MCG’s 294-road dust-free target faces questions as key stretches remain dusty

About 217km of road revamp remains pending against the 396km target, with residents also blaming broken roads for increased dust generation.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s (MCG) plan to make 294 roads dust-free by December 31, 2026, faces questions over implementation, with several key stretches continuing to witness significant dust accumulation nine months into the year, residents and environmentalists said.

An MCG official said repeated listing of roads reflects the need for daily sweeping and regular monitoring rather than a one-time dust-removal exercise. (HT)

Under its 2026 action plan, the MCG has identified nearly 50 kilometres of key road stretches month-wise for dust-control measures. However, the same stretches continue to feature in the list after one or two months, according to the action plan seen by HT.

The MCG has not yet shared how many of the 294 roads have actually been made dust-free so far, making it difficult to assess progress against the December 31 target.

Roads including Kadipur School–Umang Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Artemis Road, Old SPR, Kataria Chowk, Vatika Chowk, Atul Kataria Chowk, St Xavier’s School–Badshahpur Road, Sector 57–Vatika Chowk and Bus Stand Road continue to witness dust accumulation despite being identified under the city’s dust-control measures.

For two-wheeler commuters, the problem is particularly visible near St Xavier’s School on Golf Course Extension Road, where passing vehicles and heavy trucks raise dust at the traffic signal, forcing riders to cover their faces and hold their breath.

Ruchika Sethi, founder of citizen-led group Clean Air Bharat, said citizens and community groups were already identifying pollution sources, documenting violations, collecting evidence and submitting representations to authorities, but sustained enforcement remained a gap.

“The missing link is sustained, measurable enforcement and prevention on the ground. We need to move from complaint-driven responses to a preventive, outcome-based clean-air system—before pollution builds up, rather than after it becomes a public-health emergency,” she said.

Locals and environmentalists flag persistent dust on key Gurugram roads, including Golf Course Extension Road, as MCG faces questions over progress towards its target of making 294 roads dust-free by December 31. (HT/SOURCED)

Gauri Sarin, environmentalist and founder of citizen-led group Making Model Gurugram, said construction activity, unwashed vehicle tyres and uncovered trucks carrying dust, sand and debris were contributing to the problem.

“Even on internal roads, you will find at least one house under construction. The city already has so many problems, yet there appears to be little compliance when it comes to vehicles transporting dust, sand and debris,” she said.

“While the work on dust-free roads is ongoing by civic agencies, the pace is too slow. The debris and illegal dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) is also another factor. The level of seriousness regarding reducing dust pollution is still not visible,” she added.

Residents also said broken roads were contributing to dust generation. Around 217 kilometres of road revamp remains pending against the 396-km target mentioned in the MCG action plan.

Gurugram currently has 13 anti-smog guns against a requirement of 22, while only 24 of the required 72 mechanical road sweeping machines (MRSMs) are available. The MRSM requirement comprises 38 large, four medium-sized and six small machines.

An MCG official said tenders for additional machines had been floated. “Efforts are underway to make these roads dust-free. Once the new machines are deployed, road coverage will improve. We are working to clear dust from the stretches identified,” he added, asking not to be named.

When asked why the same roads reappeared in the lists after a month or two, an MCG official said dust removal was not a one-time exercise and required regular monitoring and daily sweeping. “We have to clearly monitor it regularly and ensure daily sweeping of the roads. To maintain that, the stretches are mentioned twice or thrice in the monthly lists,” the official added.