A five-judge bench, headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swantater Kumar, directed a committee of officials to study and analyse the air quality in and around Ghaziabad, following a petition filed by residents of Kaushambi.
The committee includes experts from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCB) and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB). It will submit a report in three weeks.
Kaushambi Apartments Residents Welfare Association (KARWA), headed by president VK Mittal, had filed a petition with the NGT about air and noise pollution in the area. Residents said this was mainly due to encroachment, illegal parking, unclean roads, diesel buses and use of air pressure horns.
The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation admitted that a large number of buses plying from the Anand Vihar and Kaushambi terminuses were still operating on diesel.
KARWA requested the NGT for a comprehensive view on the matter, including a look into encroachment, parking on metalled roads, traffic jams, DG (diesel generator) sets and diesel buses.
Some of the requests made by KARWA were:
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The shifting of the Kaushambi bus terminus away from the residential area. It is just 50 m away now.
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Strict action against illegal parking lots from Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation.
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Removal of encroachments from footpaths.
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Ban on the use of air pressure horns in the area.
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Use of vacuum-cleaners on the roads. The sweeping is now done by brooms, which throws up a lot of dust.
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Rehabilitation of the green belt in front of Kaushambi, which acts as a buffer against air and noise pollution.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Samrat Roy)