New Delhi: In a concerted drive to curb rising air pollution in Delhi, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on November 29–30, 2025, deployed 26 “Flying Squads” to inspect 321 road stretches across the city. The exercise — part of the ongoing “dust-mitigation measures” under the statutory framework and the extant Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) — assessed the effectiveness of cleaning, mechanical sweeping and dust-suppression efforts by the main civic agencies: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
The findings revealed serious lapses in dust control — with 35 stretches showing high visible dust, 61 moderate, 94 low, while 131 stretches had no visible dust. The bulk of problematic stretches fell under MCD’s jurisdiction, prompting a stern advisory from CAQM.
Background: CAQM, GRAP & the Delhi Road Dust Hotspots
CAQM: Formed under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, CAQM is a statutory authority tasked with coordinating, researching, identifying, and resolving air-quality issues across Delhi-NCR and adjoining areas.
Read Also: CAQM Invokes Stage III GRAP in NCR – A Last-Minute Attempt to Rescue Delhi’s Toxic Air
It replaced the earlier Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), with a broader mandate to oversee air-quality governance in one of the most pollution-prone regions of India.
GRAP and Dust Control: One of CAQM’s key mechanisms is the GRAP — a tiered plan that prescribes actions depending on air quality levels (ranging from “Good” to “Severe”). Under GRAP, during deteriorating air quality phases, enforcement intensifies across multiple sectors, including road-dust control.
Road-dust — often neglected — remains a major contributor to particulate matter (PM) pollution, especially in winter when dust stirred up by vehicular traffic combines with atmospheric stagnation. CAQM’s recent inspections underline this persistent challenge.
Key Findings in Recent Road Dust Auditing in Delhi
Scope and Methodology: 26 Flying Squads covered 321 road stretches maintained by MCD (182 stretches), NDMC (133 stretches), and CPWD (6 stretches). Every inspected road was documented via geo-tagged, time-stamped photographs.
Dust Levels Observed:
- 35 stretches had high visible dust
- 61 stretches had moderate dust
- 94 stretches had low dust intensity
- 131 stretches had no visible dust.
Performance by Agency:
MCD: Out of 182 roads, 35 showed high dust — indicating recurring dust accumulation in its jurisdiction.
NDMC: Of 133 stretches, 100 had no dust — none in the high-dust category, showing better cleaning and maintenance.
CPWD: Among 6 stretches, none showed high dust; 2 had moderate, 4 no visible dust — reflecting relatively better upkeep despite limited coverage.
Importance of This Delhi Road Dust Auditing
CAQM emphasised that road dust continues to be a major contributor to particulate matter pollution in Delhi — especially during the winter season when meteorological conditions limit dispersion.
This underscores a long-standing but under-acknowledged issue: air-quality measures often focus on vehicular emissions, industrial pollution or stubble burning — but dust from roads adds heavily to PM2.5 and PM10 load, affecting everyday air quality.
Uneven Compliance Across Civic Agencies
The audit’s results starkly reveal uneven compliance: while NDMC and CPWD largely manage to keep roads dust-free, MCD — which oversees many of the busiest/easiest-to-overlook stretches — lags significantly. The 35 high-dust stretches under MCD’s jurisdiction likely correspond to high-traffic or underserved localities where cleaning and sweeping are inconsistent.
This also shows that appointing sweeping teams or deploying mechanical sweepers isn’t enough — maintenance routines, frequency, water-sprinkling, and timely disposal of removed dust are critical.
Need for Sustained, Systematic Dust-Mitigation Action
CAQM’s statement highlights the need for:
- Consistent mechanical sweeping
- Frequent water sprinkling/dust suppression
- Timely disposal of collected dust
- Proper pavement and footpath maintenance
- Regular inspections and enforcement against non-compliance.
Moreover, CAQM has warned that such inspection drives will continue under its “Operation Clean Air” initiative — signalling a long-term oversight and enforcement regime.
Wider Context: Delhi’s Air Crisis, Winter & Enforcement
Delhi’s air-pollution problem — especially in winter — is multi-factorial. Apart from road dust, key contributors include vehicular emissions, construction & demolition dust, thermal power plants, open waste burning, and seasonal stubble burning in surrounding states.
In recent years, CAQM has adopted a more proactive stance: besides dust control, it monitors stubble burning in neighbouring states, regulates construction & demolition (C&D) activities, restricts entry of non-compliant vehicles, and periodically revises GRAP to trigger curbs faster as air quality worsens.
For instance, in October 2025, CAQM invoked Stage-II of GRAP across the NCR, reflecting concerns over “Very Poor” air quality.
But even when stricter curbs are not in force, dust-related pollution remains a silent yet significant contributor — making road-dust mitigation essential throughout the year.
Key Implications & What Needs to Happen
For MCD: The findings demand overhauling of road-cleaning strategies. This could include increasing the frequency of mechanical sweeping, deploying more water-sprinklers/anti-dust measures (especially in high-traffic and narrow lanes), better disposal of dust, and periodic audits.
For NDMC & CPWD — and other civic bodies: The relatively better performance underscores that dust control is achievable; learnings from their processes (scheduling, monitoring, maintenance) need to be replicated across MCD jurisdictions.
For CAQM and Policymakers: Continued, regular inspection under “Operation Clean Air” — not just during pollution peaks — is crucial. Also, integrating dust mitigation systematically into GRAP and municipal maintenance plans.
For Citizens & Commuters: Awareness about road dust as a pollutant, demand for clean roads, and cooperation (e.g. avoiding roadside dumping) can aid overall efforts.
Read also: 80% of Delhi-NCR Residents Considering Leaving the City Amid Severe Air Pollution Crisis
