Tripartite MoU to reduce dust pollution in NCR

In a major step towards combating road dust pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on Tuesday signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi.

The collaboration aims at effective implementation of the Standard Framework for redevelopment of urban roads, including paving and greening of pathways and sidewalks.

The MoU aims for setting up a Project Monitoring Cell (PMC) at CAQM and operationalisation of the same. The cell will oversee and support the phased implementation of the framework in NCR States for effective development and redevelopment of roads aligned with broad elements of the framework

In the first phase, the commission has taken up nine highly urbanised and industrialised cities of NCR, namely, Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonepat, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi and Neemrana.

The collaboration leverages the domain expertise of CSIR-CRRI in road standardisation, engineering, construction and asset management and that of SPA in sustainable urban planning and greening solutions along these roads.

The Standard Framework encompasses cross-section design for different types of roads and width of right of way, mitigation of road dust within the right-of-way through greening. It also includes web-GIS-based Road Asset Management System (RAMS) for effective road maintenance regime and adoption of new technologies in road construction and maintenance.

“Under the MoU, CSIR-CRRI and SPA would provide institutional support and technical guidance to the PMC being set up at CAQM. CRRI and SPA will support CAQM inter-alia in providing guidance in setting up the PMC, suggesting suitable manpower requirements for the same and guiding the hired resources in monitoring the development/ redevelopment of roads on the standard framework. A dedicated dashboard will also be created to ensure data-driven tracking and monitoring of specific road projects,” the Union Environment Ministry said in a release.