Ghaziabad air pollution remained the worst in the National Capital Region for a second consecutive day, with the city recording an air quality index of 222 on Saturday as the municipal corporation announced plans to spend Rs 134.85 crore on dust control, road repairs, greenery and enforcement.
The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation said the funds would be used to repair roads, make them pothole-free, install tiles along road edges and increase water sprinkling on roads. The civic body has already prepared an action plan for pollution control, and work on installing tiles along several roads has begun, according to the report.
Municipal Commissioner Vikramaditya Singh Malik has directed officials from the construction, health and horticulture departments to take stricter measures against pollution. The corporation said fines would be imposed for activities including open waste burning and actions that generate dust.
The corporation is currently using around 16 vehicles to spray water on roads. It is preparing to purchase four to five additional water-sprinkling vehicles, with the stated aim of increasing dust suppression capacity. Tenders for road repairs have also been issued, while work to repair and improve road surfaces is planned across the city.
The proposed spending also includes developing medians and green belts. Grass will be planted along green belts on major roads to reduce dust, while grass and plants will be added along roads inside wards. Work is planned across the green belts in all five municipal zones. Mayor Sunita Dayal said that several pollution-control works had already started and that the city would also prepare stricter action against polluting vehicles.
The announcement comes as dust remains visible on several major roads despite cleaning claims. The report identified Raj Nagar Extension, Vaishali, Indirapuram, Vijay Nagar and Siddharth Vihar among the areas where dust was still rising from roads. Open waste burning was also reported in Patel Nagar on Saturday.
Ghaziabad’s AQI of 222 was higher than readings recorded in Delhi, Noida and Gurugram, making it the most polluted city among the NCR locations cited in the report. The city was also ranked second nationally on the day. Officials said monitoring was continuing, while Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board regional officer Ankit Singh said departments had been informed about the applicable rules and that surveillance and enforcement would be intensified.