The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas conducted an inspection drive in Delhi focusing on assessing visible road dust levels contributing to air pollution and the effectiveness of road cleaning and sweeping operations.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said that the inspection team undertook extensive field assessments across three zones of Delhi, namely Civil Lines, Karol Bagh, and West Delhi. Based on the findings of the inspection teams, a total of 34 violations of visible road dust were observed. These primarily pertain to high levels of visible road dust and accumulation of Construction and Demolition waste at multiple locations across the inspected zones.

The Commission has directed the concerned authorities to strengthen on-ground implementation of dust control measures, including ensuring regular mechanised sweeping of roads, effective water sprinkling, prompt removal of Construction and Demolition waste and strict enforcement against unauthorised dumping.

The Commission has advised concerned agencies to adopt a proactive and sustained approach, including fixing accountability for lapses, enhancing monitoring mechanisms and ensuring strict compliance with prescribed guidelines and statutory directions. It has been stressed that road dust and improperly managed construction and demolition waste are significant contributors to particulate pollution, especially in urban environments.