CAQM finds major dust issues on Gurugram roads in inspection drive

An inspection drive by CAQM in Gurugram under 'Operation Clean Air' revealed high dust levels, waste accumulation, and open burning on most of the 125 inspected road stretches, pointing to serious lapses by the Municipal Corporation Gurugram.

As part of its continuous monitoring and enforcement efforts under the statutory framework of the extant Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) conducted an extensive inspection drive on Friday in Gurugram to review road-cleaning and sweeping operations and upkeep of road stretches maintained by the Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG), said a CAQM release.

The inspection was carried out under 'Operation Clean Air' with the objective of evaluating on-ground compliance with dust mitigation measures and identifying associated issues such as accumulation of road dust, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste and instances of open burning. According to a CAQM release, a total of 17 inspection teams, comprising 15 teams of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and 02 teams of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), were directed by the Commission for inspection of 125 road stretches under the jurisdiction of MCG in Gurugram.

Inspection Finds Widespread Dust and Waste

Geo-tagged and time-stamped photographic documentation was collected by the inspection teams and submitted to the Commission as part of the consolidated inspection report. The inspection found that of the 125 road stretches inspected, 34 exhibited high visible dust, 58 showed Moderate Dust, 29 recorded Low Dust intensity, and only 04 showed No Visible Dust. A large number of stretches with high visible dust were also found to have significant accumulations of MSW and C&D waste, along with multiple instances of open burning, indicating serious deficiencies in routine road maintenance, waste management, and enforcement at the field level.

Several road stretches across different wards and sectors of Gurugram, including residential colonies, internal roads and arterial stretches, were identified with persistent dust accumulation and waste dumping. The presence of open burning and unmanaged waste on multiple stretches further aggravated the dust conditions, highlighting the need for immediate corrective measures and strengthened supervision by the concerned agency.

CAQM Directs Corrective Measures

The Commission observed that the overall inspection results point towards the need for significant strengthening of on-ground operations by MCG, particularly with respect to regular mechanical sweeping, timely lifting and scientific disposal of collected dust and waste, active water sprinkling and dust-suppression measures, and strict prevention of open burning. The Commission emphasized that sustained and focused efforts are essential to ensure visible improvement in road conditions and to prevent reaccumulation of dust and waste.

The Commission reiterated that inspection and enforcement drives under 'Operation Clean Air' will continue to be carried out regularly across the NCR to ensure strict adherence to its Statutory Directions and GRAP measures for dust mitigation and prevention of open burning. The Commission is working on war-footing to ensure clean, green and dust-free road stretches in the region. (ANI)

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