NOIDA: The Union environment ministry has asked Noida Authority to adopt immediate measures to mitigate pollution. These include cleaning the city’s streets mechanically and establishing a permanent helpline number to receive pollution-related complaints.Officials said Noida Authority has also been asked to submit an action plan to alleviate pollution levels in the city to the ministry within 10 days, besides a performance report every month. The meeting between officials from Noida Authority, Gautam Budh Nagar district administration, the UP Pollution Control Board and the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) took place in Delhi on Tuesday.“Sweeping with brooms across 24-metre-wide roads will henceforth be stopped. These roads will be cleaned mechanically,” said Rajesh Singh, officer on special duty (OSD), Noida Authority. “Currently, we have only two mechanised vehicles which clean six main roads of the city. If we have to undertake the cleaning of all roads with width from 12 metres to 32 metres, we will have to procure additional machines,” he said.“On Wednesday, I have asked all work circle project engineers to carry out a detailed survey and within a week identify all roads measuring 12, 18, 24 and 32 metres so that we can arrive at the number of mechanised vehicles we need to purchase for cleaning,” Singh explained. “Once I have all the details, we will initiate a tender and procure the vehicles,” he added.Singh said a helpline number will also be established as directed by GK Mishra, Union environment secretary. “To control dust pollution, as per the ministry guidelines released in 2010, it is mandatory for construction sites to put sheets on construction material, sprinkle water on dust and not ferry construction material in open vehicles to contain air pollution. All these norms will be enforced,” he added.The green ministry has further directed that the entire mitigation plan should be in place within the next 10 days, by March 1. “We have been asked to submit our plan of action in the next 10 days. A performance report will also have to be submitted by 7th of every month to the ministry,” the OSD said.

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