Anti-smog guns, road sweepers to work non-stop as Centre pushes NCR clean-up

Delhi environment minister said agencies were asked to identify and repair potholes within 72 hours to limit dust resuspension from broken road surfaces.

States across north India have been directed by the Centre to intensify district-wise pollution control efforts, with a particular emphasis on cities around the national capital, Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Wednesday.

Several immediate interventions were ordered for implementation across Delhi NCR. (HT archive)

The direction followed a high-level meeting convened earlier in the day by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, where representatives of northern states reviewed the region’s deteriorating air quality and discussed coordinated action.

Following the meeting, several immediate interventions were ordered for implementation across Delhi NCR. These include round-the-clock deployment of mechanised road sweepers, anti-smog guns and water sprinklers in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Greater Noida.

Sirsa said agencies were also asked to identify and repair potholes within 72 hours to limit dust resuspension from broken road surfaces, which remains a significant contributor to PM levels across the region.

“It was ordered that mechanised road sweepers, anti-smog guns and water sprinklers should be operated in all NCR cities… Potholes will be identified and repaired within 72 hours,” Sirsa said. He added that the Delhi government, acting under the instructions of chief minister Rekha Gupta, is monitoring compliance closely and has made it clear that violations of anti-pollution guidelines will draw strict action.

“No agency, whether government or private, will be spared if found violating anti-pollution measures. All industries and construction sites are also being closely monitored,” he said.

Sirsa said enforcement teams will ramp up checks on vehicles that do not meet current emission norms, with sub-BS IV vehicles facing stricter verification in a bid to reduce transport-related emissions. Construction and demolition (C&D) waste, another major dust source, will also remain under close scrutiny. Construction sites have been directed to install boundary walls, ensure proper waste management and operate water sprinklers to contain dust.

He said the Public Works Department (PWD) has been tasked with supporting water-based mitigation measures by installing tube wells and water pipelines across the city. “Delhi government is carrying out water-mist spraying at many locations, including ITO. PWD will install tube wells and water pipelines for mist spraying,” he said.

Long-term regional strategies also came up during the meeting, including landscape redevelopment, green-cover augmentation and public-driven plantation drives. Sirsa said all local bodies have been directed to expand tree cover along public parks, central verges and major road stretches to create natural buffers against dust and vehicular pollution.

As part of its infrastructure upgrades, Delhi will adopt the Centre’s ‘Gaurav Path’ model for road design, which incorporates improved stormwater drainage to prevent waterlogging and erosion-related dust generation. The city will also push to strengthen last-mile connectivity around metro stations, especially through the promotion of electric auto-rickshaws, to encourage public transport use and reduce private vehicle dependence.

Sirsa said the combined measures undertaken by the Centre, state governments and local bodies are expected to provide better pollution management across the region as the winter season progresses.