NEW DELHI: As air quality in the national capital region (NCR) has started deteriorating, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated measures to control dust pollution levels.
It has deployed around 60 water sprinklers and water tankers, 14 anti-smog guns, 23 Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs), two tractor-mounted broomers and over 900 workers to support mitigation efforts along the national highway stretches in Delhi and adjoining cities such as Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Sonepat.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), 13 MRSMs have been operating along 157 km of the highways within Delhi-NCR.
The Member (Technical) NHAI Alok Deepankar, after reviewing the pollution-control measures, directed field teams to ensure full deployment of equipment, manpower and water sprinkling, regular operation of anti-smog guns and daily mechanical sweeping.
He also emphasised strict compliance with norms established by Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which includes covering of construction materials, maintenance of dust-free road surfaces and intensified measures as per applicable Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) stages. The ministry said that NHAI officials had been directed to monitor activities daily and submit progress reports with geo-tagged photographs.
As part of its environmental initiatives, NHAI has planted around 9.80 lakh plants in NCR during FY 2025-26 against a target of 9.52 lakh, achieving survival rates of over 90 percent. Further, around 13.58 lakh tonnes of inert material from Delhi's landfill sites have been utilised in the embankment construction of UER-II and DND–Sohna corridors, supporting sustainable waste utilisation.
The officials also reviewed major decongestion projects including Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), Dwarka Expressway, DND-Sohna Expressway and Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, which are helping to reduce traffic congestion and vehicular emission in Delhi-NCR. Expeditious progress of proposed decongestion projects and prompt resolution of public complaints received through the Green Delhi app and Social Media platforms were also emphasised.
On Wednesday, the CAQM invoked Stage I of GRAP across Delhi-NCR as air quality slipped into the ‘poor’ category.
The decision was taken by the sub-committee on GRAP after reviewing the air quality situation in the region. As per the CAQM, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi, which was observed 179 (Moderate category) on October 20, increased. It was 244 at 2 pm on October 21. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) have already predicted that the AQI would remain in the ‘poor’ category in the coming days.
Different agencies have been asked to maintain strict vigilance and intensify the prescribed measures. Citizens were urged to adhere to the citizen charter under GRAP Stage I.