Noida, Gr Noida remain India’s worst polluted; targeted drives begin to control dust

Particulate sources, particularly construction dust and unmanaged demolition debris, have remained high across Gautam Budh Nagar

Air quality in Noida and Greater Noida remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Friday, with air quality index (AQI) readings of 388 and 378, respectively, making them the most polluted cities in the country. Neighbouring Ghaziabad logged an AQI of 347, also ‘very poor’, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

A thick blanket of smog clouds visibility in Noida on Friday morning. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

On Thursday, curbs under Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) were lifted as the air quality in Delhi -- taken as the base for NCR -- had marginally improved. Even then, AQI readings had stayed elevated at 391 in Noida, 381 in Greater Noida, and 358 in Ghaziabad, signalling persistent particulate stress.

Officials said winter dispersion conditions are yet to stabilise. Particulate sources, particularly construction dust and unmanaged demolition debris, have remained high across Gautam Budh Nagar.

The Noida authority has intensified Grap Stage 2 enforcement at 84 compliance-sensitive locations, spanning construction clusters, waste storage yards, arterial roads, villages, and unpaved service corridors. Multi-department inspection teams are tracking dust-control measures, waste lifting, and surface-level particulate triggers across both urban sectors and rural belts.

On Thursday, 61 construction sites were issued notices, and ₹2,345 in penalties was imposed for uncovered raw materials, failure to deploy dust-suppression equipment, and unshrouded debris piles.

In parallel, 334.19 tonnes of construction and demolition waste was transported for processing between Wednesday and Thursday, while 10 newly emerged debris clusters were identified for immediate lifting.

Dust-suppression efforts have also been scaled up across 340 major roads, focusing on high-traffic corridors where dust flies from vehicular movement, contributing to PM10 and PM2.5 spikes. Additionally, 26 new road stretches have been mapped for mechanised sweeping, over and above manual cleaning in residential pockets and urban-village lanes.

Monitoring has extended into industrial clusters, where units have been instructed to switch strictly to approved fuels, while teams track diesel generator (DG) emissions and illegal fuel burning practices. Fresh water-sprinkling cycles were launched on Friday after uncovered soil patches and debris yards were again flagged as dust amplification points.

Meteorological conditions continue to delay the onset of smog-trapping winter fog, with humidity still low and winds marginally stronger than what dense fog formation requires, said Skymet Weather’s vice-president Mahesh Palawat. “The absence of a significant western disturbance over northwest India has further slowed fog development, with the first dense fog episode now expected only after mid-December,” he added.

On Friday, temperatures reflected a pre-inversion winter gradient, with Gautam Budh Nagar recording 8.1°C (min) and 25.9°C (max), while Ghaziabad logged 8.7°C (min) and 26°C (max) — conditions not yet conducive to the sharp inversions that typically coincide with peak fog periods.

Officials said GRAP Stage 2 enforcement will continue daily, spanning dust control, waste management, and emissions monitoring, to prevent a sharper slide in air quality before full winter fog conditions set in.