NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: A team of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on the National Highways Authority of India ( NHAI ) on Friday for keeping construction material in the open along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Bamheta village in Ghaziabad Two teams form CPCB conducted raids in different parts of Ghaziabad and imposed fines on those violating pollution norms, said Ashok Tiwari, regional officer, UPPCB for Greater Noida and Ghaziabad. “One of the teams found construction material kept in the open along NH-24 , following which a fine was imposed on the NHAI,” he added.The Noida Authority also fined two developers — Prateek Infratech Pvt Lt d, while Laureate Buildwell — for not adhering to the NGT guidelines on pollution.Increased wind speed helped drag down the air quality index to its lowest level in the past seven days across Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad on Friday. However, according to the pollution control board, the slide is temporary and pollution levels are likely to hit the northbound trajectory again over the next few days with a drop in the wind speed.Among the three cities, Greater Noida was the most polluted in the day even as the AQI dropped to 375 (considered ‘very poor’) from 391 on Thursday. In Noida, the AQI slid to 366 from 407 the previous day, while Ghaziabad’s AQI was at 370, only a tad lower from 377 on Thursday but a marked improvement from 451 (severe) reported on October 30.The authorities in the day ordered closure of all industries using coal and biomass as fuel from November 4, in keeping with the directions from EPCA. “In Ghaziabad, we’ve identified 210 such units and all them have been ordered to stay shut from November 4-10,” Tiwari said. The ban can be extended if the air quality worsens.

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