GB Nagar air quality stays in ‘poor’ for second day on trot

GREATER NOIDA: Gautam Budh Nagar on Wednesday recorded its second consecutive day of “poor” air quality after a spell of clean air, even as winter approaches and pollution typically spikes due to localised, climatic, and geographical factors

GREATER NOIDA: Gautam Budh Nagar on Wednesday recorded its second consecutive day of “poor” air quality after a spell of clean air, even as winter approaches and pollution typically spikes due to localised, climatic, and geographical factors.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Noida recorded an Air Quality Index of 201 (poor) on Wednesday, down from 238 on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Noida recorded an Air Quality Index of 201 (poor) on Wednesday, down from 238 on Tuesday. Similarly, the AQI in Greater Noida was 235, up from 224 on Tuesday.

The spike follows a spell of relatively cleaner air. The AQI in Greater Noida stood at 109 on October 10 and 107 on October 11 before falling to 86 on October 12. It then surged to 235 on October 13. Noida’s AQI followed a similar pattern, dropping to 110 on October 10 and 109 on October 11 before falling to 74 on October 12 and rising to 238 the following day.

To be sure, the Noida region also received showers on Sunday night and Monday morning and recorded high wind speeds, which also improve air quality.

According to the CPCB’s classification, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51-100 “satisfactory”, 101-200 “moderate”, 201-300 “poor”, 301-400 “very poor” and 401-500 “severe”.

Vikas Mishra, regional officer of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) in Greater Noida, said the board was carrying out inspections to identify violations and initiate action. “Inspections are being conducted continuously. Wherever irregularities are found, the process of imposing penalties is being initiated through our head office,” Mishra said.

He added that the board sends notices to the concerned authority when corrective action falls within its jurisdiction.

Asked about enforcement against builders and repeat violators, Mishra maintained that pollution-control measures have been effective over the years despite a steady increase in the number of vehicles. He said the situation was better than it had been five to seven years ago.

Separately, the Greater Noida authority has begun penalising people for dumping garbage in the open. Authority officials fined violators ₹500 in Sector Alpha 1 on Tuesday and warned that repeat violations could attract fines of up to ₹10,000. The authority has also directed officials to identify violators by checking waste and other identifying material, as well as by taking photographs and videos.