According to latest figures released by the Uttar Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (UPSPCB), pollution levels in Noida have crossed the red line and are on their way to leaving Delhi behind.

Even as Delhi struggles to put in place an efficient public transport system, Noida is far behind with the implementation of CNG for autos and buses looking a distant reality. Population in Noida may have increased manifold but the number of pollution-testing stations has remained the same for nearly two decades.

The exact levels of air pollution, experts say, cannot be calculated unless the number of testing stations is increased. Pollution levels are still calculated using old equipments which are available only at two stations close to the Delhi border. Levels of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in residential areas, considered safe at 200 micrograms per cubic metre, have reached 400 to 600 micrograms/cubic metre. Moreover, reparable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) (100 micrograms/cubic metre is considered the safe level) is in the 120 to 130 micrograms/cubic metre range.

Interestingly, Noida’s industrial areas are faring better. While an SPM level of 500 micrograms/cubic metre is considered safe, Noida’s industrial sectors recorded a level of close to 445 micrograms/cubic metre.

RSPM levels have touched 160 as against the permissible limit of 150 micrograms/cubic metre.

But the worrying factor, experts say, is the pollution-emitting public transport system. Noida’s autorickshaws and buses still run on diesel and are barely monitored. Smog levels, as a result, hit the roof during winters.

Neeraj Chaturvedi, research officer at UPSPCB, says Hindon river, the lifeline of Noida, has “deteriorated to such an extent that no aquatic life can survive there”.

He says a river needs four micrograms of oxygen per litre of water to breed aquatic life — the Hindon recorded a level of two micrograms of oxygen/litre.

Though the Ganga water scheme has been implemented and many sectors in Noida have started receiving water from the pumping station in Ghaziabad, the scheme is not yet fully implemented.

Result: Residents use water from the Hindon and underground pumping stations. This, UPSPCB experts say, is not entirely safe.

Health officials say Sector 54 residents face health risks as the whole city’s waste is disposed off in the ground here.