12 teams set up to curb air pollution in Sonepat

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, November 5

The district administration has constituted 12 special teams to curb air pollution in Sonepat district. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Sonepat has been under ‘severe’ category for the past three days and GRAP-3 has been implemented in the district.

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board has started collecting air emission samples from industries in HSIIDC at Barhi, Kundli, Rai and other industrial zones in Sonepat.

As per the data available, the AQI was recorded 382 (very poor) on October 31, 281 (poor) on November 1, 374 (very poor) on November 2, 455 (severe) on November 3, 416 (severe) on November 4 and 407 on Sunday.

Furthermore, various industrial associations said industries were not the source of air pollution in the NCR, but the slow vehicular movement in the national capital, stubble burning and others were responsible for the ‘severe’ air quality in Delhi-NCR.

Pritam Sachdeva, president, Panipat Industrial Association, said the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had strictly banned the operation of DG sets in the NCR districts on October 1. But, still the AQI in Delhi has reached a ‘severe’ category and in the past one week.

Subhash Gupta, president, Kundli Industrial Association, said the industries were falsely blamed for the rising air pollution.

Following the CAQM’s directions, all industries had removed connections of the DG sets and were lying closed for over a month, but still the AQI in Delhi and the NCR had reached a ‘severe’ category, he claimed.

Thousands of vehicles moved on Delhi roads and since the traffic management was poor, the traffic jams occurred. The stranded vehicles emitted smoke, which was also a big reason for air pollution and some other reasons were garbage burning and stubble burning, Gupta said.

Pradeep Singh, Regional Officer, HSPCB, said there were several reasons behind the deterioration of the air quality in the NCR. A fine of Rs 50,000 had been imposed on an industry for carrying out construction work in the Barhi industrial zone, he added.