New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) The Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority on Monday wrote to governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, expressing dissatisfaction over initiatives taken in Meerut and Bhiwadi, which are part of the national capital region, to control air pollution.

EPCA chairman Bhure Lal said that during his visits to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh on October 6 and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan on October 19, he found that officials had taken inadequate measures to curb road dust and chimney emissions, open storage of construction material, burning of garbage and handling construction and demolition waste.

He said the stretch of NH-9 between UP Gate and Dasna interchange road was under construction.

"Dust levels are high as the National Highways Authority of India has failed to take any any preventive measure," Bhure Lal said and observed that a paper mill, Ved Cellulose Ltd, on 16 milestone NH-9 is "causing huge air pollution... thick black smoke coming out from its chimney."

"Modi Sugar Mill and other such units must be given strict warning to run their boilers with water scrubber and bag filters and those found violating must be punished very severely. Zero tolerance must be observed in case of sugar and paper mills," Bhure Lal wrote in the letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari.

The EPCA chairman also said several factories in Dheer Khera Industrial area Partapur bypass industrial area and Phase-1 industrial area were found emitting thick black smoke and directed the authorities to initiate strict action against the polluters.

The pollution control department is directed to issue "very strict" notices to these factories, conduct surprise inspections and impose penalty on finding any violation. In all, strict monitoring, including night patrolling, must be done in industrial areas and clusters, he directed.

The anti-pollution watchdog also said that Nagar Nigam Meerut and Meerut Development Authority must setup a construction and demolition waste processing plant.

The EPCA also directed GAIL-IGL to ensure earliest supply of piped natural gas to entrepreneurs of Meerut and Hapur so that they can switch to clean fuel at the earliest.

In a letter to Rajasthan Chief Secretary Devendra Bhushan Gupta, the EPCA chairman said none of the anti-pollution measures, as briefed in a letter dated October 15, has been enforced by the state pollution control board.

"A massive fire was observed at the dump yard in the RIICO industrial area. Locals complained that garbage is set on fire on a daily basis," he said.

"One person died and four children in the area are suffering from cancer, according to the residents. There's a 220 kV power distribution pole and electricity lines pass over the area. There is a potential risk of explosion at the site," Bhure Lal wrote.

Along the Sohna road, near Bhiwadi Management Association, heaps of plastic, synthetic waste and foam generated by industrial units were lying in the open and several sites were filled with ashes.

The EPCA said several fires have been started in the industrial areas of Khushkhera, Bhiwadi and Alwar and apprehended that with the onset of winter, more and more heaps of these industrial waste were likely to be burnt.

Bhure Lal also rued that officials were unaware that dumping of waste on agricultural and forest land is not permitted and directed them that appropriate action be taken against defaulters in such cases.

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