Waste-burning in Greater Noida adds to toxic air

NOIDA: Waste burning continued in Greater Noida on Monday even as the air quality remained in the ‘severe’ zone and the district administration threatened violators with strict action, including arrest.
A heap of garbage was set on fire in an area near Haibatpur village at Greater Noida West, adding to the woes of residents already reeling from high level of pollution. In the day, Noida recorded the AQI at 452, Greater Noida at 433 and Ghaziabad at 430 — all in the severe category.

Authorities swung into action after some environmentalists reported the fire to the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) in the morning. “We were informed about the fire by late morning. We immediately ordered the Greater Noida Authority to take action. We have been informed that the fire was doused with the help of a fire brigade,” an officer from UPPCB said.

On his part, district administrator, Gautam Budh Nagar, BN Singh said, “The administration is taking stringent action against any sort of violation related to pollution. This incident will be investigated.”

But this wasn’t a stray incident as waste burning is being reported regularly from various parts of Greater Noida, including Dadri and Surajpur, over the past few weeks. “The pollution levels are already so high, and we witness garbage burning almost every day in Greater Noida. First, these garbage dumps are illegal. Second, smoke released by those fires is extremely toxic. There has to be increased monitoring to prevent such incidents of garbage burning in the district,” said Vikrant Tongad, Greater Noida-based environmentalist.

A UPPCB official said, “Garbage dumps are often set on fire by ragpickers and even by contractors who dispose the trash. Often, the person who sets it on fire is difficult to spot. But, the administration has adopted a zero-tolerance attitude towards illegal garbage dumping and burning, and swift action is being taken to prevent such violations.”