Due to the continuous increase in pollution in Agra, UP, the air quality is deteriorating every day. The Aaj Tak team has conducted a reality check on the rising pollution in the city, which has revealed that it is facing major air pollution challenges. In fact, it has been revealed that the air pollution around the Agra Municipal Corporation office and the UP Pollution Control Board office was at the most dangerous level. During the investigation, our team did not find any sprinkler or water spray system in the air quality monitoring station installed on the roof of the Pollution Control Board office.
At the same time, the authorities make many demands to control pollution. However, for a reality check, our team reached the Shahjahan Garden air quality monitoring station, located about 8 kilometers from the Taj Mahal, and saw tall trees near the station. And the station ground was completely dry. Furthermore, there was no equipment related to water sprinkling there. The air pollution testing machine was performing tests and was visible on the screen. At the Shahjahan Garden air quality monitoring station, the temperature was 80 on November 11, 140 on November 12 and 157 micrograms per cubic meter (159 µg/m³) on November 13.
After this, the team reached the air quality monitoring station of Pralud Public School located at Manoharpur, about 5 kilometers from Agra Municipal Corporation. This station is built on the roof of the fourth floor of the school. The Yamuna River is about one to one and a half kilometers from here. There was a lot of greenery around this station. The same condition as Shahjahan Garden station was visible at the air quality monitoring station. No sprinkler or water irrigation equipment was seen at Manoharpur station. At the Manoharpur air quality monitoring station, 85 micrograms per cubic meter of air were found on November 11, 119 on November 12 and 116 micrograms per cubic meter of air on November 13.
Later, the team reached the air quality monitoring station installed in Shastripuram epip area. This station is established on the third floor of a footwear export factory. At this station the situation was also similar to that of both stations. Air pollution at this station was found to be 69 on November 11, 162 on November 12 and 137 micrograms per cubic meter on November 13.
What did the officer say?
Regional officer Dr Vishwanath Sharma said the AQI of the Municipal Corporation’s Air Quality Monitoring Station remains high as there is continuous vehicular traffic there. Even at night heavy trucks pass through there. There is a traffic jam all day long, the usual load here is very high. There is more dust on the road around the Awas Vikas air quality monitoring station. Due to road dust, PM 10 is increasing here. The AQI at Shahjahan Garden air quality monitoring station used to be high during the construction of the metro, but after the completion of the metro works last year , the AQI decreased.
What did environmentalists say?
At the same time, Environment Minister Braj Khandelwal claimed that these people have installed air quality monitoring stations in wrong places. There are no power plants installed at Chauraha and Nunihai Industrial Estate. The foundry is not located in the city. They have deliberately installed it in places as if there was vegetation and cleanliness around Prelude School, it made no sense to install it there. There is a lot of vehicle movement towards the Sanjay Palace and Housing Development, so the AQI remains slightly higher here. A lot of dust is flying. Yamuna has also dried up. For this reason the ICA has increased.
Environmentalist Dr Sanjay Kulshrestha said AQI dust is affected by traffic and also construction activity. Your follow-up is very important. The Pollution Control Board must follow up.
