UP to sign MoU with CSE to check pollution

Lucknow, Sep 7 (IANS) The urban development department of the Uttar Pradesh government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) to bring down pollution levels.

The Delhi-based research organisation will guide the local bodies in the coming months on ways to bring down air and water pollution.

According to the government spokesman, local bodies in industrial towns such as Ghaziabad, Agra, Kanpur, Moradabad and Aligarh, among others, will be asked to work closely with the organisation to suggest measures that can be taken up to mitigate effluents  and waste water.

Among the 734 cities and towns that are governed by the local bodies, only 31 have partial sewerage system coverage that can tackle 40 per cent of the waste among these towns, reveals data maintained by the central pollution control board.

A member of the programme support unit of the organisation said that best practices being followed in Odisha will be shared with the government officials.

Principal secretary of the department, Amrit Abhijat said, "Since the programme and workshop is extremely important, executive heads of more than 200 local bodies have been asked to remain present while the remaining ones will join the proceedings virtually  on Wednesday."

After signing the MoU, the daylong workshop scheduled on Wednesday will focus on improving the urban schemes being provided in the state.

Representatives of Deloitte have been called to brief the executive heads on the expectations from the urban development department in achieving the US $1 trillion economy by 2027.

The grievances redressal system through Sambhav portal that was launched by Uttar Pradesh minister A.K. Sharma will also be reviewed. Minimising air pollution before the onset of the winter season and Diwali festivities will be another agenda that will be taken up in the workshop.

Similarly, the progress being made on the schemes and projects announced by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and urban development minister A.K. Sharma will also be done.