UP pollution body starts monitoring air in Ghaziabad’s Kaushambi

The officials have installed equipment at three locations near Meenakshi Hospital, Kaushambi police post, and Panchmarhi Tower for monitoring particulate matter (sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous) and noise pollution (elevated sound levels).

The Uttar Pradesh pollution control board (UPPCB) on Friday initiated special monitoring of air and noise pollution in Kaushambi for five days, said officials.

The Uttar Pradesh pollution control board has installed monitoring machines in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, to resolve different pollution-related issues in the township. (SAKIB ALI/HT PHOTO)

UPPCB officials said that the move came in connection with a petition filed by Kaushambi apartments residents’ welfare association (Karwa) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to resolve different pollution-related issues in the township.

The officials have installed equipment at three locations near Meenakshi Hospital, Kaushambi police post, and Panchmarhi Tower for monitoring particulate matter (sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, many of which are hazardous) and noise pollution (elevated sound levels).

“Monitoring has been initiated, and if the weather permits, we will devote five days to capture data of particulate matter -- PM10 and PM2.5 -- for which equipment will be installed by Friday. We will capture the data and submit a report on the same to the NGT... We have our real-time air quality monitoring station in Vasundhara which is about two or three kilometres aerial distance. We installed the new equipment, especially at the township, to gather localised information about the pollution levels,” said Utsav Sharma, regional officer, UPPCB.

The township has 22 high-rise residential towers and is adjacent to Anand Vihar border in Delhi. It is also opposite Kaushambi inter state bus terminal (ISBT) and Sahibabad industrial area site IV.

On August 23, after hearing the petition filed by Karwa, the NGT directed the divisional commissioner of Meerut, district magistrate of Ghaziabad, superintendent of police of Ghaziabad, and regional officer of UPPCB to appear before the tribunal on October 25.

In a meeting held between officials of Ghaziabad district administration, Ghaziabad municipal corporation (GMC), UPPCB, and Karwa among others, the GMC gave its nod for installing 400 trees to curtail pollution, and a sluice gate to prevent backflow of water from Sahibabad drain to Kaushambi.

“UPPCB is monitoring air and noise pollution in the area, but the collected data will not be accurate as the city has been receiving rainfall and the air pollution levels have been dropping considerably. So, we will raise this point before the tribunal and request it to conduct another monitoring drive in November or December,” said VK Mittal, president, Karwa.