Ghaziabad: The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) will take up a plantation drive, after studying wind patterns of the last 30 years, to mitigate air pollution in 15 highly polluted cities of Uttar Pradesh.
The scheme aims to study the wind patterns, also known as wind rose patterns, to ascertain its direction over a particular area and then plant trees that will act a a barrier or screen to the dispersal of pollutants.
The officials said currently, a plan has been prepared for Lucknow city. The pollution control board has prepared action plans for 15 cities, including Ghaziabad. The action plan comprises 58 short and long-term action points which are to be taken up by 17 different departments within a specified time limit.
The action plan for Ghaziabad has also listed the tree plantation scheme for mitigation of air pollution based on pollution sources and wind rose data.
“We will study the wind rose pattern of the past 30 years. Plantation will be carried out according to the direction of the wind. Such plantation will act as a barrier and prevent air pollutants from getting dispersed. The plan has been prepared for Lucknow city on the basis of the 30-year data and similar plans will be made for the other 14 cities as well,” an official from UPPCB said.
Once the plan is chalked out, the plantation will be take up by the forest department over the next one year.
“The plantation on the wind rose pattern has not been taken up in the district as yet. We have carried out plantation on conventional patterns, wherever the land is available. Such patterned plantation can be taken up with the help of ascending and descending height of trees, while keeping in mind the pattern of winds,” Diksha Bhandari, divisional forest officer, said.
The pollution control board officials said native plant species, as per the soil type of a particular region, will be selected on the basis of their air pollution tolerance index, to maximise the effect of large-scale plantation.
The officials from the regional weather forecasting centre in New Delhi said that the national capital and other NCR cities primarily receive westerly and north-westerly winds during the winter, while the cities mostly receive easterly and south-easterly winds during the summer season.
“We will take up plantation schemes with the help of departments concerned once the plan is prepared and sent to us for implementation,” Dr Ajay Shankar Pandey, district magistrate, Ghaziabad, said.
Article Credit: hindustantimes