Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad Administration, with the help of pollution control boards, has proposed a shift in continuous ambient air monitoring equipment (CAAQMS), which measures the quality of the air as a whole, from Loni, one of the most polluted areas in NCR, to be greener.
And ‘less polluted’ part of the city, like city forest, where the reading is less likely to ‘severe’.
While relocation will not have an impact on the overall air quality of Ghaziabad, which requires focused large-scale dust mitigation measures, it might make better data.
The official reason for moving the system, which is currently installed at the Loni Nagar Palika office, is a ‘renovation work’ that needs to be done in the building.
A team consisting of two uppcb officials and senior Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation officials guaranteed for a new place for Caaqms and identified three locations – GMC headquarters in Navyug Market, Sai UPvan near Hindon Vihar and City Forest in Karthera.
The letter to this effect was written to GD authorities by the city commissioner who was looking for permission to shift the system to the city forest.
Administrative proposals have attracted leaves from environmental lovers.
Vikrant Sharma, a city-based environmental lover, said it was intended to “brush the AQI LONI data under the carpet”.
“There are four Caaqms installed in Ghaziabad – in Loni, Vasundhara, Sanjay Nagar and Indirapuram.
Aqi City is calculated based on the four readings from this.
On most of the winter day, Loni violates the ‘heavy’ sign, which has a bad impact on Ghaziabad air quality Overall, “Sharma said.
A GMC official said that the corporation received a fair share of funds from the center below the 15th Finance Commission, which would be spent to control the level of pollution in the city.
“But, because Loni, air quality is affected and this reflects badly on GMC.
Therefore, plans to shift CAAQMS to the city forest area, which is free green and pollution free,” he added.
UTSAV Sharma Regional Officers UTPCB said the request to shift the system had come from Loni Nagar Palika.
“We communicate this to GDA, GMC, and our head office in Lucknow,” he said, adding that “not much to be read”.
Asked why other places could not be found in the area of ​​Loni himself, he said, “We are considering the city of Tronica but it doesn’t work.”