In a major initiative to curb dust pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change today announced the signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi.
According to the official press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the agreement aims to implement a standardized framework for urban road redevelopment that includes paving, greening, and sustainable design to reduce road dust emissions—one of the major contributors to air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
In the first phase, nine urbanized and industrial cities—Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, and Neemrana—will be taken up for road development and redesign.
The partnership will establish a Project Monitoring Cell (PMC) at CAQM to oversee phased implementation across NCR states. CSIR-CRRI will offer technical guidance in road engineering, standardization, and asset management, while SPA will focus on sustainable urban planning and greening interventions.
The Standard Framework to be implemented includes:
- Cross-section design for roads based on right-of-way (ROW) width,
- Road dust mitigation through targeted greening,
- A Web-GIS-based Road Asset Management System (RAMS) for effective maintenance,
- Adoption of modern construction technologies.
The PMC will be supported by CRRI and SPA in staffing, technical guidance, and monitoring. A digital dashboard will also be developed for real-time tracking of project progress.
Officials said the initiative marks a strategic shift towards long-term air quality management through sustainable urban infrastructure, with road redevelopment seen as a critical tool to control dust pollution in NCR.
