on november 18, the Union environment ministry revised the ambient air quality standards for the country after a gap of 15 years. The new standards are more stringent. They also mandate that air quality in industrial areas should be at par with residential areas.

The weeklong Auto Expo, which concluded in Delhi on January 17, showed contrasting trends--low-priced cars, reincarnated buses for public transport and high-end technologies that promise a green future.

The cynosure was Tata's Nano with its populist price tag that perhaps made the expo attract record number of visitors. Besides Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto also announced its foray into the ultra low-cost car segment. They are out to lure the aam admi and are setting the trend in frugal engineering in the mini-segment. Predictably, small cars ruled the roost.

A recent World Bank report shows that the economic cost of damage to public health from increased air pollution is still very high in Indian cities. The study, India Strengthening Institutions for Sustainable Growth, says that the cost in 50 cities with a population of 110 million reached a whopping Rs 15,000 crore (US $3 billion) in 2004. This increase has been attributed to the high levels of particulates with diameter less than 10 micron (PM10) in the cities.

I set off towards Meerut on the trail of a transporter's crew suspectedly involved in fuel adulteration. Officials nearly stumped my investigations. Thankfully, Bhure Lal, chairperson of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority intervened. The district magitrate, then, called an urgent meeting of officials and insisted that the seals of the fuel tankers be opened only in the presence of the district supply officer, additional district magistrate and an official of the petroleum company. The 'busy' officials came together only by dusk.