Delhi Steps Up Road Dust Control As Capital Braces For Another Pollution Season

News cities new-delhi-news Delhi Steps Up Road Dust Control As Capital Braces For Another Pollution Season

Last Updated:September 10, 2026, 13:41 IST

A new WRI India study has found that frequent mechanical sweeping is more effective at reducing road dust, than high- or medium-pressure water cleaning widely used in cities

Road dust is back in the spotlight as the National Capital Region (NCR) gears up for another tough winter with authorities intensifying pollution-control measures ahead of Delhi’s worst season for air quality.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) starts soaring just as the southwest monsoon withdraws, and temperatures begin to plummet in October. While vehicles, industries and biomass burning are among the top sources of pollution, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) also identifies dust resuspended by vehicle movement (silt load) and construction activities as another major contributor to PM2.5 pollution across cities.

Moving beyond emergency measures, the Centre has stepped up action to control road dust, construction and demolition waste, and industrial compliance. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to intensify mechanised sweeping, water sprinkling and C&D waste removal, while ensuring end-to-end paving and greening of roads to prevent recurring dust emissions.

In a recent meeting, CAQM Member Secretary Tarun Kumar Pithode also directed Dust Control and Management Cells (DCMCs) in Delhi to carry out special campaigns to scientifically dispose of legacy dust from roads, roadsides, medians, as well as footpaths. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav also reviewed the comprehensive action plans submitted by the NCR states and held a series of meetings with local bodies across 63 NCR cities, pushing for stronger grassroots action, better waste management and expanded green cover.

BUT WHAT REALLY WORKS?

The national capital mostly relies on mechanical road sweeping machines, water sprinklers, and anti-smog guns to control road dust. However, experts highlight lack of enough data to check their effectiveness in reducing road dust, especially the re-suspendable fraction of road dust, or silt load.

Now, an exploratory study carried out by WRI India measuring silt load values across different road types in three Indian cities—Mumbai, Indore, and Ahmedabad—concluded that mechanical cleaning methods, irrespective of machine size or capacity, are most effective at reducing road dust. In comparison, cleaning methods that utilise water at high- and medium pressure are less effective and present greater operational challenges, owing to the need for manual oversight.

According to researchers, the dust levels (silt load) return close to pre-cleaning levels within just four to eight days after cleaning, requiring more frequent cleaning of high-dust roads.

“Effective road dust control requires a targeted strategy focused on where dust is accumulated in the form of silt on the road surface. The silt gets resuspended in the air because of wind movement or by vehicles or by any disturbance. To stop dust accumulation at the source, we must identify its origin—whether it stems from deteriorating roads, unpaved edges, silt carried by vehicles, construction, or similar dust-emitting activities. Regular assessment of silt load levels should also be built into routine evaluations to ensure that mitigation measures are delivering results," said Sree Kumar Kumaraswamy, Program Director, Clean Air Action, WRI India.

Another major challenge is with narrow roads below nine meters, which cannot be swept because of parked vehicles. The water overflow from central verges deposits soils back onto roads, incomplete paving creates recurring dust, and littering continues despite waste bins being available.

“Going forward, cities should integrate silt load assessments into routine evaluations of dust reduction and mitigation measures, consider traffic flow, nearby construction activities, road type and cleaning methods when planning road dust management," the research stated.

This season, the CAQM has also been calling for end-to-end paving and greening, while discouraging excessive concretization. In its recent meetings, it has also recommended soil-trapping green cover to reduce erosion and dust re-suspension.

About the Author

Srishti ChoudharyAssociate Editor

Srishti Choudhary, Associate Editor at CNN-News18 specializes in science, environment, and climate change reporting. With over a decade of extensive field experience, she has brought incisive ground r...Read More

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