New Delhi, Dec 20 (UNI) Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Saturday reviewed the air pollution hotspots across his constituency Rohini.
He observed that air pollution caused by road dust and unfinished civic work is not an inescapable reality, but a preventable governance challenge, one that calls for time-bound action, coordinated administration and firm accountability.
The inspection was conducted by the speaker after recent assessments had identified several locations in the area as dust-pollution hotspots, where roads remained dug up, or covered with loose soil.
It was observed that vehicular movement on these exposed stretches repeatedly re-suspends dust.
At the same time, the suspension of infrastructure work, including drainage-related projects under pollution-control measures, has left road surfaces untreated for extended periods, he said.
Residents in the area have reported sustained exposure to dust over several months, raising serious public health concerns.
Gupta noted that scientific assessments consistently identify road dust as one of the most significant contributors to particulate pollution in the national capital, that account for a substantial share of PM10 and a meaningful portion of PM2.5, during winters when stagnant atmospheric conditions aggravate pollution levels.
Gupta observed that the issue gets compounded by incomplete restoration after utility works, gaps in mechanised sweeping and dust-suppression measures, fragmented coordination among civic agencies, and traffic-induced re- suspension of dust on the damaged pavements.
Taking note of the findings, the Speaker directed immediate and visible remedial measures across the identified hotspots in the area.
These include a time-bound dust-suppression mandate through daily mechanised sweeping and regular sprinkling of water or approved dust suppressants.
The legislator emphaises that wherever full-scale work cannot resume due to regulatory restrictions, exposed road stretches must be temporarily paved or compacted to prevent dust generation.
Special priority was directed towards school zones and market areas for dust-control measures during peak hours.
He also instructed for weekly joint inspections be conducted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and the Traffic Police, supported by geo-tagged reporting and clearly defined compliance timelines.
To address administrative and coordination gaps, Gutpa directed the establishment of a Rohini Dust Action Cell under the MLA’s office to ensure coordinated functioning among DDA, MCD, DPCC, and the Traffic Police.
He emphasised that the absence of a unified maintenance and enforcement mechanism has led to prolonged neglect of exposed road surfaces and that such fragmentation must be corrected through structured inter-agency coordination and monitoring.
For sustained and long-term dust mitigation, Gupta emphasised the need to complete wall-to-wall paving, or carpeting of all remaining un- tarred, and the frequently damaged roads in the area.
He stressed the need to construct permanent shoulders and footpaths to prevent, convert vacant open plots into green buffers or paved community spaces to eliminate dust bowls, and deploy local particulate matter monitoring points near schools and high-traffic junctions.
Gupta stated that effective air pollution control requires consistency rather than episodic enforcement.
He said that public health must remain central to civic governance, and assured that the implementation of suggested measures would be closely monitored, with periodic reviews to ensure timely execution, and accountability.
Delhi Assembly Speaker pushes for coordinated civic action to improve AQI
