Ghaziabad DM seeks report on steps to curb pollution in winter

  • | Thursday | 20th September, 2018

“The GMC has been instructed to increase the area of mechanised sweeping. PM10 and PM2.5 had constantly breached the 500 mark last year.The pollution levels last year were the trigger behind the administration starting on measures to curb pollution early this year. Representatives of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation informed the meeting that the total length of road where mechanised sweeping could be done is 265km but as of now, only a 53km stretch is being cleaned daily with six mechanised sweepers. The NHAI is not following basic norms such as keeping construction waste uncovered. For that, it should hire more mechanised sweepers” said Ritu Maheshwari, the district magistrate.As of now, water is being sprinkled to keep off dust only on a 53km stretch of a total 265km.

GHAZIABAD: The district administration on Wednesday held a meeting with all stakeholders to take stock of pollution-control measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) ahead of winter, when dust levels are usually high.The district magistrate asked all departments and agencies concerned to prepare a pollution control mechanism by September 30 and submit a report on the steps they plan to take in a meeting likely to be held in the first week of October.The meeting on Wednesday focused on three key areas: mechanised sweeping of roads, sprinkling of water and green paving. Representatives of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation informed the meeting that the total length of road where mechanised sweeping could be done is 265km but as of now, only a 53km stretch is being cleaned daily with six mechanised sweepers. “The GMC has been instructed to increase the area of mechanised sweeping. For that, it should hire more mechanised sweepers” said Ritu Maheshwari, the district magistrate.As of now, water is being sprinkled to keep off dust only on a 53km stretch of a total 265km. Maheshwari said she had asked the GDA,GMC, UPSIDC and the Housing Board to rope in industries to do water sprinkling in their vicinity.“Apart from agencies which are already sprinkling water to keep dust away, they should rope in group housing societies, multiplexes and industries to use their resources to do water sprinkling in their respestive areas. The same goes with green paving,” Maheshwari said.Maheshwari also reminded the National Highways Authority of India to adhere to construction norms at NH24 and other areas where it has undertaken widening work.“There have been repeated complaints that along the NH24, which is being widened by the NHAI, the area remains engulfed in dust. The NHAI is not following basic norms such as keeping construction waste uncovered. Even trucks ferrying sand are not covered,” said Maheshwari. “If NHAI does not start adhering to norms in couple of days, a hefty penalty up to Rs 1 lakh per day could be imposed on them,” added Maheshwari.Other directions that were issued by the district magistrate included regular monitoring of industries to ensure authorised fuel is being used in boilers, a continuous mechanism to monitor effluents discharge from 42 industries considered polluting, strict action against polluting vehicles and penalties on those violating construction norms.Last winter, Ghaziabad was among the cities worst hit by pollution, with some pockets like Sahibabad industrial area being the most polluted in the country. PM10 and PM2.5 had constantly breached the 500 mark last year.The pollution levels last year were the trigger behind the administration starting on measures to curb pollution early this year.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Noida Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles