Haryana body to review ‘action taken’ by civic bodies to curb air pollution in Gurgaon

On Monday, the air quality index (AQI) was recorded to be 331 for Gurgaon which was 345 on Sunday.

Owing to Gurgaon’s air quality being marked as ‘very poor’ for the past few days, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) will review action taken by various departments to curb air pollution on Tuesday.

Thick smog over Gurgaon on Sunday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

In a meeting with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Monday, the HSPCB said that it will take note of what kind of action has been taken by the authorities in Gurgaon to curb pollutants.

On October 31, the HSPCB had asked the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG), Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), resident welfare associations (RWAs), traffic police to submit the details of action taken by the authorities.

“We had asked the responsible authorities to submit their replies within couple of days. We will review their submission on Tuesday,” said J.B. Sharma, regional officer, HSPCB.

On Monday, the air quality index (AQI) was recorded to be 331 for Gurgaon which was 345 on Sunday.

Though there was a slight improvement in the air quality, the air is still marked as ‘very poor’ by CPCB daily AQI. During the early morning and late evening hours, the city is being engulfed in smog and the air smells of smoke.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, “Stubble burning in Haryana will intensify the air pollutants as the temperatures fall. If we only talk about Gurgaon, the air quality can improve if the authorities can curb waste burning and improve the transport system in the city. Authorities should brace for more severe days ahead.”