Noida air quality improves, Greater Noida continues to remain ‘poor’

Officials at regional pollution board have blamed the construction activities in the city for the persistent bad AQI besides unfavourable wind direction

There was some respite from pollution for Noida residents on Tuesday with the city recording an air quality index (AQI) of 170, in the ‘moderate’ category, which is a major improvement from the AQI of 299, in the “poor” category, recorded a day previously.

NH-9 in Ghaziabad on Tuesday morning is shrouded by smog. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Greater Noida, however, continued to reel under bad air on Tuesday, with an AQI of 248, in the ”poor” category, showed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s daily bulletin. The city on Monday was the second most polluted city in the country with an AQI reading of 299, with particulate matter (PM) 2.5 being the main pollutant.

Officials at regional pollution board have blamed the construction activities in the city for the persistent bad AQI besides unfavourable wind direction.

Regional officer, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Deo K Gupta said, “The city’s AQI is in the “poor” category due to frequent construction works, particularly in Greater Noida West. Some overhead cable laying work was taken up by the power department recently and that required digging work. This may have aggravated pollution as dust piles were formed in Knowledge Park 5 area, which also happens to be where the monitoring station is located. Vehicular movement caused the dust particles to spread.”

Greater Noida UPPCB officials said so far in October, the department has identified around 40 violators who have been fined ₹20 lakh for flouting graded response action plan (Grap) rules at the construction and demolition sites.

“We have been launching enforcement activities to check violations. We have written to the Greater Noida authority to take required action and remove the dust piles in Knowledge Park 5 and from wherever else required,” Gupta said.

“Though basic guidelines of covering the construction sites with green nets, water sprinkling, etc, are being followed, these need to be practised without fail to ensure better air quality,” said environmentalist Vikrant Tongad.

Environmental experts are also of the view that there are ”exceptions” in Grap restrictions for construction works of national interest but these can be stopped in case the air quality deteriorates further. But such a situation is yet to arise, they said.

Notably, Greater Noida has been experiencing higher pollution levels since mid-September and the “poor” air quality has been persisting for a month, even though the situation in neighbouring Noida and Ghaziabad is slightly better.

The city has witnessed one “very poor” AQI and 18 ”poor” AQI and only four ”moderate” air quality days in October whereas, Noida recorded one ”very poor”, seven “poor”, 14 “moderate” and one ”satisfactory” air quality day, during the same period, as per the CPCB.

Gautam Budh Nagar, district magistrate, Manish Kumar Verma said, “We have activated enforcement agencies, regional pollution board offices and authority officials who are keeping a tab and imposing penalties on violators while also issuing instructions to builders and contractors to take appropriate measures at constructions sites, as per the guidelines.”