Overview
- The state launched a multi-department plan chaired by the Chief Secretary that identifies road dust as the leading pollution source.
- The Principal Secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department has been named nodal officer to drive execution.
- A state-level Project Monitoring Unit led by the department’s Secretary includes senior officials from Urban Development, Public Works, Housing and Urban Planning, and Industrial and Infrastructure Development.
- Authorities in Noida and Greater Noida have begun operating anti-smog guns, sprinklers and mechanical sweepers to suppress roadside dust.
- Diesel auto-rickshaws are now banned in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad, Baghpat will enforce a full ban by December 31, 2025, permits are halted in Meerut, and phase-outs in Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli are slated by December 31, 2026.