Ghaziabad lifts construction ban

The district administration on Thursday lifted the ban on construction activities in the city, in the light of improved air quality. The ban on coal and biomass-fuelled industries has also been lifted with effect from Friday, officials said. The air quality index (AQI) of Ghaziabad was recorded at 264 on Thursday, down from Wednesday’s 352. Air quality in Noida and Greater Noida also saw marked improvement. The AQI in Noida and Greater Noida was recorded at 229 and 236, respectively, from Wednesday’s ‘very poor’ level. “The Ghaziabad administration has lifted the ban on construction activities, which was in place since November 1,” said Ashok Tiwari, regional officer of the district pollution control board. “Coal and biomass-fuelled industries, which were also closed down from November 4, have been allowed to operate from Friday. This was after we reviewed the weather conditions in the city in the wake of significant improvement in AQI in the past three days,” he added. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the improvement in air quality in the region was due to the recent rain which had washed away pollutants. And further improvement in air quality is likely on Friday. However, air quality may worsen during the weekend, officials said. The district administration is, however, confronted with the dilemma as to what will they do if the AQI becomes ‘severe’ in days to come. “The lifting of the ban is conditional as we will keep on reviewing weather conditions on a daily basis and if the situation aggravates, we will re-impose it. As of now, there is no need for it,” said Tiwari. In Noida, the administration has already lifted the ban on construction activities. Noida’s regional officer of UPPCB, Anil Singh, however, said that the decision to lift the ban on November 12 “could be reviewed if the air quality worsens”. “We are keeping an eye on weather conditions,” Singh added.