Gurugram best in NCR in Grap implementation to curb pollution
Gurugram had the highest implementation score of 17%, indicating that 17 of every 100 incidents of polluting activity were being checked, according to an inspection conducted across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.
An inspection conducted across five cities — Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad — by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) between October 16 and October 31 found Gurugram to be the most efficient city in implementing the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) to curb air pollution in the National Capital Region.
Gurugram had the highest implementation score of 17%, indicating that 17 of every 100 incidents of polluting activity were being checked.
Faridabad came in second, with an implementation score of 12.7%, while Delhi ranked third (11.3%), followed by Noida (10%) and Ghaziabad (9.8%). A similar exercise had been conducted by the CPCB between September 15 and October 15, in which Gurugram received the lowest implementation score among these cities, at just 3.76%, indicates a significant improvement in the Haryana State Pollution Control Board and district administration’s attempts at Grap implementation.
According to a summary report of the inspection (a copy of which is with Hindustan Times), a CPCB team conducted 141 inspections in these five cities and found 1,099 violations, comprised mainly of construction activities, open waste dumping, unpaved roads, open burning of waste, traffic congestion and road dust (in that order).
Between September 15 and October 15, however, only 781 violations were reported after 125 such inspections. All cities had received an implementation score of less than 10%, following which strict orders were given by both the CPCB and the Environmental Pollution Control Authority to the states to step up the implementation of the Grap.
A comparison between the two summary reports reveals that Gurugram has shown the most improvement in its implementation of Grap protocol. “We took the Centre’s orders seriously and doubled down on our efforts to keep the violations in check,” said Kuldeep Singh, regional officer (Gurugram), HSPCB.