The Gautam Budh Nagar administration and Noida authority have received directives from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to implement the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in the district according to guidelines starting from October 1, 2023, officials aware of the matter said.
Officials said that the new guidelines call for specific measures based on different air quality stages, ranging from stages 1 to 4. Citizens are also encouraged to refrain from using firecrackers during festivals starting from the mentioned date, they added.
The Grap for the National Capital Region (NCR) is categorized into four stages based on air quality conditions. Stage 1 corresponds to an AQI (Air Quality Index) between 201 and 300, falling into the ‘poor’ category. Stage 2 involves an AQI between 301 and 400, categorized as ‘very poor’. Stage 3 pertains to an AQI between 401 and 450, considered ‘severe’, and Stage 4 applies when the AQI exceeds 450, denoting ‘severe+’.
Utsav Sharma, the regional officer of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) in Noida, said, “CAQM in NCR has issued updated guidelines for combatting air pollution in the winter season. These guidelines mandate specific actions based on the air quality stages, from 1 to 4. We are formulating plans in line with these guidelines, including dust mitigation and addressing waste from construction sites.”
Sharma added, “To implement Grap, urban local bodies will collaborate on activities such as mechanized sweeping, using anti-smoke devices at construction sites, and dust particle settling through water sprinkling. There will be a prohibition on burning biomass and municipal solid waste in open areas.”
Officials at the regional pollution board added that traffic police will also be engaged to ensure smooth vehicular flow in the city, and action will be taken against vehicle owners contributing to air pollution.
As of Thursday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) for the past 24 hours was recorded at 138 and 166 (in the ‘moderate’ category) in Ghaziabad and Noida, respectively. In Greater Noida, the AQI was recorded as ‘poor’ at 216, as per data from the official CPCB website.
However, during the previous week, these three cities had reported air quality in the ‘good,’ ‘satisfactory,’ and ‘moderate’ categories, according to the daily bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
“Grap is undoubtedly an effective way to tackle air-pollution, however, authorities must focus on such implementations round the year and not just during the end of the year. In this manner, it will be more effective to bring down air-pollution in the Delhi-NCR”, said local environmentalist, Vikrant Tongad.
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