Noida: Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has decided to take action against eateries using coal or wood as fuel before October 10. Owing to this, food lovers may now have to forget their love for smoking flavours of tandoori chicken and paneer tikka.
The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to check the levels of air pollution in Ghaziabad and Noida, and also may be the national capital, is all set to be implemented before the arrival of winter this year.
The board has also prepared a report with steps to be taken ahead of October 15 including the identification of all such restaurants and cafes dealing in tandoori cuisine, including tandoori rotis, by actually using coal and kilns made of brick as fuel to cook these.
District Magistrate BN Singh on Friday evening chaired a meeting with regard to pollution preparedness, following which he told Hindustan Times that zero tolerance will be given to construction projections. Environment Pollution Control Authority’s recommendations are being surveyed and action will be initiated very soon, he added.
The administration will also keep a check on diesel generators, road repair projects, stone crushers, major construction projects defaulting rules laid down by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The action plan, moreover, has asked for public transport and parking fee to be increased by three to four times along with alternative routes for traffic diversion.
These recommendations were also given last year but could not be implemented in Uttar Pradesh’s NCR cities. Their survey will be conducted by October 10 and implementation would effectively commence October 15 onwards.