GB Nagar admin to strictly enforce Grap Stage 4 over rising pollution

Strict penalties must be imposed on violators, including those engaging in illegal construction activities and burning waste materials, the DM has said

GREATER NOIDA: To tackle an alarming rise in air pollution, the Gautam Budh district administration has directed its all departments to ensure strict implementation of Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) in a coordinated manner, officials said on Tuesday.

Officials said that transport and police departments have been tasked with ensuring compliance with GRAP IV rules in vehicular movement, including curbing the entry of non-essential trucks into the district. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Manish Kumar Verma, the district magistrate, has issued directions to form joint teams comprising officials from the pollution control board, administrative officials, authority, and police, to conduct inspections of construction sites to ensure compliance, they added.

“The enforcement of GRAP IV norms must be stringent to mitigate pollution levels. Effective measures should be implemented to prevent further degradation of air quality. The teams will be carrying out inspections during the night to check for non-compliance of Grap rules. Strict action should be undertaken against the violators of Grap rules,” the DM said.

Strict penalties must be imposed on violators, including those engaging in illegal construction activities and burning waste materials, the DM said.

Though Noida’s air quality marginally improved to ‘very poor’ (370) category on Tuesday as per the air quality index (AQI) from ‘severe’ (423) category recorded on Monday, Greater Noida continues to reel under ‘very poor’ category for fourth consecutive day, at 372 AQI, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Officials from the authority and municipal bodies have been directed to ensure regular water sprinkling on roads to suppress dust and act immediately against waste burning. Additionally, the education department has been instructed to mandate water sprinkling in and around schools and suspend all outdoor activities to safeguard students from hazardous air conditions.

“School authorities must ensure dust-free environments and strictly adhere to the guidelines for children’s safety,” the DM said.

Officials said that transport and police departments have been tasked with ensuring compliance with GRAP IV rules in vehicular movement, including curbing the entry of non-essential trucks into the district.

“The current air quality scenario is alarming, with AQI levels in the ‘Severe+’ category in adjoining areas and ‘very poor’ levels in Gautam Budh Nagar. Immediate and stringent actions are necessary. Under GRAP Stage IV, we have intensified our monitoring efforts and are conducting regular field inspections to identify violations. Construction activities will face strict penalties, and waste burning is strictly prohibited,” said Utsav Sharma, regional officer, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board Noida.

“We urge industries to strictly adhere to emission norms and switch to cleaner fuels wherever possible,” he added.

On late Monday, the administration ordered the closure of physical classes for all schools from preschool to Class 12, until November 23.

To be sure, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), on Monday, enforced Grap Stage 4 in Delhi-National Capital Region. Key measures include a ban on entry of non-essential truck traffic into Delhi, except for LNG/CNG, electric, or BS-VI diesel trucks carrying essential goods. Construction activities, including linear public projects like highways and pipelines, are also halted.

Educational institutions may shift classes to online mode for students of grades 6 to 9, and 11. Under the stage, offices are encouraged to operate at 50% capacity.

Restrictions on medium and heavy goods vehicles, closure of non-essential commercial activities, and implementation of odd-even vehicle schemes may be considered by state governments. Citizens are urged to stay indoors.