New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has announced a comprehensive ₹523-crore plan to tackle the persistent issue of dust pollution across the national capital. The initiative focuses on curbing dust from dumping sites, construction and demolition (C&D) waste points, and road networks — major contributors to Delhi’s deteriorating air quality.
According to MCD officials, the plan, approved by the Commissioner and awaiting the Delhi government’s budget sanction, follows a key meeting with the Environment Department on September 17. The civic body was directed to streamline operations at C&D waste centers and expand its fleet of mechanical road sweepers for 40–60 ft roads.
Under the proposal, ₹516.3 crore will be allocated for procuring 60 new mechanical road sweepers and maintaining them over a 10-year period through an outsourcing model. Additionally, ₹7.1 crore is proposed to upgrade C&D waste sites with metal barricades, water sprinklers, display boards, CCTV surveillance, and air quality sensors.
An MCD official noted that a separate proposal of ₹8.7 crore to deploy 60 vacuum-based, battery-operated litter-picking machines for one year was not approved by the Commissioner.
Currently, MCD operates 52 mechanical road sweepers on major roads over 60 ft wide. Of these, 24 are equipped with GPS systems monitored by the IT department, while the remaining 28 are supervised by engineers. The civic body has sought 18 additional sweepers to strengthen coverage across central and southern zones, which currently have the highest deployment.
Officials acknowledged operational challenges in using sweepers on narrower roads due to congestion and parked vehicles. They emphasized that assessing the actual impact of these measures on air quality levels would fall under the purview of the Environment Department.
To intensify its winter pollution control strategy, MCD plans to deploy teams to oversee water sprinkling, monitor open burning and illegal dumping, and enforce anti-littering measures. A coordination meeting among departments is scheduled for October 9 to finalize dust mitigation steps.
Out of the 180 water sprinklers planned earlier this year, 140 are currently operational. The civic body also plans to upgrade 40 additional tankers to widen coverage. Moreover, sanitation squads in all 12 MCD zones—each equipped with GPS-enabled vehicles—will continue routine inspections, ensure waste collection efficiency, and impose fines for violations.
With this multi-tiered approach, MCD aims to reduce dust emissions and improve urban air quality ahead of the upcoming winter season—when Delhi’s pollution levels typically worsen.
— With inputs from TOI