CAQM road inspections find dust, waste, biomass burning

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) inspected 136 road stretches maintained by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and found visible dust on 114 stretches, accumulation of municipal solid waste (MSW) on 55 stretches, construction and demolition (C&D) waste on 53 stretches and evidence of MSW or biomass burning on six stretches.

The inspections were part of the CAQM’s ongoing monitoring under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the commission said on Sunday.

“As part of our continuous monitoring and enforcement efforts, 19 teams were deployed for a road inspection drive on December 12,” the commission said. Teams included officers from the CAQM Flying Squads and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

The exercise aimed to assess dust, MSW and C&D waste accumulation and open burning across DDA-maintained roads. Geo-tagged, time-stamped photographs were collected and submitted to the commission.

The data showed 15 stretches had high visible dust levels, 38 had moderate dust, 61 had low dust intensity and 22 had no visible dust. “Road stretches with accumulation of MSW and C&D waste were reported to be 55 and 53, respectively. Six stretches were reported to have evidence of MSW/biomass burning,” the commission said.

The commission noted gaps in maintenance and called on the DDA to act. “The DDA needs to enhance its operational efficiency and take prompt corrective measures through consistent and timely dust mitigation interventions. The agency also needs to deliver improved compliance across all road stretches for MSW/biomass burning,” it said.

The CAQM highlighted the impact on air quality. “Such incidents impact particulate matter levels in Delhi,” the commission stated. It directed the DDA to implement measures such as mechanical sweeping, timely disposal of collected dust, maintenance of road shoulders and central verges, water-sprinkling or dust-suppression systems and focused action to prevent open burning.

The commission said inspections under the ‘Operation Clean Air’ campaign would continue.