This story is from May 4, 2018

Haryana questions WHO report which put Faridabad among world's polluted cities

Haryana questions WHO report which put Faridabad among world's polluted cities
Goel said Faridabad is affected mostly due to the pollution in neighbouring Delhi.
CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has termed aside the recent report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) stating that Faridabad in Haryana is at second place in the list of most polluted cities in the world.
Haryana Environment and Climate Change Minister, Vipul Goel clarified on Friday that the source of the data on which the report is based is not clear.
He said that the HSPCB has been monitoring the data since 2010 through Continuous Air Ambient Quality Monitoring Station in Faridabad and Gurugram.
As per the details available with the Board, the PM 2.5 value of both the cities are being monitored regularly since 2013.
"These values increase above 170 only during a brief season, that is during a few days around Diwali, crop harvesting season during which residue burning is reported and peak winter, when the temperature is low and wind velocity is minimum. Therefore, it is not justified to claim that the average pm 2.5 value is above 170 in Faridabad." said Goyal
The report also claims city like Srinagar as polluted which raises suspicions on the source of the data. Even Patiala's air pollution level has been placed quite high based on PM 2.5 values recorded from 2010 to 2016, and Punjab too claims, it never monitored the 2.5 values and the sources are not known to its own Pollution Control Board, he added.
Faridabad is affected mostly due to the pollution in neighbouring Delhi. Its own sources include mainly vehicles and construction dust and Delhi's pollution is considerably high with additional sources from Municipal Solid Waste burning going on almost continuously as witnessed during the past years. Delhi's pollution level has always remained higher than these two cities as indicated by our reports. Now, placing Faridabad above Delhi is not even logical, he said.
Goyal said that the state has has already prepared a detailed action plan to contain air Pollution in the entire state.
Diesel vehicles of more than 10 years age have already been banned from registration in Faridabad, Gurugram and Jhajjar districts. The NHAI, HUDA and Public Works Departments have been directed by the HSPCB to contain dust during their construction activities, he said.
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