In a significant move to tackle deteriorating air quality, Uttar Pradesh's Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge), Arun Kumar Saxena, chaired a high-level review meeting on Tuesday. The focus was on assessing the measures and progress in controlling air pollution across the National Capital Region of Uttar Pradesh (UP-NCR), Lucknow, and Kanpur.
Comprehensive Action Plan and Directives
Minister Saxena issued clear directives to officials from all concerned departments. He emphasized the need for clear and timely action plans to address every potential source of air pollution. The minister stressed the importance of coordinated, prompt, and effective action to ensure cleaner and improved air quality for the state's residents.
Multi-Pronged Strategy on the Ground
A detailed presentation during the meeting revealed the scale of the ongoing efforts. To enforce pollution control norms, a massive force of 256 inspection teams from various departments is conducting continuous raids and enforcement drives across the UP-NCR region.
For controlling dust—a major pollutant—authorities are deploying substantial machinery. This includes 58 mechanical road sweeping machines, 332 water sprinklers, and 358 anti-smog guns for regular operations. Furthermore, a massive stretch of 3,460 kilometres of road has been identified for redevelopment and improvement to permanently reduce dust pollution.
Targeting Vehicles, Industry, and Public Transport
The strategy also includes a strong focus on vehicular pollution. Intensive inspection campaigns are underway to take action against polluting vehicles. To provide cleaner alternatives, the operation of e-buses, CNG buses, and BS-6 standard buses is being actively promoted to encourage public transport use.
A special emphasis has been placed on strengthening the e-vehicle charging infrastructure to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. Discussions also covered improving parking arrangements and the effective implementation of an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) for smoother traffic flow, which reduces congestion-related emissions.
On the industrial front, a strict mandate has been issued. All industrial units have been ordered to install Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS). This system will ensure real-time monitoring of industrial emissions and guarantee strict adherence to environmental standards.
Data-Driven Discussion on Pollution Sources
The meeting featured a presentation of air quality data for the UP-NCR region, including Lucknow and Kanpur districts. A detailed discussion was held on preventing and controlling all major pollution sources. These include:
- Dust from roads and open areas
- Emissions from vehicles
- Pollution from industrial activities
- Dust from construction and demolition sites
- Burning of agricultural residue
- Municipal solid waste and biomass burning
The officials resolved to ensure strict enforcement action against any violations related to these sources. The comprehensive review underscores the state government's intensified efforts to combat the persistent challenge of air pollution in its key urban centres.
