Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to undertake a detailed review of the action plans of Ghaziabad and Noida aimed at tackling air pollution in the two cities.
This was the first review under a series of meetings on city-specific action plans in the NCR, which will culminate in a state-level review in the coming days. The review is being conducted in the prescribed format, as directed by the Minister during an earlier review meeting held on December 3 to assess progress and strengthen on-ground implementation.
According to an official release by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, detailed presentations were made by senior officers from the two cities on actions taken so far. The review of the action plans was carried out based on key parameters, including the adoption of smart traffic management systems to curb vehicular emissions; compliance of industrial units with prescribed pollution norms; the status of commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleets and the availability of charging infrastructure; and strengthening end-to-end public transport systems and parking facilities.
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The review also covered infrastructure augmentation for the management of construction and demolition (C&D) waste and municipal solid waste (MSW)/legacy waste; end-to-end paving or tiling of roads to reduce dust generation; the status of deployment of mechanical road sweeping machines (MRSMs) and the use of anti-smog guns and water sprinklers; greening of pathways and open areas; and Jan Bhagidari initiatives, including IEC activities and app-based grievance redressal mechanisms.
The Minister took an update from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the installation of online continuous emission monitoring systems (OCEMS) in the remaining industrial units, along with the status of on-site inspections and handholding support being provided for installations.
He directed strict adherence to the December 31 deadline for OCEMS installation and instructed that stringent action be taken against non-compliant units. CPCBs and SPCBs were also directed to inspect polluting and non-compliant industries in peri-urban areas and undertake necessary corrective measures.
Yadav requested the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR (CAQM) to further fine-tune the parameters used for implementing city action plans and collate them for reviewing progress across Delhi-NCR in the coming days. He emphasised the need to upgrade National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) parameters to enable rational allocation of funds to better-performing cities. The Minister also stressed the active involvement of public representatives and citizens in ground-level implementation of action plans and greening activities, so that pollution control becomes a true Jan Bhagidari movement.
Offering specific suggestions, the Minister advised municipal authorities to partner with respective forest departments for the plantation of heat-resistant, low-water-requiring indigenous varieties of bushes and grasses as part of greening efforts. He also called for the formulation of integrated waste management plans through coordinated efforts of different government and municipal agencies, avoiding siloed approaches and duplication of resources. CAQM was requested to devise a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the utilisation of urban open spaces for greening and improved urban planning.
The Minister further suggested undertaking a study to identify popular routes and bulk traffic movement corridors in Delhi-NCR, followed by the provision of end-to-end public transport facilities, at least on these major routes. He underlined that municipal action plans should not only respond to present challenges but also be future-ready, including the advance identification of urban sites for processing increasing volumes of MSW and C&D waste.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of CAQM, the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), senior officers of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, representatives of the Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (UPSPCB), along with the District Magistrate and Municipal Commissioner of Ghaziabad and the CEO of the Noida Authority.
