Noida enforcing Grap compliance, penalties worth Rs 48 lakh issued: CEO

Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M on Saturday said his department is enforcing compliance of GRAP III guidelines and non-essential construction has been banned, stressing that penal action is being taken against those violating the anti-pollution norms.

So far, the Noida Authority has issued penalties worth Rs 48 lakh on offenders in line with the guidelines of the GRAP, implemented by the Centre's anti-pollution body Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the NCR.

Accompanied by District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, Lokesh said the local authority is taking various measures to control dust in Noida.

The two were participating in the launch of the first-of-its-kind workshop of the traditional South Indian medical system "Varmam" here organised by the Vision Mission Foundation.

We have already started a campaign to clean main roads, arterial and sub-arterial roads. A schedule has been fixed for it and senior managers have been told to complete the cleaning work as per the schedule. All anti-smog guns and sprinklers with the Noida Authority are continuously working, Lokesh told PTI on the sidelines of the event.

Secondly, notices have been issued for all construction activities and they have been stopped. Wherever construction material was found lying in the open that has also been covered, he said.

We are trying to enforce the compliance of all rules of GRAP and so far we have issued challans worth Rs 48 lakh wherever violations of these rules have been found and strict action being taken against them, the Noida Authority CEO said.

Asked about some anti-smog guns not functioning properly at some locations and residents' concern over dust cleaning not being up to the standard, he said, "We are following the standards laid down in the GRAP for dust control and water guns which were not functioning have been repaired and they have resumed work."

The penal action taken by the authority against polluters is separate from those imposed by the district administration.

DM Verma said the administration has also ramped up efforts to tackle the challenge of pollution.

Earlier in the day, the district magistrate made site inspections to review the implementation of GRAP III norms across Noida and Greater Noida.

Meanwhile, the AQI of Noida was recorded at 408 and Greater Noida at 490 (both in the severe category) at 4 pm on Saturday, according to official figures for past 24-hour averages.