Ghaziabad's bane: Pollution from factories, construction sites

  • | Wednesday | 6th March, 2019

"Construction waste and dust release pollutants, including PM2.5, in the air, taking a toll on the city's air quality. In 1991, the number of cars and other light motor vehicles in Ghaziabad was just 276. "Ghaziabad being traditionally an industrial district has close to two dozen industrial belts which emit harmful pollutants, including PM2.5 in the air," said Sushil Raghav, a city-based environmentalist. By 2001, the figure increased to 15,070 and by June 2018, the number rose to over 2 lakh. And something has to be done to shut them down," he added.According to experts, the increasing number of vehicles in the past three decades has further aggravated the problem.

GHAZIABAD: Long before the IQAir AirVisual-Greenpeace study came up with its report ranking Ghaziabad as the second-most polluted city in the world, the NCR 's industrial hub hogged media headlines for having the worst air quality in the country on at least two occasions - in November 2017 and October 2018.Experts say industries, vehicles and construction sites are the biggest contributors of coarse pollutants in Ghaziabad - which is otherwise doing reasonably well on other civic parameters - and enforcement mechanism needs to be overhauled to achieve desired results. "Ghaziabad being traditionally an industrial district has close to two dozen industrial belts which emit harmful pollutants, including PM2.5 in the air," said Sushil Raghav, a city-based environmentalist. "While the district administration and the pollution control department claim that effective steps like closing down of polluting industries and imposition of fines are being taken on a regular basis, there are hundreds of illegal polluting industries operating out of the district. And something has to be done to shut them down," he added.According to experts, the increasing number of vehicles in the past three decades has further aggravated the problem. In 1991, the number of cars and other light motor vehicles in Ghaziabad was just 276. By 2001, the figure increased to 15,070 and by June 2018, the number rose to over 2 lakh. "Mind you this figure is only cars, and buses, three-wheelers and two-wheelers are not accounted into," said Raghav.Moreover, there are rampant construction activities going on in Ghaziabad, flouting norms of the NGT. "Construction waste and dust release pollutants, including PM2.5, in the air, taking a toll on the city's air quality. Despite their best efforts, authorities have not been able to clamp down on erring developers," said Raghav.Deforestation, especially in city areas to make way for developmental projects, has also resulted in loss of green cover, which is adding up to the pollution problem. "In the past seven years, 15,000 trees have been chopped off to make way for projects, of which 13,000 trees alone have been felled for four major projects like Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor and Hindon elevated road," he said."The forest department claims that saplings to the tune of thousands have been planted but it is away from the city area," added Raghav. As per 2017 Forest Survey of India report, Ghaziabad's green cover increased by mere 0.32% and as compared to 2013 saw a decline of 1%.As compared to Ghaziabad, neighbouring Noida figured lower on the PM2.5 parameter and was ranked as the sixth-most polluted city."GRAP (graded response action plan) was implemented in Noida for most parts of last year. While PM10 levels are on a rise because of multiple development projects taking place in the city, PM 2.5 is on a rise here because of increasing vehicular pressure as well as an increase in population density in the city," an UPPCB official said.However, officials claimed that a move towards the right direction has already started. "Mass transport system is being expanded. With metro railway expanding and battery operated and electrical vehicles increasing, the PM2.5 levels in the region is sure to decline in years to come," he added.

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