Violation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) led to fines totalling Rs 4.25 lakh on more than a dozen offenders in Noida on Thursday, the local authority said. The average air quality index (AQI) for a 24-hour period at 4 pm Thursday was recorded at 423, according to a government agency monitoring pollution.
An AQI above 400 indicates ‘severe’ category which “affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases”, the agency stated.
The Noida Authority said a total of 14 cases of violation of GRAP rules were recorded in which the offenders were penalized.
“Fourteen cases of keeping construction material in the open and violating the rules related to air pollution were found and a fine of Rs 4.20 lakh has been imposed,” the Noida Authority said.
“A fine of Rs 5,000 was imposed by the Public Health Department in one case of littering. Thus, today a total fine of Rs 4.25 lakh was imposed in various cases of violation of the provisions of GRAP,” it added.
Water sprinkling on roads has also been started under the provisions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to prevent the air quality of NCR area from being adversely affected, it said.
Water was sprinkled on road stretches measuring about 164.9 km in all areas of Noida through 63 tankers so that the dust flying on the roads can be controlled, it said.
Apart from this, another 25 km length of road, central verges and plants were washed by the Horticulture Department of the Authority, it added.
“A total of 260.75 tonnes of construction and demolition waste was lifted at various places in Noida and was transported to C&D Processing Plant located in Sector-80 for disposal,” the Noida Authority said.
“Roads were cleaned by the Public Health Department on a total of 67 routes with the help of nine mechanical sweeping machines in a length of about 300 km. STP treated water is being used for sprinkling and washing the roads,” it added.