CAQM inspects 142 Noida road stretches; majority show low or no visible dust

Targeted corrective measures ordered at identified hotspots to prevent dust and waste re-accumulation

Noida, January 6: The Commission for Air Quality Management carried out an inspection drive on January 5 across road stretches maintained by the Noida Authority to assess road cleaning, mechanical sweeping and overall upkeep, as part of its ongoing monitoring and enforcement under the extant Graded Response Action Plan.

The inspection covered 142 road stretches with the objective of evaluating on-ground dust mitigation measures and identifying issues related to visible road dust, accumulation of municipal solid waste, construction and demolition waste, and instances of open burning.

Ten teams comprising officers from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the CAQM flying squad were deployed. Geo-tagged and time-stamped photographic evidence was collected during the exercise and submitted to the Commission as part of a consolidated inspection report.

Encouraging overall findings

According to the findings, the overall scenario was encouraging. Of the 142 stretches inspected, only four showed high visible dust levels, while 24 recorded moderate dust. As many as 66 stretches had low dust intensity and 48 showed no visible dust.

Stretches with higher dust levels were, in some cases, linked to the accumulation of municipal solid waste and construction and demolition debris, particularly under flyovers, along metro corridors and on select arterial roads. These observations, CAQM said, underscore the need for focused action at identified hotspots to prevent re-accumulation of dust and waste.

Sustained enforcement to continue

The Commission emphasised sustained and intensified efforts at vulnerable locations, including regular mechanical sweeping, prompt lifting and scientific disposal of collected dust and waste, effective water sprinkling, and strict prevention of waste dumping and open burning.

CAQM said inspection and enforcement drives under ‘Operation Clean Air’ will continue across the NCR to ensure strict compliance with statutory directions and GRAP measures for dust mitigation and prevention of open burning. The Commission reiterated its commitment to working on a war footing with all concerned agencies to ensure clean, green, dust-free and well-maintained road stretches across the region.