Ghaziabad, in Uttar Pradesh, which is a part of the National Capital Region (NCR), is currently one of the most polluted cities in the country. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has now identified traffic congestion and dust to be the main contributors behind the rising level of air pollution in Ghaziabad.
A district official was quoted by The Times of India as saying more than 20 areas in Ghaziabad have been identified where the dust pollution is remarkably severe. Various agencies as well as departments are asked to continue carrying out water sprinkling since the Graded Response Action Plan was initiated.
"The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation is responsible for water sprinkling along a 90 kilometer stretch within the city’s municipal limits and for mechanised sweeping along another 106 kilometer km stretch,” the official added.
According to a report, water sprinkling is being carried out in most of the stretches including Mohan Nagar to GT Road, Sahibabad to Maharajpur, Sahibabad to Chandra Vihar, Meerut Road to Dudheshwarnath Temple, Vasundhara to Prahladgarhi and Dabur Chowk to UP Gate, among others, the ground reality is vastly different.
The report says ground reality does not match with what has been mentioned on papers and shows something different. The daily said that unreserved stretches in Nandgram, Loni’s Rashid Nagar, Bhatta Number 5 Road in Sikroad, Vijay Nagar bypass and Siddharth Vihar, continue to remain covered with dust the entire day.
The daily quoted the district official explaining that though the stretches are sources of dust pollution, they are internal roads within colonies. The officials further said that they are checking pollutions on the main roads which are in good condition.
"Green paving has been done across most of the city, but there are many pavements we are yet to cover. The immediate problem that we face is that of encroachment by street vendors. Evicting them from the roads is a major challenge, because of which we have not been able to complete green paving on many stretches," said Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) vice-chairperson Kanchan Verma in defence.
Traffic is another reason due to which Ghaziabad is facing an rise in pollution. To combat the issue, GDA has roped in Central Road Research Institute (CRRO) to make a plan on traffic movement.
According to the report, GDA vice-chairperson Kanchan Verma said that 14 major intersections have been highlighted by the CRRI that witness highest traffic congestion. The most prominent ones include - GDA Old Bus Stand, Choudhary Mor, Indirapuram SRS Cinemas and Kanawani Intersection.
Verma further added that the CRRI has also recommended changes in the design of road in some of the places in Ghaziabad. The recommendations have been implemented in Indirapuram and will soon be implemented in other parts of the city.
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