New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) As the national capital grapples with rising pollution, which has become a menace for the citizens, 26 Flying Squads of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) undertook a focused inspection drive across different regions of Delhi, an official statement said on Sunday. The inspection drive was carried out on Saturday as part of the Commission’s ongoing enforcement actions to strengthen on-ground monitoring and intensification of dust mitigation measures under the statutory framework and the extant GRAP in force.

According to the CAQM press release, this drive aimed to assess visible dust accumulation on road stretches and evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning, sweeping and dust-suppression measures being implemented by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Central Public Works Department (CPWD). A total of 321 road stretches were inspected across the roads of the three agencies. Geo-tagged, time-stamped photographic documentation was collected and submitted to the Commission as part of the consolidated inspection report.

As per the final compiled data, 35 road stretches exhibited high visible dust levels, 61 showed moderate dust, 94 recorded low dust intensity, and 131 stretches were found to have no visible dust. Under the MCD, which had the highest number of inspected roads (182), 35 stretches reflected a high level of visible dust intensity, 50 were moderate, 70 had low, and 27 stretches recorded no visible dust. In contrast, the NDMC region reflected relatively better performance with 133 road stretches inspected, of which 100 showed no visible dust, 24 recorded low dust, and 9 moderate dust intensity, with no stretch falling in the high-dust intensity category.

Similarly, the CPWD, with a smaller jurisdiction of 6 roads inspected, recorded no high-dust stretches, 2 with moderate visible dust, and 4 with no visible dust intensity. The CAQM noted that road dust is a major contributor to particulate matter in Delhi, especially in winter. It directed agencies, particularly the MCD, to intensify efforts under 'Operation Clean Air' by ensuring consistent mechanical sweeping, proper pavement maintenance, timely disposal of collected dust, and regular water sprinkling/dust suppression measures on all road stretches to strictly adhere to dust-mitigation norms. Targeted inspection drives will continue to ensure compliance.