GRAP effect: Noida traders seek uninterrupted power supply, citizens urge for dust-free roads

Noida residents have also raised issues of dust and improper maintenance of city roads that lead to air pollution, even as the local authority expressed dissatisfaction over work of private contractors engaged in mechanical sweeping of roads and collection of construction and demolition waste. Starting Thursday, stricter measures to fight air pollution will come into force in the National Capital Region (NCR) including Noida and Greater Noida in western UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar as part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Gautam Buddh Nagar traders Wednesday urged the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure uninterrupted power supply as stricter measures, like ban on use of diesel generators, will come into force from Thursday in Delhi NCR to check pollution. Noida residents have also raised issues of dust and improper maintenance of city roads that lead to air pollution, even as the local authority expressed dissatisfaction over work of private contractors engaged in mechanical sweeping of roads and collection of construction and demolition waste.

Starting Thursday, stricter measures to fight air pollution will come into force in the National Capital Region (NCR) including Noida and Greater Noida in western UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar as part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). These measures include increasing bus and metro services, hiking parking fees and stopping use of diesel generator sets when the air quality turns poor.

Confederation of All India Traders' (CAIT's) Delhi NCR convenor Sushil Kumar Jain said the order has been issued banning use of generators but such decisions “which are implemented without preparations” impact traders and business. “Traders are forced to use generators only because of disruption in power supply. If there is no disruption, there will be no use of generators. Every year such orders are issued around this time of the year without prior preparation with businessmen and entrepreneurs facing unnecessary problems,” Jain, also the president of Noida's biggest Sector 18 market traders' association, said.

“This year the business community has already suffered a lot due the COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown … Anyway, it is the responsibility of the government to provide power supply 24 × 7. If that cannot be done, penalty should be imposed on agencies unable to deliver power supply,” he said. City-based Progressive Community Foundation (PCF) alleged laxity by government officials in repair works of the roads which leads to dust and air pollution and has urged the Noida Authority officials to resolve this situation.

“There are several private companies that frequently break city roads for underground cabling. They obtain permission from the Noida Authority but the sad part is roads once broken are not properly repaired, leading to dust and air pollution and citizens have to face this health risk,” the PCF's Amit Gupta said. Meanwhile, Noida Authority's CEO Ritu Maheshwari on Wednesday discussed issues of bio-remediation, mechanical sweeping of roads besides management of construction and demolition (C and D) waste with private agencies handling the work.

The Noida Authority found that there was no “proper output” in the mechanical sweeping works carried out by private contractor BBG private limited, according to an official statement. “The contractor has been instructed to verify attendance of workers, and ensure proper use of machines so that dust is not generated during cleaning and is not collected on the road edges or near the central verge of roads,” the statement said.

“The private firm has assured the Authority that it would not get any complaint regarding their work in future,” it added. Maheshwari also expressed dissatisfaction with the work of contractor Ramky Reclamation and Recycling Limited over the construction and demolition waste management.

“The Health Department officers have been directed to deduct money from the payment to be made to the private contractor over their bad work. Ramky representatives have also been instructed to immediately identify spots for collection of C and D waste and apprise the Health Department about it so that vehicles engaged for the work could be verified,” according to the statement. The Noida Authority boss also directed officials to ensure that they spend one hour daily in their area of work in order to ensure cleanliness and pollution-free environment.

She also asked them to monitor works of private contractors and blacklist or deduct payment of those not doing their job well, it added..