CAQM flags 17 violations over road dust, C&D waste on 35 km of Delhi roads

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has flagged 17 violations related to visible road dust and accumulation of construction and demolition (C&D) waste during an inspection of 25 stretches covering around 35 km of Delhi’s Inner and Outer Ring Road, officials said on Sunday.

The inspection was conducted on Saturday under the commission’s “Operation Clean Air” initiative to assess visible road dust and the effectiveness of road-cleaning and sweeping operations. Four flying squad teams constituted by the CAQM inspected roads under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi.

According to the commission’s statement, the inspection findings indicated the need for stricter implementation of prescribed road-cleaning, sweeping and dust-control measures by the agencies responsible for maintaining the roads.

The CAQM said the accumulation of dust and C&D waste on roadsides and carriageways can lead to the resuspension of dust due to vehicular movement, adversely affecting ambient air quality.

The commission has directed the PWD and other concerned agencies to take appropriate corrective measures on a priority basis. It has also stressed that roads under their jurisdiction must be maintained in a clean and dust-free condition through regular sweeping, removal of accumulated dust and C&D waste, and timely corrective action.

The inspection drive is part of the CAQM’s efforts to assess the on-ground implementation of air pollution mitigation measures, identify compliance gaps and ensure corrective action by the concerned agencies.

The commission said inspection drives under Operation Clean Air would continue across Delhi-NCR.