Air quality dips despite compliance report by UP districts

Various measures taken in city, but pollution level remains in ‘alarming’ category

Various measures taken in city, but pollution level remains in ‘alarming’ category

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HT Correspondent

lkoreportersdesk@htlive.com

Air quality is deteriorating in many districts of Uttar Pradesh despite submission of compliance report by them to the government regarding measures taken to check pollution.

On Wednesday, Noida was the most polluted city in the country with an average AQI of 470 while Ghaziabad and Greater Noida recorded AQI of 467 and 462 in the last 24 hours, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). AQI between 400 and 500 is termed ‘severe’ and can cause irreversible damage to human health.

All these districts submitted their compliance report mentioning action taken to prevent air pollution and action taken against violators.

Additional district magistrate (ADM) of Baghpat, where the AQI has constantly been in the ‘severe’ category and was 446 on Monday, said: “We have imposed fines of around Rs six lakh on firms violating pollution guidelines. As many as eight major construction sites have been sealed and people fined for burning garbage in the open. We have also shard this in our compliance report sent to the state government.”

Similar compliance reports have also been sent by other districts in western UP.

In Moradabad, fines amounting over ₹5 million have been slapped for violation of norms. E-waste recycling units have been closed and the district administration has started sprinkling water on roads to settle the dust. But these efforts have failed to show any marked results. The average AQI of Moradabad was recorded at 317, which is considered ‘very poor’.

Similar measures have also been taken in the state capital but the pollution level remains in ‘alarming’ category. Lucknow recorded an AQI of 354 on Wednesday in comparison to 301 the previous day. Kanpur was worse with an AQI of 412.

While senior government officials and district magistrates of these districts maintain that efforts are being made to reduce air pollution, experts suggest that these efforts are very superficial.

Devesh Singh, a senior environmentalist, said: “The issue of depleting air quality requires a combined effort of several agencies but this not being done. Poor air quality in the state proves this. The state leadership must make genuine efforts to bring actual change.”

STATUS CHECK

Noida was the most polluted city in the country on Wednesday, with an average AQI of 470 while Ghaziabad and Greater Noida recorded AQI of 467 and 462 in the last 24 hours.

Baghpat’s AQI has constantly been in the ‘severe’ category and was 446 on Monday.

Pollution level remains in ‘alarming’ category in the state capital. Lucknow recorded an AQI of 354 on Wednesday in comparison to 301 the previous day.