Despite air improving slightly, Noida still on list of top 10 polluted cities of the world

Despite recording some improvement in the air quality over the past three years, Noida and Greater Noida continued to remain on the top 10 polluted cities of the

Despite recording some improvement in the air quality over the past three years, Noida and Greater Noida continued to remain on the top 10 polluted cities of the world, according to a report released Tuesday.

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According to the report by IQAir, a US and Swiss-based air quality solution company, which assessed the air quality parameters if total of 98 countries and over 600 cities, Ghaziabad was found to be the most polluted city in the world, while Noida and Greater Noida were placed fifth and ninth.

The assessment is based on the annual average concentration of particulate matter pollution (PM2.5), particles in air with a diameter less than 2.5mm, which is one of the major pollutant produced by dust and smoke.

“PM2.5 is a major threat as it gets into the bloodstream. It has long-term and severe effects leading to cardiovascular ailments,” Shambhavi Shukla, senior project associate, air quality, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said.

The IQAir assessment included data from government monitored stations and some private monitoring stations, Noida’s average PM2.5 value were 97.7 microgrammes per cubic metres (Ug/m3 ) in 2019, against 123 Ug/m3 in 2018 and 134 Ug/m3 in 2017.

Interestingly, while the PM2.5 average in Noida for 2019 is mentioned as 97.7 units, the same was 113.64 Ug/m3, according to CPCB’s four monitoring stations in Noida.

“In the context of South Asia, Indian cities again dominate the world’s most polluted cities for PM2.5 in 2019. Twenty-one of the top 30 most polluted cities are in India. Ghaziabad is the most polluted city in the world, followed by Noida, Gurugram and Greater Noida in the top 10 cities, with Delhi coming in at fifth place,” the report said.

While officials said pollution controlling measures are being taken, the data from report and CPCB shows that the steps are not enough.

“There are several pollution controlling measures being taken in the city. For example, the rough unpaved patches of roads in all the dust-prone areas are being covered with grass. Anti-smog guns are being installed at major pollution hot spots and construction sites. Two had already been installed in the Gautam Budh Nagar— one at Gaur City in Greater Noida and another at Samsung plant in Sector 81, Noida. A third will be installed at Sector 81 soon,” Anil Kumar Singh, region officer, UPPCB, Noida, said.

According to some officials, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) regional offices in Greater Noida and Noida are working at one-third of the required staff strength, thereby hampering their monitoring capacities.

“There is a staff crunch and this is not something new or unknown. How can we inspect an area as large as Gautam Budh Nagar with the limited number of officials, who are also required to do field visits and do paperwork,” a UPPCB official, on condition of anonymity, said.