GREATER NOIDA: The Gautam Budh Nagar administration has made it mandatory to ensure 100% geo-tagging and physical verification of saplings planted under recent plantation drives.
According to district officials, the departments yet to complete the process are being asked to submit updated reports. Emphasis has also been laid on ensuring survival of saplings planted over the past two years rather than just meeting numerical targets.
The move has come as the district authorities have sharpened their focus on environmental compliance, plantation survival, and river pollution control to ensure that afforestation drives and cleanliness campaigns are no longer assessed on paper alone.
Chief development officer (CDO) Shivakant Dwivedi said geo-tagging, verification and monitoring of plant survival were critical to assess real impact of plantation campaigns. “Plantation efforts cannot be termed successful unless survival is ensured on the ground. Protection, irrigation and maintenance of saplings planted in 2024–25 and 2025–26 is a collective responsibility of all concerned departments,” he said.
Forest department officials said geo-tagging work under the plantation programme for 2025–26 is underway. “The administration has also directed departments to expedite land identification for the 2026–27 plantation drive and earmark sites for inspection by public representatives, signalling closer scrutiny of future drives,” said Rajnikant Mittal, divisional forest officer, Gautam Budh Nagar.
Meanwhile, directions have also been issued to act sternly against uncovered transport of construction material, overloading and garbage burning, said officials.
The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has been asked to ensure strict compliance with National Green Tribunal (NGT) and state guidelines in view of deteriorating air quality, said Dwivedi.
On Tuesday, the air quality index (AQI) in Noida and Greater Noida was recorded at 382 and 372, respectively, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, placing both cities in the “very poor” category.
Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Tuesday revoked Stage-IV (‘Severe+’) actions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) after an improvement in air quality due to favourable meteorological conditions.
However, the CAQM said that stages 1, 2, and 3 of Grap will remain enforced across the NCR, with agencies directed to intensify enforcement to prevent further deterioration in air quality.
Officials said agencies have been asked to maintain strict vigilance, particularly during the winter, when weather conditions can rapidly worsen air quality.
.