Noida traffic police to give AQI updates on its online handles

As pollution levels continue to remain in the ”very poor” category, and restrictions under stage 4 of the graded response action plan (GRAP) have been lifted, the Noida traffic police said it will take steps to give regular pollution updates to the public

As pollution levels continue to remain in the ”very poor” category, and restrictions under stage 4 of the graded response action plan (GRAP) have been lifted, the Noida traffic police said it will take steps to give regular pollution updates to the public.

Noida, India - November 07, 2022: A view of skyscrapers engulfed in dense smog amid rising air pollution levels, in Noida, India, on Monday, November 07, 2022. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Senior traffic officers said people don’t always get the correct pollution data on a regular basis and most don’t even know where to look for official information pertaining to their locality The traffic police will update its social media platforms with air quality index data taken the from four monitoring stations in Noida and two in Greater Noida, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).

“The UPPCB has four stations in Noida and two in Greater Noida, from where hourly reports on the pollution level are available. The Central government’s SAFAR app also shows Noida’s overall data and our intelligent traffic management system (ITMS) also has AQI sensors at 12 spots. We will get data from all these places and regularly update them on our social media handles,” said Ganesh Prasad Saha, deputy commissioner of police (traffic).

He said people can also call the traffic helpline number 9971009001 and ask for the local AQI details. This can help residents in making travel decisions as it is advisable to stay indoors when the pollution levels are high.

The traffic police will also accordingly increase efforts in areas where traffic may be congested, causing pollution.

“Collecting and sharing AQI data will also help us keep a record of pollution levels. We already have identified spots where the pollution may be higher due to traffic volume or construction work. If we have pollution data on hand, we can quickly act and deploy more personnel in areas spots that may be getting congested and clear the snarl immediately,” said Saha.

Meanwhile, the AQI in all NCR cities remained in the ”very poor” category for the third day in a row. On Monday, the average 24-hour AQI was 354 in Delhi and 328 in Noida and 304 in Ghaziabad, all in the ”very poor” category. The pollution levels were marginally better in Greater Noida that had an AQI of 298, in the “poor” category.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s prediction for the next few days, the overall air quality will be ”very poor” till Tuesday and is expected to worsen by Wednesday and stay in the upper end of “very poor” category.