Delhi is source of pollution: Haryana
FARIDABAD: Shifting the blame on Delhi after Faridabad was declared the second most polluted city in a World Health Organisation report, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has clarified that the source of the data on which the report was based was “unclear” and that Faridabad was affected mostly due to the pollution in neighbouring Delhi.
Haryana minister for environment and climate change Vipul Goel, who happens to be the MLA from Faridabad city, said in a statement, “The source of the data on which the report is based is not clear.”
“HSPCB has been monitoring the data since 2010 through Continuous Air Ambient Quality Monitoring Station in Faridabad and Gurugram,” the minister said.
“As per the details available with the Board, the PM 2.5 value of both the cities are being monitored regularly since 2013.
These values increase above 170 only during a brief season, that is, during a few days around Diwali, crop harvesting season during which residue burning is reported and peak winter, when the temperature is low and wind velocity is minimum.
Therefore, it is not justified to claim that the average PM 2.5 value is above 170 in Faridabad,” the minister said.
MLA IN DIBELIEF
He said that the report also claims cities like Srinagar to be polluted, which raises suspicions on the source of the data. “Even Patiala’s air pollution level has been placed quite high based on PM 2.5 values recorded from 2010 to 2016, and Punjab too claims, it never monitored the 2.5 values and the sources are not known to its own pollution control board,” Goel added.
However, he said that Faridabad was affected mostly due to the pollution in Delhi. “Its own sources majorly include vehicles and construction dust and Delhi’s pollution is considerably high with additional sources from municipal solid waste burning going on almost continuously as witnessed during the past years,” Goel said in a statement.
“Delhi’s pollution level has always remained higher than these two cities (Patiala and Srinagar) as indicated by our reports. Now, placing Faridabad above Delhi is not even logical,” he added.
ACTION PLAN READY FO R HARYANA
He said that Haryana has already prepared a detailed action plan to contain air pollution in the entire state. “Diesel vehicles that are more than 10 years old have already been banned from registration in Faridabad, Gurugram and Jhajjar districts of Haryana.
The NHAI, HUDA and public works departments have been directed by the HSPCB to contain dust during their construction activities,” the statement added.
Teams have also been constituted by HUDA, urban local bodies, HSPCB and district administration to monitor violations and penalties are imposed on construction projects, burning of garbage and violations of pollution control norms for vehicles and for not meeting the construction material carriage norms.
Mechanical sweeping machines and vacuum machines are being used in Gurugram and Faridabad for cleaning purposes to reduce road dust.
Other measures to control pollution included vigil on mass transport systems and diversion of undestined vehicles.
He also informed that the government has already ordered for installation of Air Quality Monitoring Stations and the state will have 19 CAAQMS across the state, including Faridabad and Gurugram, and the same would start in a month.
The state is also planning to carry out a ‘Source Attribution Study’ with the help of experts so that the action plan can be put into force accordingly, he added.
FARIDABAD MLA SAYS THE WHO REPORT CLAIMS CITIES LIKE SRINAGAR TO BE POLLUTED, WHICH RAISES SUSPICION