namrata yadav

Writer of thoughts | Mother | Believing every breath of clean air shapes India's future | Voice in a million | Citizen of India

[namrata yadav @specsofgold]

I spent the afternoon with my brother #MajorDhruvYadav. We smiled &we cried. I snuck away a little 2 introduce my son AbheerDhruv 2 some of the bravest he will ever know. A flower in memory, til v visit again. It will perhaps tk me a lifetm 2 tel hm tales of d bravest of d brave.

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

“Centre clears ₹9k-cr scheme to replace BS-IV trucks, buses…”

This is a welcome step. Trucks and buses make up a small share of vehicles in Delhi-NCR but contribute disproportionately to pollution, so targeting them can deliver significant air quality benefits. The mix of incentives; interest subvention, fuel vouchers, tax concessions and OEM discounts, could help accelerate the shift to cleaner BS-VI and electric vehicles.

The real test, however, will be implementation. Will operators participate at scale? Is scrappage infrastructure ready? And will NCR states implement the scheme effectively? While this can reduce transport emissions, lasting improvements in Delhi's air quality will also require action on dust, construction, industry and biomass burning. Success should be measured by vehicles replaced and pollution reduced, not just the funds allocated. @PMOIndia

https://t.co/TOxyWqFMD1 @PTI_News @AparnaBose4

[Bhavreen Kandhari @BhavreenMK]

From being home to the world’s most polluted cities…
to becoming home to the world’s hottest cities😢

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

Moms & citizens have been raising their voices for cleaner air, safer streets & healthier cities for our children.
With Pune set to introduce India’s first Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Shivajinagar, this is more than a policy win, it’s proof that citizen led movements can shape urban futures.

Less pollution. Better public transport. Walkable neighbourhoods. Healthier childhoods. @WMMaharashtra @walkingproject

[namrata yadav @specsofgold]

My latest piece for @TheFederal_News — on how Delhi’s climate crisis is quietly reshaping childhood, classrooms, and the right to learn.
Thank you to everyone who helped bring this piece to life.
#Delhi #ClimateChange #Education #Children #Heatwave #AirPollution @Warriormomsin

[The Federal @TheFederal_News]

#TheEighthColumn | From heatwaves in April-May to hazardous air in November, school students in Delhi are moving through an academic year defined by environmental extremes - writes Namrata Yadav (@specsofgold).

#Students #Delhi #Heatwave

https://t.co/WqhFc4X1iz

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

Delhi’s air crisis doesn’t end at the front door.

Another study via @iitdelhi shows kitchens are often the most polluted room in the house, with PM2.5 levels during cooking soaring far beyond safe limits, especially in winter. Women, children and the elderly face the highest exposure from an invisible crisis unfolding inside homes.

For years, mothers, women, health researchers and clean cooking campaigns have warned that indoor air pollution is a gendered health emergency. This study validates those concerns yet again.

What’s especially troubling is how quickly years of progress on clean cooking were reversed during the LPG price shocks after the global energy crisis and war-driven inflation. Across many households, families were pushed back toward biomass, wood, coal and other dirtier fuels simply because clean cooking became unaffordable.

The opportunity now is not just to restore subsidised LPG access, but to accelerate & prioritise truly clean cooking transitions; electric cooking, solar powered cooking solutions, induction systems, better ventilation, and community scale clean energy models. Clean cooking policy should sit at the heart of India’s public health, climate and women’s health agenda.

@MoHFW_INDIA @PetroleumMin @byadavbjp @HardeepSPuri @CAQM_Official

https://t.co/UNtvVk39vF via @kush_junglee @timesofindia

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

Fix utilisation. Tie funds to outcomes. Enforce accountability, or NCAP or NCAP 2.0, nothing will work:( @PMOIndia

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

Delhi’s pollution crisis is of course air but more importantly bad governance.

An RTI reveals that the spent only 43% of the environmental damage compensation (EDC) it collected over the last decade (₹68 cr of ₹158 cr). This is money specifically meant to fix pollution damage.

Even more worrying:
• No transparency on where the money was spent.
• In recent years, collections are rising, but utilisation is lagging.
• Similar pattern at (only 31% used).

What needs to change⬇️
* Public dashboards
Real-time disclosure of EDC collection & project wise spending. No more RTIs just to get basic data.

* Ring fenced funds
EDC must be legally tied to pollution mitigation (air monitoring, dust control, waste treatment); not left idle or diverted.

* Time bound utilisation rules
Unspent funds beyond 12–18 months should trigger automatic allocation to priority pollution hotspots.

* Independent audits
Annual third party audits & social audits to track outcomes, not just expenditures.

* Outcome based spending
Link fund usage to measurable improvements; PM2.5 reduction, waste processing capacity, emissions compliance.

* Citizen oversight
Make project data accessible so researchers, RWAs, and civil society can track impact.

Delhi can’t afford to sit on pollution funds while air quality worsens. If we’re serious about clean air, every rupee collected for environmental damage must be used transparently and effectively💙
@gupta_rekha @mssirsa @LtGovDelhi @CAQM_Official

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

If daily garbage is already nearing 13K MT and projected to cross 15K MT, the real question is; are we scaling solutions as fast as the problem?

More waste per person, more packaging, all signs of a growing, consuming city. But processing capacity still lags far behind, leaving landfills to absorb what the system can’t handle.

Until segregation at source becomes the norm (not the exception), and reduction plus recycling are treated as priorities (not afterthoughts), we’ll keep chasing numbers instead of solving the problem.

This isn’t just a municipal issue, it’s a lifestyle issue. And right now, we’re losing on both fronts:(

https://t.co/bbrBfzyrL2 via @journo_vibha @timesofindia

[Bhavreen Kandhari @BhavreenMK]

Over 6 years of RTIs since 2019/20.
Still vacant posts, many contractual roles, delays. By the time teams are trained, peak pollution is back.
Glad it’s happening but can’t afford more time & across all pollution boards.

https://t.co/yOv3hViKZS via @JasjeevGandhiok @htTweets

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

* Delhi’s first full urban tree census…long overdue baseline 🌳
* No reliable tree count till now….policy has been flying blind.
* Counting alone isn’t enough. Needs species, health & canopy data
* GIS + geo-tagging can turn this into a live public asset register.
* Must link with tree felling permissions & building approvals.
* Experts, authorities & citizen participation can be an important sensitisation.
* Focus shift; from planting trees to tree health & survival.
* Ward level dashboards for transparency & accountability.
* 4 year timeline is too slow. Early visible wins are critical.
* Should plug directly into heat action plans & air quality strategy. @BhavreenMK

https://t.co/At5DSTSnC1 via @JasjeevGandhiok @htTweets

[Manjeet Negi @manjeetnegilive]

"The bravest of the braves"🪖🇮🇳

Hav Jhantu Ali Sheikh
Unit- 6 PARA (Special Forces)
Sena Medal (P)
From- West Bengal

On 24 April 2025, Havaldar Jhantu Ali Sheikh of 6 Para Special Forces was martyred during a counter-terrorism operation in Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir.
His team had launched the mission based on specific intelligence about terrorists hiding in the area.
During the fierce gunfight, he sustained critical injuries while bravely confronting the militants.
Despite being wounded, he continued fighting until he succumbed to his injuries.

Salutes to this braveheart.🫡

Jai hind 🇮🇳

@adgpi
@SpokespersonMoD
#IndianArmy

[namrata yadav @specsofgold]

No civic sense, no civic body ??? Who will ever be held accountable ..

[Rajneil Kamath 🚦 @rajneil]

This is North Avenue, Central Delhi, right next to Rashtrapati Bhawan. No covered area or shed. Just garbage strewn around.

If this is the situation in VVIP Delhi, the rest of us are cooked!

[Earth Warrior @Earthworri1]

Sewage and untreated waste are being openly discharged into the Agra Canal (Saraswati Colony area, Sehatpur, Faridabad).On one side, a tanker is dumping sewage directly into the canal. On the other side, raw untreated waste is continuously flowing in through drains. The water is heavily polluted with foam, garbage, and toxic waste — right in the middle of a residential area.This is not just an environmental disaster — it’s a serious threat to public health and the ecosystem. @DC_Faridabad @MCF_Faridabad @NayabSainiBJP @CPCB_OFFICIAL @phedhry

[LestWeForgetIndia🇮🇳 @LestWeForgetIN]

#LestWeForgetIndia🇮🇳 Lieutenant Commander Saurabh Tiwari lost his life in the line of duty in a Sea Harrier crash, in the Arabian Sea off Goa, #OnThisDay 05 April in 2007

Remember the service & supreme sacrifice of the #IndianBrave Naval Aviator, always 🏵️

[namrata yadav @specsofgold]

Doable, where there is a will !!! "Turn dung into CNG & fertiliser.

Biogas at dairy hubs is low hanging fruit for cleaning Yamuna.
@Warriormomsin @gupta_rekha @mssirsa @CMODelhi

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

Delhi’s new 100 TPD biogas plant near Bhalaswa/Jharoda dairies is a smart move to cut Yamuna pollution.
Dairy waste may be part of the approx 20% non sewage load, but it’s local, high impact & fixable.

Turn dung into CNG & fertiliser.

Biogas at dairy hubs is low hanging fruit for cleaning Yamuna.

https://t.co/K0VMP5824D
via @MansiJagani @PTI_News

[namrata yadav @specsofgold]

Action Plan 2026 is a start, but urgency is missing @CMODelhi. We need action now not later. Deploy manpower, fix targets, ensure training & enforce strict on-ground accountability. Zero tolerance for negligence or corruption. Visible, consistent enforcement NOW. @Warriormomsin

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

While it is encouraging that @CMODelhi has initiated the ‘Action Plan 2026’ well in advance, the real test lies in systemic action, not another cycle of repeat announcements. Departments must be empowered with adequate manpower, clear numerical targets, specialised training, and on ground accountability frameworks. Without strengthening institutional capacity, even the most well designed plans risk remaining on paper.

This effort must be backed by strict vigilance. Accountability cannot stop at policy, it must extend to officers on the ground, with zero tolerance for negligence or corrupt practices. Enforcement needs to be visible, consistent & immune to discretion.

Equally critical is regional coordination. Pollution does not respect administrative boundaries, and Delhi must assertively engage and, where necessary, pressure neighbouring NCR regions to ensure aligned & enforceable action. Social media feeds are full of violation complaints and repeated violations that need to be checked. Fragmented responses will continue to dilute impact.

Industrial compliance must be non negotiable. There should be no second chances, no extensions, and no room for excuses. Violations must invite immediate and decisive prosecution to establish deterrence.

Ultimately, success will depend not on how comprehensive the plan appears, but on how rigorously it is implemented, monitored, and enforced every single day.

@gupta_rekha @mssirsa @CAQM_Official

[Lung Care Foundation @icareforlungs]

“Unless people understand what AQI means and how air pollution affects their health, solutions will remain limited.”
- Dr. Rabindra Nath Mazumder, Marwari Hospitals
at the Clean Air dialogue at Nemcare Hospitals, Guwahati.

Awareness is the first step.
#CleanAir #Assam #AirPollution

[Bhavreen Kandhari @BhavreenMK]

Delhi (3.4 cr) is fighting fires with a hollowed out force.
80% station officer posts vacant, key roles half empty, engines understaffed.
98 emergencies a day don’t wait.

Past & present govts must answer; this is systemic neglect!

https://t.co/1luqDPK5Kl via @samarthgrover87

[Hindustan Times @htTweets]

#HTExclusive | The Delhi government is procuring two high-end boats with air conditioned cabins at a total cost of around ₹6.2 crore for VIP inspections of the Yamuna, according to a tender notice issued by the government’s irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department.

Tap to read: https://t.co/4OuqAGZRwC

(@appriseParas ✍🏻)

[IndiaToday @IndiaToday]

Winter gone, but toxic air stays
Double whammy for Delhi

@Sonal_MK #5Live #HealthWealth