CAQM inspection records improvement on DDA roads, flags dust issues on PWD stretches
New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management carried out a CAQM inspection on December 24 to review dust mitigation measures on Delhi roads and found clear improvement on DDA stretches while flagging shortcomings on PWD roads.
The inspection formed part of the Commission’s ongoing monitoring and enforcement under the Graded Response Action Plan. It followed an earlier inspection conducted on December 12, when several road stretches had shown high levels of visible dust.
During the drive, teams checked visible road dust and reviewed on-ground operations of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines. Officials also looked for municipal solid waste accumulation, construction and demolition waste dumping, and incidents of open burning.
For the exercise, the Commission deployed 15 teams of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. These teams inspected 106 road stretches maintained by the Public Works Department. At the same time, two teams of the Central Pollution Control Board re-inspected 27 selected stretches under the Delhi Development Authority. The teams submitted geo-tagged and time-stamped photographs as part of a consolidated report.
The re-inspection showed a sharp improvement on DDA-maintained roads. Officials found that none of the 27 stretches fell under the high visible dust category during the December 24 inspection.
PWD maintenance gaps flagged during CAQM inspection
During the CAQM inspection, officials reported that seven DDA stretches showed moderate dust levels. Nineteen stretches recorded low dust intensity. One stretch showed no visible dust. The Commission said these results reflected effective corrective steps taken after earlier directions.
In contrast, inspections of PWD-maintained roads revealed continuing gaps. Teams recorded high visible dust on nine stretches and moderate dust on 16 stretches. Another 37 stretches showed low dust levels. Forty-four stretches had no visible dust.
On several high-dust stretches, teams found accumulated municipal solid waste and construction debris. Inspectors also noted instances of open burning at some locations. These findings pointed to weak enforcement and poor upkeep.
The Commission said DDA had responded promptly to earlier instructions. However, it said PWD must intensify action without delay. CAQM directed regular mechanical sweeping, timely lifting of collected dust, and proper disposal of waste.
The Commission also stressed the need to maintain road surfaces and central verges. It called for effective use of water sprinkling and dust-suppression systems. CAQM said agencies must strictly prevent open burning across all road stretches.
The Commission reiterated that targeted inspections under ‘Operation Clean Air’ would continue. It said strict compliance with dust mitigation directions remained essential to keep Delhi roads clean and reduce air pollution.
