CAQM flags 258 dust-control violations across 104km of Gurugram roads

The findings come amid continuing concerns over dust pollution on Gurugram’s roads, many of which have remained in poor condition despite repeated civic assurances and ongoing improvement plans

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) found 258 violations related to road dust, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, damaged footpaths and potholes during a special inspection covering 104km of roads in Gurugram on Wednesday, exposing gaps in road maintenance and dust-control measures by the city’s two key civic agencies.

The violations included visible accumulation of road dust and C&D waste, damaged footpaths and potholes, which CAQM said contributed to dust generation and its resuspension by moving vehicles, worsening ambient air quality. (HT Photo)

Conducted under CAQM’s ‘Operation Clean Air’, the inspection covered 52 road stretches, with four flying squads assessing road cleanliness and the effectiveness of sweeping operations. Of the 258 violations, 174 were recorded on roads maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and 84 on those under the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), according to a statement issued by the commission on Thursday.

The teams inspected 56km of MCG roads and 48km under GMDA.

The violations included visible accumulation of road dust and C&D waste, damaged footpaths and potholes, which CAQM said contributed to dust generation and its resuspension by moving vehicles, worsening ambient air quality.

The inspection covered several parts of Gurugram, including Palam Vihar, Pace City I and II, sectors 10, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 42, 43, 53, 54 and 56, Sikanderpur, Mehrauli-Gurugram Road, Dwarka Expressway, Daulatabad Road and Dharampur Road, among other stretches.

Following the inspection, CAQM directed MCG, GMDA and other agencies concerned to take corrective measures on priority, including effective mechanical road sweeping, removal of accumulated dust and C&D waste, and repairs to damaged road infrastructure.

“Road-owning agencies must ensure that their stretches remain clean and dust-free. Non-compliance could invite strict action, including prosecution under the law,” CAQM said in its statement.

The findings come amid continuing concerns over dust pollution on Gurugram’s roads, many of which have remained in poor condition despite repeated civic assurances and ongoing improvement plans.

Earlier this month, HT reported that MCG was falling behind on its target of making 294 roads dust-free by December 2026. According to data provided by the civic body, work on around 217km remained pending against a target of 396km, with residents also blaming broken roads for increased dust generation.

On October 10, HT reported that several major stretches, including the six-kilometre section of Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) between Ghata and Vatika Chowk, Maidawas Road and roads in Udyog Vihar Phases 1, 2 and 3, had unpaved shoulders covered in loose dust.

Asked about CAQM’s findings and the agency’s dust-control measures, MCG executive engineer Sandeep Sheoran said efforts were underway to improve road conditions and reduce dust.

“MCG is constantly working on controlling dust on the roads. We are ensuring that the roads are swept regularly with mechanised machines wherever possible. We have also hired a special agency for pothole repair in the city. The work is being taken up zone-wise based on the complaints we receive from the residents,” Sheoran said.

He added that MCG had deployed 12 anti-smog guns and planned to procure at least eight more ahead of the Grap season. The civic body was also strengthening surveillance to prevent the dumping of C&D waste on roads and vacant plots, he said.

GMDA spokesperson Neha Sharma said the authority had yet to receive a formal report from CAQM on the inspection.

“A focused drive will be undertaken to pave unpaved road stretches, ensure regular cleaning of road berms, carry out water sprinkling to suppress dust and fill potholes across the road network. These measures will be taken up to minimise dust generation from roads and adjoining areas and ensure a cleaner urban environment for residents,” Sharma said.

CAQM said inspections under Operation Clean Air would continue across Delhi-NCR to assess compliance with pollution-control measures and ensure that deficiencies identified during the drives were addressed.