The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) reviewed the progress of the Special Campaign for Removal of Legacy Dust being undertaken across all 12 Zones of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The Commission directed that the campaign should continue as a sustained and phased exercise with periodic repetition, continuous monitoring and regular maintenance, rather than as a one-time initiative. CAQM emphasized the need to strengthen inter-agency coordination, address identified gaps in a time-bound manner and intensify dust mitigation measures for effective control of air pollution in Delhi.
The review meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Shri Tarun Kumar Pithode, Member Secretary, CAQM, with Deputy Commissioners and representatives from all MCD Zones presenting their implementation status. The meeting was part of the follow-up mechanism pursuant to CAQM's letter issued on May 11, 2026, which directed Dust Control and Management Cells in Delhi to undertake the special campaign for identification, removal and scientific disposal of legacy dust from roads, roadsides, medians, footpaths and other associated areas.
Zone-wise progress data shows significant dust removal achievements: Rohini Zone removed 2,950.40 metric tons covering 24,486 kilometers from January 1 to July 26, 2026; Outer North Zone removed 948.66 metric tons covering 8,057 kilometers from March 1 to July 28, 2026; Najafgarh Zone removed 270 metric tons covering 24.5 kilometers from June 5 to July 25, 2026; Keshav Puram Zone removed 218 metric tons covering 117.5 kilometers from May 18 to 29, 2026; Civil Lines Zone removed 95.65 metric tons covering 128 kilometers from May 1 to July 26, 2026; Old Delhi Zone removed 386.4 metric tons covering 179.4 kilometers from May 18 to July 27, 2026; Karol Bagh Zone removed 378 metric tons covering 122 kilometers from May 18 to June 27, 2026; Central Zone reported 12.8 metric tons per day covering 240 kilometers per day from May 12 to July 28, 2026; West Zone removed 638.5 metric tons covering 10,137.5 kilometers from June 1 to July 28, 2026; Shahdara South Zone removed 135.89 metric tons covering 150 kilometers from May 1 to July 26, 2026; Shahdara North Zone removed 906.8 metric tons covering 81.7 kilometers from June 6 to July 28, 2026; and South Zone reported 623.49 metric tons covering 5 kilometers per day from June 1 to 30, 2026.
Operational challenges identified included limited utility of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines on roads less than nine metres wide due to parked vehicles, overflow of water during irrigation of central verges by other agencies leading to repeated deposition of soil and dust on carriageways, absence of end-to-end paving on several road stretches resulting in recurring dust generation, and continued littering despite adequate waste bins availability.
CAQM advised intensifying Information, Education and Communication initiatives to promote behavioral change among citizens and called for regular capacity-building and training workshops for sanitation workers to enhance operational efficiency, in accordance with the Framework for targeted IEC activities issued on March 3, 2026. The Commission emphasized that all concerned agencies should prioritize end-to-end paving and greening of roads in accordance with the Standard Framework issued on January 7, 2025, to eliminate exposed soil and prevent recurring dust generation. CAQM also stressed the need for plantation and landscaping using suitable soil-trapping plant species to minimize soil erosion and reduce dust re-suspension instead of excessive concretisation of open areas.