Delhi Ring Road dust and construction-and-demolition waste were found at 17 of 25 inspected stretches during an Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM) inspection, despite claims of regular road cleaning and dust-control measures. The findings cover nearly 35 km of the Inner and Outer Ring Road under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Public Works Department (PWD).
The inspection was conducted on October 3 under CAQM’s Operation Clean Air initiative. Four flying squads examined roads managed by the PWD to assess the condition of the carriageways and the effectiveness of sweeping and cleaning arrangements. The inspection focused on visible road dust, accumulated waste and the measures being used to control dust emissions.
According to the findings reported by Jagran – New Delhi, substantial quantities of visible road dust and construction-and-demolition waste were found at 17 locations across the 25 road stretches inspected. The commission said the conditions showed that the agencies responsible for the roads needed to implement prescribed cleaning, sweeping and dust-control measures more strictly.
The inspection covered both the Inner and Outer Ring Road, important routes carrying continuous traffic through Delhi. CAQM said dust deposited on roads can be lifted back into the air by passing vehicles, affecting air quality in surrounding areas. Regular cleaning and the timely removal of accumulated dust and construction-and-demolition waste are therefore necessary, it said.
The findings also point to a gap between scheduled maintenance and conditions at street level. While agencies may have cleaning protocols in place, the presence of visible dust and waste across most of the inspected road stretches indicates that the impact of those measures was uneven at the time of the inspection. The report did not provide details of the frequency of cleaning at each location or identify the contractors responsible for individual stretches.
CAQM has directed the PWD and other concerned agencies to take corrective action on a priority basis. The commission instructed them to keep the roads regularly free of dust and ensure that construction-and-demolition waste is removed promptly. It also emphasised the need for stricter implementation of sweeping and dust-control measures on the inspected routes.
The inspection comes as Delhi’s road network remains a major source of resuspended dust whenever vehicle movement disturbs material deposited on carriageways and road edges. On the Ring Road, the combination of heavy traffic, visible dust and construction waste creates a continuing maintenance challenge for the agencies responsible for keeping the corridors clean.
The commission’s next step is to require the PWD and other relevant agencies to carry out priority corrective action and strengthen regular sweeping, dust removal and waste clearance on the affected stretches.