GUNTUR: Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has set its focus on improving air quality in the city by taking measures to contain air pollution.
It may be recalled that Guntur secured the third spot in the country in the Swachh Vayu Survekshan contest organised as part of the national clean air program for 2023-24.
The civic body has implemented various initiatives and programmes for the same. As a result, the greenery in the city increased to 30% which was only 17% in 2021.
Commissioner P Srinivasulu said they have already constructed JKC college road and the four-lane Brodipet road as a pilot project under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and plan more roads in a similar model to reduce air pollution.
Pollution Control Board (PCB) authorities will monitor the air quality levels and send reports to the GMC from time to time. GMC has also decided to use water tankers to sprinkle water on gravel roads to contain the spread of dust during the construction of new roads.
While the plants in central medians were only 10 km in the past, it increased to 23 km and the avenue plantation was increased from 20 km to 30 km this year.
Along with this, the construction of drain-to-drain roads, renovation of potholes, and usage of sweeping machines, and mist sprayers to prevent pollution and effective implementation of waste management practices including composting of wet wastes and recycling and generation of electricity from wastes at Jindal power project resulted in reducing pollution in the city.
The civic body has decided to further improve its ranking at the national level in the coming year. Apart from the construction of major roads in drain-to-drain mode to contain the spread of dust on roads, GMC has set up four air quality testing points across the city, one each at GGH, Auto Nagar AIIC building, Traveler’s Bungalow, and Nalanda Nagar.