EPCA marks pollution hotspots

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has identified — Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, and Bhiwari — as the three major pollution hotspots contributing a large volume of pollutants to the national Capital. Anand Vihar in east Delhi and Ghaziabad and Bhiwari in the NCR have been zeroed out for being hubs of industrial and dust pollution being spread in the city air.

Pollution levels in Delhi NCR have remained in the "very poor" category post-Diwali. This is despite the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) having been enforced in Delhi since October 15.

EPCA — a Supreme Court mandated body to monitor and curb air pollution in the Capital — is to take a review meeting with the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) and municipal committees of Delhi, Rajasthan, UP and Haryana on Tuesday to discuss measures to be implemented immediately at the three sites.

Also, the authority along with the Delhi government's Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is to take up a site inspection of Anand Vihar.

While Ghaziabad falls in UP, Bhiwari is a town in Rajasthan. Both the places are coming up as big industrial towns housing factories of plastic, glass, cloth etc.

"While Anand Vihar has been a focus area since last year, as pollution levels are always high here, Ghaziabad and Bhiwari are coming up as big industrial and construction hubs contributing a large volume of emissions in the city air. If required we may have to shut down the industries here for a certain period," said Bhure Lal, chairman, EPCA.

Anand Vihar being close to the border and Ghazipur slaughterhouse has a number of trucks coming in every day. Moreover, it has the inter-state bus terminal with over 3,500 buses going in and out on a daily basis, adding to both pollution and congestion.

The air quality index (AQI) of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) on Monday again recorded "very poor".

Seven of the eight monitoring stations under SAFAR recorded "very poor" air quality — Mathura Road (327), Indira Gandhi International Airport (314), Lodhi Road (302), Delhi University (345), Pitampura (335), Dhirpur (303), and Noida (310).

Delhi air quality is measured against PM 2.5 levels, as this is the most prominent pollutant in the Capital's air.

"With the wind speed improving after Diwali, the air quality has improved. However, it is not satisfactory and we have written to all the concerned state boards to take field visits and monitor implementation on the ground so that air quality does not deteriorate further," said Lal.

AIR QUALITY

• Seven of the eight monitoring stations under SAFAR recorded “very poor” air quality — Mathura Road (327), Indira Gandhi International Airport (314), Lodhi Road (302), Delhi University (345), Pitampura (335), Dhirpur (303), and Noida (310)