NEW DELHI: With winter smog expected to spike, the capital is launching a major road overhaul that pairs resurfacing work on 153 stretches with a citywide deployment of mechanical sprinklers and anti-smog guns, officials said on Wednesday.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has identified a total of 153 road improvement projects to be funded under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), and has already floated tenders for roadstrengthening work across all three PWD zones.
A senior PWD official said the projects — 65 in the east, 33 in the north and 55 in the south — were prioritised after widespread monsoon damage left many arterial roads riddled with potholes, cracks and weakened foundations.
“These projects have been divided across the city in the three zones of the PWD, and roadstrengthening tenders have already been floated for all 153 projects. The evaluation process of proposals will be completed soon and work will commence,” the official added.
The CRIF allocation follows approval of `803 crore last month by the central government for Delhi’s road infrastructure needs, a grant sought by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Alongside structural repairs and routine maintenance such as pothole fixing and patchwork, the city plans to attack a key contributor to winter air pollution: road dust stirred up by vehicular traffic.
In June, the state cabinet cleared a separate ‘Pollution Control and Emergency Measures’ project that envisages hiring 250 water sprinkler machines equipped with anti-smog guns at an estimated cost of `1,158 crore. The Public Works Department will implement the scheme, which aims to provide mechanical sweeping and yearround sprinkling on roads under its jurisdiction.
Officials said tenders for hiring the machines have been floated in different zones and procurement has begun. PWD sources said the repair and strengthening operations will roll out in phases over the coming months to reduce traffic disruption and ensure safety. Officials stressed that timely completion is crucial both for commuter safety and for significantly reducing particulate matter that contributes to Delhi’s annual winter pollution.
