CONSTRUCTION SITES TO HAVE DUST AUDIT PTZ CAMERAS

Concerned over the fast deteriorating air quality, the district administration has launched a pan-district anti-pollution drive. Officials have roped in industrialists, government department experts and other stake holders in a drive aimed at bringing down the pollution level.

Also, dust audit PTZ cameras have been made mandatory at construction sites.

The district administration’s move is a sequel to the city’s air quality index deteriorating on Thursday, crossing the mark of 240 at most points. “An urgent meeting has been called to check the city’s pollution level and to prevent it from getting worse. We have roped in various stake holders, including government departments, to keep a check on the pollution levels,” said Abhishek Prakash, district magistrate.

Prakash said Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), Nagar Nigam, forest department, agriculture department, traffic police, Awas Vikas, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI, Bridge Corporation, Roadways and others had been enlisted in the anti-pollution drive.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday released detailed guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the festive season and political activities, especially in view of the forthcoming assembly by-polls in seven constituencies of UP.

Significant among these are – separate entry and exit points in all mass religious activities or venues of political rallies; mandatory isolation room at all such places to isolate any person who shows Covid-19 symptoms. Though not mandatory, the guidelines ask organisers to consider CCTV surveillance system to spot the level of adherence to precautionary measures against Covid such as mask-wearing and social distancing by the staff and visitors at the venues.

The guidelines also ask organisers of religious or political mass gathering events to suggest that pregnant women, persons above 65 years of age, children below 10, and those with co-morbidities (serious illnesses) stay home and that none of the persons among the organisers and staff (at the venues) too should be in these categories.

The Friday order clarifies that none of such public activities can be held without prior permission from the district administration and no such activities will be allowed in containment zones.

The guidelines say that idols should be installed at traditional spaces, kept smaller; idols/tazia should not be installed/ kept at road crossings; during immersion small vehicles should be used with minimum possible people in the immersion procession, and routes for such processions should be planned in advance.

Chief secretary RK Tiwari released the elaborate point-bypoint guidelines following the order he had issued on October 1 that paved way for unlocking almost all activities by allowing a graded restart of schools, a partial reopening of movie theatres, and large gatherings, including political and religious events (Durga Puja, Ramleela, Dussehra, immersion of idols, festivals and political activities).

In the order, Tiwari said: “October to December is largely festival time with occasions such as Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Barawafat, Diwali, Chhat Puja, Kartik Purnima, Christmas etc, which would involve the installation of idols, prayers, meals, exhibitions, jagran, cultural programmes, rallies, processions, visarjan (idol immersion) that draw people. Thus the state government releases detailed guidelines in accordance with the union government’s guidelines and SOPs for Covid-19 safety and protection.”

The guidelines/SOPs say that for any such event, the venue should be selected in advance with proper permissions in place and that the area (boundaries) of venue should be earmarked. It’s mandatory for all such venues to have a separate entrance and exit points; the venues should be adequately equipped with sanitisation systems, thermal scanning, physical distancing circles on the ground/floor, or hand sanitization facilities.

According to the guidelines, if any person -- be it among organisers, staff, or visitors shows any Covid symptoms, then he/ she should be politely turned