Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Manish Verma on Wednesday asked industries and builders to boost anti-pollution measures at their respective sites. Verma has further directed government officials to ensure that penal action is taken against those who are found to be violating National Green Tribunal (NGT) norms across Noida and Greater Noida. The DM held a meeting with representatives of industries and builders along with government departments during which he emphasised that all construction work in the district is banned for some time except for hospitals and the Noida International Airport in Jewar, reported news agency PTI while citing an official statement.
The meeting was attended by all deputy collectors, officers of the traffic police, local authorities, the pollution control board, the forest department, and others.
DM Verma, while reviewing the meeting of the District Environment Committee, said that the concerned officials should establish mutual coordination and prepare their respective strategies to ensure that proper action is taken to curb the pollution which will be in accordance with the standards of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
"The district magistrate told the representatives of the organizations associated with the construction work that at present all construction works in the district have been banned till further orders, which is being continuously monitored by the officials concerned. If construction work is found taking place at any site, fine will be imposed against the concerned. They were also told that construction materials kept at the construction sites should be kept covered by sprinkling water regularly. The DM said that at present only the construction work of the Jewar airport and hospitals is being done following the standards of NGT," reported PTI while quoting the official statement.
The DM further instructed the representatives of industrial units that they should not allow dust and soil to accumulate around their industrial units. He said, "Get water sprayed daily in front of your industrial units and the garbage coming out of industrial units should not be burnt."
He then instructed the local authorities to sprinkle water regularly and continuously monitor it. He added that the officials should also ensure that there is no stubble or garbage anywhere in the district. PTI quoted him as saying, "There should be no incident of burning and if any case of burning of garbage or stubble comes to notice, action should be taken against the concerned according to rules and a fine should be imposed. He also instructed that there should be no construction work anywhere in the district, if any construction work is found anywhere then action should be taken to impose a fine against the concerned."
DM Verma then instructed the Traffic Police and Divisional Transport Officer that they should take action jointly to completely ban the plying of BS III (petrol) and BS IV (diesel) vehicles. He said that they can ensure this either by impounding the said vehicles or imposing challans on them.