Noida shuts tandoors, outdoor activities in schools

Noida: As pollution levels reached ‘severe’ again from Wednesday evening, the Noida and Greater Noida authorities initiated emergency measures such as shutting of coal-based tandoors across the cities and asking schools to refrain from outdoor activities for children

Noida: As pollution levels reached ‘severe’ again from Wednesday evening, the Noida and Greater Noida authorities initiated emergency measures such as shutting of coal-based tandoors across the cities and asking schools to refrain from outdoor activities for children.

Noida, India - November 03, 2022: Children return home from school amid rising air pollution, in Noida, India, on Thursday, November 03, 2022. The Gautam Budh Nagar Parents Welfare Society has written to the district administration requesting them to make masks mandatory for school students in order to safeguard them from hazardous gases due to pollution. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times) **To go with Ashni’s story** (Hindustan Times)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Noida on Thursday was 423, the second highest in NCR after Delhi that had an AQI of 450, both in the ‘severe’ category. At many points during the day, the AQI in Noida also reached 500, which is the highest that the AQI sensors can record. Greater Noida also recorded an AQI of 418. For the first time this season, all NCR cities, including Noida, officially recorded AQI in the ‘severe’ category, though, Greater Noida and Delhi had reached severe on Tuesday as well.

The Noida Authority and UPPCB officials have directed all restaurants and hotels to stop using coal-based tandoors now. The Authority will also take daily reports from its 12 pollution sensors installed with the ITMS cameras and will increase mitigation steps in areas with higher AQI, said officials.

The education department is also writing to schools to ensure that outdoor activities for children is restricted. “We are asking schools to involve children in minimal outdoor activities. A letter regarding this is also being issued,” said Dharamveer Singh, district inspector of schools.

On Thursday, Gautam Budh Nagar Parents Welfare Society (GPWS) also wrote to the district administration requesting them to order schools to make masks for students mandatory in light of severe pollution levels.

Manoj Kataria, founder of GPWS said, “The pollution levels of Noida has been increasing continuously, due to which children have been complaining of cough and difficulty in breathing, especially in the morning when smog is dense. Hence, we have written to the District Magistrate to issue an advisory or directives to schools to make masks mandatory for school kids so that they can safeguard themselves from the hazardous air”.

Traffic police, on the other hand, has identified three spots with heavy traffic and five with construction work that cause high pollution and are trying to keep these areas decongested.

“The Chilla border, Pari Chowk, and Surajpur areas have high traffic volume, leading to congestion. Near Parthala Chowk, Bhangel elevated road, and the three points along Noida-Greater Noida expressway where underpasses are being made, the traffic is high because of ongoing construction work. Near all these areas, we have increased deployment to ensure that the vehicles keep moving and do not add to pollution,” said Ganesh Prasad Saha, DCP Traffic, Gautam Budh Nagar.

He said that the measures are being taken to keep vehicles moving so that pollution due to idling of vehicles can be avoided. He said that while the traffic pressure near Model Town intersection is also high, the vehicles keep moving there and do not come to a standstill.

Noida Authority has also deployed 90 sprinkler tankers and 40 anti-smog guns while GNIDA has deployed 20 sprinkler tankers and 12 anti smog guns for sprinkling water across the cities. The vendor supplying mechanical sweeping machines has also been instructed to ensure that more water is used as there have been complaints of dust from the machine.

Meanwhile, residents say that despite tall claims, hardly any action is taken on ground. A demolition drive to remove encroachment was also undertaken in Sector 82 in the presence of an SDM though there is a ban on such activities under GRAP. Officials, however, said that it was a court-mandated process.

“Every year Pollution level increase and NGT order to enforce restriction on construction activity by forcing GRAP. Instead of restrictions on construction activities, authorities should work on minimising pollution throughout the year. The restrictions also lead to unemployment of daily wage workers and other related workers, which is not good for developing countries like ours,” said SK Jain, convenor, Realtors Welfare Association.