GHAZIABAD: Smoke billowing out of the chimneys of the industrial units in the Sahibabad Site IV industrial area are not only triggering respiratory problems in trans-Hindon colonies of Ghaziabad, but they are also causing air pollution in the neighbouring areas of Delhi such as Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar and Yojana Vihar.
A study in Site IV industrial area has shown air pollution level to be very high.
Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board's trans-Hindon area chief RS Singh said the respirable particulate matter or RSPM (PM10) measured in the site IV industrial area in February was a whopping 293 microgram per cubic metre, as opposed to the permissible limit of 100. The suspended particulate matter was 569 mcg against the maximum permissible limit of 100, he told TOI.
When asked as to why no action is being taken against the polluting industries, Singh said, "It does not always happen that way. The workers usually put in too much fuel while starting the furnaces. That causes the dense smoke from the chimneys to immediately become visible. But, we will look into the complaints that we are receiving about air pollution."
However, he agreed that much of the air pollution from the industrial units makes its way into Delhi and Noida, as Delhi's does into Ghaziabad and Noida.
Doctors also said the industrial pollution has been triggering respiratory diseases among residents.
"There has been a rise in the number of patients suffering from diseases caused by respiratory irritants. Air pollution definitely plays a large part in it. There have to be some checks on this somewhere," said Ghaziabad-based Dr N K Soni.
However, S K Maheshwari, a local industrialist, quipped, "Where there is industrial activity, there has to be some sort of pollution."
