With AQI of 292, Greater Noida becomes most polluted in country

Greater Noida has become the most polluted city in India, with an air quality index (AQI) reading of 292, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. The city has remained in the "poor" category since September 24, with PM10 being the primary pollutant. The UP Pollution Control Board has imposed fines totaling INR 2.94 million ($40,000) on 25 establishments in Noida and Greater Noida for violating pollution control guidelines. Environmental experts attribute the pollution to construction activities, vehicular emissions, and traffic congestion.

One week after the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) came into effect, the city of Greater Noida on Saturday became the most polluted city in the country with an air quality index (AQI) reading of 292, in the “poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s daily bulletin.

Along with these three cities, Delhi’s AQI also slipped into the ‘poor’ category on Friday. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Pho)

Throughout this period, PM10, a particulate matter, has remained the primary pollutant, with Greater Noida’s AQI staying in the “poor” category since September 24, experiencing only one day of “moderate” air on October 5. Meanwhile, Noida and Ghaziabad, which had been registering “moderate” AQI, also slipped into the “poor” category on Friday.

Along with these three cities, Delhi’s AQI also slipped into the ‘poor’ category on Friday.

To address this situation, the UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) conducted an enforcement drive, imposing fines totaling ₹29,40,000 on 25 establishments in Noida and Greater Noida that were found to be in violation of Grap stage 1 guidelines.

Utsav Sharma, the regional officer of UPPCB in Noida, said, “Despite Grap restrictions in the city, which include limitations on various activities like construction and demolition to combat air pollution, many establishments, including residential societies, apartments, and shops, did not follow the rules, as construction and demolition work was observed during inspections.”

Among the non-compliant buildings were several plots in various sectors, including 155, 108, 65, 64, 40, and 80, as well as Godrej Nest in Sector 67, 150, Sector 8, Amrapali Silicon City in Sector 76, Mahagun Manorialle, and the JMC project in Sector 128.

The regional officer added, “On Friday, we identified 17 locations that were flouting the guidelines, resulting in a penalty of ₹16,80,000. On Saturday, eight more locations were found to be in violation, leading to a fine of ₹12,60,000. In total, ₹29,40,000 has been imposed as environmental compensation.”

Officials from the department added that similar enforcement exercises will continue in the city to crack down on violators who do not comply with Grap guidelines.

According to the CPCB’s AQI scale, readings between 0 and 50 are considered “good,” 51 and 100 are “satisfactory,” 101 and 200 are “moderate,” 201 and 300 are “poor,” 301 and 400 are “very poor,” and 401 and 500 are “severe.”

Greater Noida has two monitoring stations at Knowledge Park (KP) 5 while the other is at Knowledge Park 3.

Deo K Gupta, the regional officer of UPPCP in Greater Noida, said, “We are closely monitoring activities in violation of Grap, as they are a significant factor in deteriorating the city’s air quality. We have imposed penalties on violators for failing to follow basic guidelines, such as leaving concrete uncovered, not installing green nets, and neglecting water sprinkling near construction sites. We will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action against Grap violators.”

Environmental experts, meanwhile, attributed the rising air pollution levels in the region to local factors, “The high pollution levels are possibly the result of construction activities besides vehicular emission and traffic congestion”, said local environmentalist, Vikrant Tongad.

Earlier this month, the UP Pollution Control Board in Greater Noida cracked down on ten non-compliant buildings, imposing a fine of ₹50,000 each for violating GRAP regulations, such as failing to carry out water sprinkling exercises, not installing green nets at construction sites, and leaving concrete material exposed, among other violations.

On Friday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) instructed various authorities in the NCR to implement Stage I of the Grap immediately.