UPPCB marks nine Ghaziabad pollution hotspots ahead of winter

Indirapuram and Vasundhara/Vaishali are among nine Ghaziabad areas the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has marked as pollution hotspots for the 2026-27 winter season.

The full list includes Sahibabad, Raj Nagar Extension, Loni, Bhopra-Delhi Border, Siddharth Vihar/Kanawani Pushta Road, Vijay Nagar and South Side GT Road, Lal Kuan, Indirapuram, and Vasundhara/Vaishali. The latter two were added this year after officials identified construction-related dust pollution there.

UPPCB regional officer Ankit Kumar said anti-smog machines and water sprinkling would be stepped up at the identified locations. Board teams surveyed the areas and will conduct regular monitoring and enforcement drives, he said.

Officials identified a mix of pressure points: industrial emissions, heavy traffic, road dust, construction material kept in the open, unauthorised industrial activity in non-conforming zones and unpaved roads.

UPPCB data shows Ghaziabad's annual average AQI fell from 227 in 2021 to 185 in 2025. It was 206 in 2022, 181 in 2023 and 177 in 2024. The pollution-control measures are set to be intensified at the nine sites during the winter season.