Air quality: Stone crushers, brick-kilns to remain closed from Nov 1 to 10

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 29

The Environment Pollution Control Authority has instructed the authorities concerned here to ensure the closure of all activities related to construction work for 10 days. All stone crushers and brick-kilns operating without the required technique will remain closed between November 1 and 10, it is revealed.

The directions came in the wake of rising air pollution in the NCR in the past several days.

“All 100-odd stone crushers operating here have been asked to remain closed during this period,” said Vijay Chaudhary, Regional Officer, Pollution Control Board (PCB), here. He said that the brick-kilns not upgraded with the zigzag technique of the emission would not be allowed to operate beyond November 1.

The district has a total of 98 brick-kilns. Similar orders have also been passed for another 158 brick-kilns operating in neighbouring Palwal district. The PCB has also asked other departments, including the Municipal Corporation and National Highway Authority of India, to sprinkle water and remove the earth material lying by roadsides and check the burning of the waste in the open.

But on other hand, it is claimed that tonnes of garbage is burnt or dumped in the open on the bypass road along the Agra and Gurugram canal in the city daily.

Though the civic authorities claim to have launched measures to contain air pollution, Varun Sheokand, an environment activist, blamed indiscriminate plying of outdated vehicles and the discharge of chemical-laced effluents and untreated sewer waste into the open in several parts of the city, especially in the Neharpar area as main cause of the problem.

The air quality index here has plunged to very poor to severe category in the past one week. The PM-2.5 was recorded to be 337 at 8 am jumped to 358 at 4pm on Monday against the safe value of 60 micrograms per cubic sq feet.