Air quality in state has witnessed improvement, Haryana govt informs NGT

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, November 22

The state has witnessed an improving trend in the ambient air quality and taking cognisance of this, restrictions of GRAP stage IV enforced by the CAQM on November 5, have been revoked and downgraded to stage III.

This has been claimed by Vineet Garg, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) (Environment) to state government, in an action-taken report submitted yesterday to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which had, on November 10, asked the Chief Secretary to identify contributing sources of pollution causing deterioration of air quality and take immediate steps to control it.

“The NGT in its November 10 orders, pointed out 18 cities of 16 districts in Haryana, where the air quality was dipping . In compliance with the orders, the DCs of these districts were directed to act and submit the action-taken report with respect to steps taken for improving the prevailing air quality,” stated the ACS’s report. These districts were Gurugram, Faridabad, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Hisar, Fatehabad, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Rewari, Mahendragarh, Charkhi Dadri, Jhajjar, Sirsa, Sonepat and Panipat.

The authorities concerned said the major sources of air pollution was mining, crushers, industries (air polluting units and brick kilns), road dust, municipal solid waste dumping and construction sites, fire incidence at solid waste dumping sites, wood fire, stubble burning and vehicular emissions. Thereafter, remedial steps were taken.The reportsaid the functioning of stone crushers was halted in compliance with the CAQM directions. The construction activities were banned and the MCs were directed to sprinkle water on roads and trees. “Hot spots of traffic congestion were identified and adequate number of police personnel deployed for smooth flow of traffic. A penalty was also imposed on those found indulging in burning garbage,” the report added.