on August 16, said officials of the Western Railway Thursday.

According to officials, as many as 1,06,000 passengers used the AC trains on Tuesday on the 48 services that are operated on the Western line.

There has been an uptick in passengers commuting on the AC train service after fares were reduced by 50 per cent in May.

The previous highest number of daily passengers was on August 8 when 89,891 passengers had used the service followed by 85,231 on July 4. It was 6.61 lakh in April, 11.18 lakh in May, 13.44 lakh in June, 14.51 lakh in July and 8.40 lakh till mid-August.

There are 48 AC services on the Western line and 66 on the Central line.

11 films that reveal the secret to being happy in Mumbai: Sharing dreams in the city that never sleeps

by indianexpress.com Leave a Comment

As part of our series on cities in cinema, we put the spotlight on Mumbai . In the city of dreams and disparity, love is the only real thing.

There are many wonderful quotes about love and companionship that books, movies and television have given us over the years. One of my personal favourites is from the show Sex and the City. Carrie Bradshaw says in a voiceover as she stands with Mr. Big in a park at 2 am, “In a city of infinite options, sometimes there’s no better feeling than knowing you only have one.”

It’s a deceptively simple line in a show that many perceive as frivolous, but it perfectly articulates the human need to be wanted exclusively and unconditionally. Like Manhattan, Mumbai can be a city that both enthrals and intimidates almost simultaneously. Mumbai, like love, ‘is a many splendored thing’. It’s a city where people arrive to work, fulfil their dreams, improve their financial fortunes and try their luck at the great Indian dream.

wake up sid Wake Up Sid explored Mumbai’s popular and lesser-known places.

But while it’s a city that allows you to dream, Mumbai is a hard taskmaster. We get shoved around in trains and crowded streets. There is dirt, noise, pollution, and small homes that can often leave one feeling claustrophobic. The excessive physical proximity between people is often juxtaposed with a lack of emotional intimacy. If there is one thing that helps us rise above the hustle and often dreariness of everyday life, it is having that someone special in your life. Knowing you have someone to come home to, to talk about your day with, or just share a cup of coffee with at Bandstand or Marine Drive.

Bollywood films also realised the redemptive, soothing, transformative power of love in a city like Mumbai where millions of strangers live, travel and work alongside each other every day. Over the decades, Mumbai has been the backdrop to many cinematic love stories. Some sweet, some badly timed, some tragic, and more than a few happily-ever-afters. In gangster films and crime dramas like Company, Satya and Shor in the City, love is what humanises men with criminal intent or problematic personalities. Quite like Jack Nicholson’s Melvin Udall, who tells the waitress Carol (Helen Hunt) in As Good As It Gets, “You make me want to be a better man”.

As a city linked to organised crime and the infamous underworld, Mumbai has been the setting of many crime dramas. It’s no surprise then that films like Company, Satya and Shootout at Lokhandwala are based in the city. But while poverty, lack of education, greed, or sectarian violence in the city forces men into lives of crime, love is often what humanises them. In the path-breaking film Satya, which became the benchmark for gangster films in India, Satya’s relationship with Vidya was not just a breather in an otherwise violent film. Vidya and a life with her was Satya’s only chance at escaping a world of crime he had been sucked into. While their love story ends tragically, the theme of love as a chance at redemption for an individual wronged by destiny and society, became a narrative trope that many Mumbai- based films in this genre have used.

Very often in Bollywood films based in Mumbai, love also has the capacity to ennoble a person. In a city where food, income, and chances at true happiness are all scarce, only true love can inspire you to put someone else’s happiness first. In Citylights, Deepak (Rajkummar Rao) puts his life on the line to ensure that his wife Rakhi (Patralekha) and their daughter Mahi return safely to their village. In Talaash, love redeems not just Suri ( Aamir Khan ), but also the supporting characters. The poignant love story between Taimur (Nawazzudin Siddiqui) and Nirmala (Sheeba Chaddha) and his sacrifice to help her escape a wretched life in a brothel, add a wonderful layer of emotional complexity to the narrative. In Mani Ratnam’s iconic film Bombay, love for each other and their children forces Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala’s characters to face rioters and become the face of hope and religious unity in the city.

While love can be the balm for a wounded soul or a means of ennoblement, in Mumbai, it can also be the link between two strangers who would have perhaps never met otherwise. Very often in Bollywood films, we see the city itself or an aspect of it play cupid between two people.

lunchbox In The Lunchbox, a Mumbai dabbawalla accidentally delivers Ila’s (Nimrit Kaur) husband’s lunchbox to Sajjan Fernandes ( Irrfan ).

In The Lunchbox, a Mumbai dabbawalla accidentally delivers Ila’s (Nimrit Kaur) husband’s lunchbox to Sajjan Fernandes (Irrfan). Sajjan is a widower who lives alone, and Ila is lonely in her failing marriage. She writes a note to Sajjan when she realises the mistake, unknowingly beginning a correspondence that is transformative for both of them. Though they never meet in the film, the unlikely manner in which they form a connection, proves that miracles do happen amidst the madness of Mumbai.

Life in a Metro was another wonderful film that encapsulated just how hard it was to find true love in a city like Mumbai. The film’s ensemble cast included many fine actors like Dharmendra , Konkona Sen Sharma, Kangana Ranaut, Kaykay Menon, Sharman Joshi and of course the wonderful Irrfan. The film used the motif of local trains and railways platforms that are Mumbai’s lifeline to depict the human journey. While life here maybe like the Virar fast, crowded and often unbearable, it’s also filled with the hope of finding a co-passenger for life.

Wake up Sid, though told from a more privileged point of view, is also a heartfelt tale of two strangers who meet at a party and forge an unlikely bond. In a coming-of-age tale where two lost and seemingly disconnected individuals find love and purpose in Mumbai, Sid and Ayesha become friends, roommates and co- workers before they fall deeply in love. The two realise that as much as they enjoy adulting and being independent, having someone to share the journey with is what makes life truly special.

gully boy ranveer singh siddhant stills Ranveer Singh and Siddhant Chaturvedi in a still from Gully Boy.

Even in Gully Boy where the love story was not the central conflict of the film when Murad (Ranveer Singh) takes a giant step toward his dream, the person he wants to share the news with first is Safeena ( Alia Bhatt ), because seeing your happiness reflected in the eyes of someone you love, only magnifies it.

Love may make the world go around, but it makes life bearable in Mumbai. In a city that forces you to live life in the fast lane, love forces you to slow down and soak in little moments of joy with someone who wants to stand still with you. Mumbai may be the city that never sleeps, but the prospect of finding someone who shares your dreams can make it all worthwhile.

As part of our series on cities in cinema, we put the focus on Chennai next week. Watch this space.