Noida: The district administration has directed all departments to intensify surveillance and act strictly against stubble burning and garbage fires — two major contributors to local pollution, officials informed on Saturday.
The directions come amid the deteriorating air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR).
District officials have been asked to maintain round-the-clock monitoring in both rural and urban pockets, ensure rapid response teams remain active, and impose fines on individuals found burning crop residue or waste.
Authorities and nagar panchayats have also been instructed to conduct routine field inspections.
According to officials, the agriculture department has already undertaken awareness campaigns among farmers, who are being encouraged to adopt alternatives such as composting or providing stubble to gaushalas as fodder instead of burning it in fields. The district has also emphasised scientific use of crop residue through existing schemes.
“Officials must ensure regular monitoring to maintain a clean and pollution-free environment. The agriculture department has been directed to launch a wide awareness campaign so that no farmer burns stubble. Stubble can be used for compost or as fodder in gaushalas instead of being burnt,” said district magistrate Medha Roopam.
The DM also directed all urban local bodies to impose fines immediately on anyone found burning waste or stubble.
Further, the administration plans to involve gram pradhans, lekhpals and farmer groups at the village level to build local vigilance and environmental responsibility. Continuous monitoring teams will track incidents and ensure timely action, officials said.
Notably, stubble burning usually peaks during the paddy harvesting season, but garbage burning in city areas continues year-round, often causing sudden spikes in the air quality index (AQI) during night hours. Officials say tackling these two practices is critical for protecting public health as pollution levels rise in the NCR.
On Saturday, Noida and Greater Noida recorded AQIs of 293 and 248, respectively, both under the “poor” category, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.