Ghaziabad to spend ₹125 crore to improve roads, curb dust

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) is set to undertake a ₹125-crore project to improve road infrastructure and mitigate dust pollution across multiple residential wards, officials said on Saturday, adding that the initiative will cover approximately 65 km of road network in the city

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) is set to undertake a ₹125-crore project to improve road infrastructure and mitigate dust pollution across multiple residential wards, officials said on Saturday, adding that the initiative will cover approximately 65 km of road network in the city.

A detailed project report (DPR) is currently being prepared and is expected to be submitted to the state government for approval by next week, officials said. (Sakib Ali / HT)

A detailed project report (DPR) is currently being prepared and is expected to be submitted to the state government for approval by next week, officials said. The corporation has proposed end-to-end paving of roads using tiles alongside repairing damaged stretches, a move aimed at both easing commutes and reducing airborne dust.

“Under the project, the corporation plans to pave roads end-to-end with tiles and also repair damaged roads. This will improve road conditions and help abate pollution caused by road dust,” said NK Chaudhary, chief engineer of GMC.

The civic body has identified key stretches in localities such as Kavi Nagar, Vasundhara, Vijay Nagar, and Mohan Nagar for the first phase. Officials said ground-level operations are likely to commence after the monsoon season. Funding for the project will be provided by the urban development department, Chaudhary added.

However, the proposal has drawn criticism from some residents who argued that the corporation’s focus on tiled paving overlooks the need for greening initiatives.

“The city lacks roads with grass or plantations alongside them. The corporation finds it better to spend huge funds on roadside paving with tiles instead of spending funds on greenery alongside roads. Those traveling in autos, two-wheelers, and other public transport can feel the issue of road dust,” said Vikrant Sharma, a resident of Raj Nagar Extension.

The project comes against the backdrop of earlier concerns raised by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). In May, the commission flagged 24 instances of high visible road dust and accumulation of construction and demolition (C&D) waste at multiple locations in Ghaziabad during field inspections. CAQM had subsequently directed authorities to intensify dust mitigation measures, including deep cleaning, mechanised sweeping, water sprinkling, and scientific disposal of C&D waste.