Toxic air: Concerned Noida-GreNo residents want authorities to act

The toxic fumes pervading the entire Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) is a man-made disaster. Stubble and garbage burning, dusty roads and illegal constructions are to be blamed for things to come to such a pass.

As per the air quality index (AQI), the region has slipped to “very poor” category. 
Under the circumstances, concerned citizens are desperately looking to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for relief. They look at the initiative as the only hope to deliver themselves from the morass. 

Residents of Noida and Greater Noida have called upon the authorities to take stringent action against violators of of the GRAD. Of later, some residents of Greater Noida have taken to Twitter to give vent to their ire on the authorities, who they accused of a lackadaisical attitude towards the woes of the public in the wake of worsening air quality.

They say they are forced to inhale dust and smog released in the air through mindless construction activities and unrestrained vehicular traffic raising dust in the air on the unkempt roads. The common refrain of the Twitterati is that the the authorities can't escape the onus for air pollution, they can't abdicate their responsibility to provide the citizens with clean air.

As per the GRAP, the civil construction should be stopped as and when the air quality turns ‘severe’. But despite the alarming situation we are witness to of late, the builders are going on with their business as usual violating the rules laid down by the National Green Tribunal NGT and the Supreme Court (SC) with impunity oblivious of the sufferings of the people forced to breath toxics.

CitySpidey found material used for construction lying unattended in the open and in some instances encroaching roads in both Noida and Greater Noida. Trucks and dumpers in a dilapidated state were seen carrying construction material without water sprinkled on it which is mandatory to prevent its particles from flying in the air.

Elsewhere, sanitary workers were seen raising the dust in the air while sweeping the roads and pavements in the region.

Speaking to CitySpidey, Pushpendra Singh, a resident of Alpha 1 in Greater Noida, said, “ Our children are breathing dusk, my son is sick for a week now because he is allergic to dusk and the roads are dusty.”

Though the Noida Authority has been using the sprinkling technique to curb the dust pollution, areas like Hanuman Murthi Chowk are still worst affected because of the RMC factory.

Counting the grievances of the residents, Brijesh Sharma, a resident of Sector 7X in Noida, said, “The road here is chockablock with dumpers and trucks carrying the polluting material. There is no streetlight even as it's months since stamp poles have been installed. The factory keeps emitting harmful gases throughout the day.” 

When asked if they had approached the authority, he shot back saying, “How many times should we complain to the authority.”