Steps taken by Noida to mitigate air pollution ‘insufficient’: CPCB

The CPCB criticizes Noida's pollution control efforts as "insufficient," urging more effective measures, while the Noida authority claims ongoing work.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said that measures taken by the Noida authority to mitigate air pollution in the city are “insufficient”, according to a reply to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by a Noida resident.

The CPCB’s 18-point report, also seen by HT, flagged gaps in functioning of the Noida authority and revealed that measures continued to be “insufficient and inadequate” for containing air pollution. (HT Archive)

In its 2025 report as well, the CPCB had said the authority was not taking effective steps to contain pollution. However, the Noida authority maintained that its teams were working “day and night” to check the problem.

Officials said the CPCB conducts annual inspections in all National Capital Region (NCR) cities, including Noida, to assess the quality of measures taken to curb air pollution.

CPCB carried out an inspection in July 2025, and in April 2026, a site inspection and verification of measures were conducted. The CPCB’s 18-point report, also seen by HT, flagged gaps in functioning of the Noida authority and revealed that measures continued to be “insufficient and inadequate” for containing air pollution.

As per rules, the CPCB’s annual site inspection report must be uploaded online and placed in public domain for transparency and accountability. However, it was made public only after Amit Gupta, a resident of Noida’s Sector 77 and an RTI activist, filed an application seeking a copy.

“There is complete negligence by the Authority in tackling air pollution in the city. Alarmingly, there has been no improvement in its working to achieve better results. Also, there is zero transparency and accountability in the Authority’s functioning as it is yet to share a detailed action-taken report on areas identified to tackle air pollution,” Gupta said.

He also questioned why the Authority failed to properly utilise funds from the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to reduce pollution.

The CPCB’s Noida inspection, conducted under NCAP funds, pointed to several lapses in pollution control. In response to the RTI, the CPCB confirmed that the Noida inspection was done on April 29, 2026, and that NCAP fund utilisation was low.

Field verification recorded multiple issues, the report said. Narrow sector roads are not adequately covered by road-sweeping machines. Construction activities continue to generate significant road dust. Heavy parking and congestion leave several roads dust-laden, the report recommended.

The report further suggested deployment of smaller sweeping machines on narrow roads, night-time road sweeping in congested areas, strict action against uncovered transport of construction material, and increased road sweeping and water sprinkling.

“While the report records compliance on several NCAP parameters, official field observations acknowledge that dust management and road cleanliness challenges continue at the ground level. According to the official report, authorities have implemented several pollution-control measures, including mechanical road sweeping, water sprinkling for dust suppression, construction and demolition waste management, diversion and signage systems, Miyawaki plantation, and waste management-related control measures,” Gupta said, demanding serious and effective steps to mitigate pollution.

Noida authority chief executive officer Krishna Karunesh, however, said the Authority is continuously working to reduce air pollution.

“The Noida authority has taken multiple measures to tackle air pollution in the past, and many are in the pipeline. We will work on the recommendations of the CPCB, and if there is any scope for improvement, we will do that,” Karunesh told HT.