CAQM flags lapses in Gurugram road upkeep, waste management
The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has flagged serious lapses in road upkeep and waste management after an extensive inspection drive across 125 road stretches maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Friday.
According to the CAQM report, 34 stretches showed high visible dust levels, 58 showed moderate dust, 29 recorded low dust intensity, and only four were found to have no visible dust.
The inspection, conducted under ‘Operation Clean Air’, involved 17 teams-15 from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and two from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The teams used geo-tagged and time-stamped photographic evidence to document conditions and assess compliance with dust mitigation norms.
A large number of stretches observed with high visible dust were also found to have significant accumulation of MSW and C&D waste, along with multiple instances of open burning, indicating serious deficiencies in routine road maintenance, waste management and enforcement at the field level.
Several road stretches across different wards and sectors of Gurugram, including residential colonies, internal roads and arterial stretches, were identified with persistent dust accumulation and waste dumping. The presence of open burning and unmanaged waste on multiple stretches further aggravated the dust conditions, highlighting the need for immediate corrective measures and strengthened supervision by the concerned agency.
These issues, CAQM noted, point to “serious deficiencies” in field-level maintenance, waste management, and enforcement by the civic body.
The Commission has directed MCG to intensify mechanical sweeping, ensure timely lifting and scientific disposal of waste, expand the use of water sprinkling and other dust-suppression measures, and strictly prevent open burning. It also underlined the need for continuous and systematic supervision to prevent re-accumulation of dust.
The Commission observed that the overall inspection results point towards the need for significant strengthening of on-ground operations by MCG, particularly with respect to regular mechanical sweeping, timely lifting and scientific disposal of collected dust and waste, active water sprinkling and dust-suppression measures, and strict prevention of open burning. The Commission emphasized that sustained and focused efforts are essential to ensure visible improvement in road conditions and to prevent re-accumulation of dust and waste.
CAQM said regular drives under Operation Clean Air will continue across NCR to ensure strict adherence to statutory directions and GRAP measures aimed at reducing dust pollution.
According to the CAQM report, 34 stretches showed high visible dust levels
