The move came after the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Saturday listed Gurgaon as the most polluted city among 28 cities and towns it surveyed for air quality index. The air quality index is an indicator of the air pollution from the levels of nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter (PM) 10 and PM 2.5.

HSPCB officials are preparing the blue print of a plan to curb pollution in the city. They will discuss the plan with other city agencies such as the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to reach a consensus on the measures required.

“We will prepare a list of remedial steps that can be taken immediately by the MCG, police, district administration, RTA and residents of the city,” Bhupender Singh, regional officer, HSPCB, said.

He said the city needs to control vehicular pollution, dust from construction sites and waste burning.

The HSPCB official said Gurgaon’s poor air quality is mostly because of large-scale burning of waste in several locations, releasing toxic elements in the atmosphere.

According to the CPCB, air quality worsens primarily because of burning of waste. “......apart from PM 2.5 (fine, respirable particles) emissions, burning waste leads to release of dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, hexachlorobenzene, some of which can be carcinogenic..,” a CBCB report said.

Environmentalists also pointed out that civic agencies are not making efforts to control waste burning -- a major cause of respiratory issues.

“Open burning happens at ground level. The resultant emissions enter the lower level breathing zone of the atmosphere, increasing direct exposure to us. As per studies, burning of solid wastes emits pollutants, including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide plus dioxins/furans, and we do know its consequences,” RuchikaSethi, an environmental activist, said.

Doctors also maintained that there should be a drive to control pollution as it leads to serious respiratory diseases.“The increasing amount of hazardous PM 2.5 and other suspended particles have emerged as a major health treat for children, triggering inflammation of air passages and leading to several respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis,” Dr Himanshu Batra, consultant paediatrician at Columbia Asia hospital, Gurgaon, said.