GMC will get ₹17cr from Centre to tackle toxic air

Ghaziabad: The Union finance ministry has approved a grant of Rs 17.2 crore for Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) to tackle air pollution. Ghaziabad is among seven big municipalities in the state that have been allocated a total of Rs 258.1 crore. Cities are declared ‘non-attainment’ if they consistently fail to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM 10 or NO2 over a 5-year period. In 2020-21, GMC received Rs 121 crore in two instalments. Ghaziabad is considered one of the most polluted cities in the country, particularly in winter, when the air quality crosses toxic levels.

The finance ministry’s department of expenditure gave its nod to the proposal under the 15th Finance Commission’s ambient air quality grant for million-plus cities. “Initially, we were apprised that Ghaziabad would receive a grant of Rs 34 crore from the central govt to combat air pollution in the city, but later we received a communication from Rs 17.2 crore has been approved. The amount is likely to be disbursed in the next 10 days, after which we will chalk out a plan and ensure the grant is utilised well to mitigate air pollution,” said a GMC official.For UP, the maximum amount of Rs 106.9 crore has been approved for Kanpur, followed by Agra (Rs 59 crore), Varanasi (Rs 36.6 crore) and Ghaziabad.Meanwhile, Ghaziabad’s annual AQI average has improved over the past few years, according to data released by the UP Pollution Control Board. In 2017, the average annual AQI was 256, which dipped to 250 in 2018. In 2019, it further improved to 238, while in 2020, it was 204. But it rose slightly 206 in 2021 and again came down to 206 the following year.“Measures like deployment of road sweeping machines, water sprinklers, and anti-smog guns at pollution hotspots have stood the city in good stead in dust pollution-prone areas. In addition to this, a quick response team has been formed to check garbage burning, which has also helped in controlling air pollution,” the GMC official said.

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