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Dusty Road Sweeper Sparks Pollution Fears
8 Nov
Summary
- Road sweeping machine is increasing air pollution.
- RWA urges authority for dust-free mechanical sweeping.
- Greater Noida's AQI is 281, classified as poor.
Residents in Greater Noida's Sector Beta 1 have voiced concerns regarding dust pollution allegedly caused by a road-sweeping machine. The Sector Beta 1 Residents Welfare Association (RWA) reported that the machine, operated by the Greater Noida authority's health department, was observed creating dust clouds while sweeping a major road.
The RWA general secretary, Harender Bhati, highlighted that the machines are old, ineffective, and deployed only once every three to four days. He stated that instead of collecting dust, they are exacerbating air pollution, contradicting government efforts to control air quality. The association has requested that water be sprinkled and roads cleaned using scientific methods to prevent dust from becoming airborne.
Senior manager (health) at the authority, Rajesh Gautam, acknowledged the importance of the machines for cleanliness and assured that the issue of excessive dust generation would be investigated. On Saturday, Greater Noida recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 281, which falls into the poor category, with Noida at 297 and Delhi at 369, also in the poor and very poor categories, respectively. A February circular from the Commission for Air Quality Management emphasized that ineffective road sweeping contributes significantly to particulate matter levels in the National Capital Region.
