Delhi govt’s dust pollution mitigation proj to cost more than Rs 2,000 crore

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s comprehensive road dust pollution mitigation project is likely to cost Rs 2,388 crore over a period of 10 years, according to a proposal approved by the Cabinet.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had last month headed a meeting of the Cabinet, which approved a ‘Pollution Control and Emergency Measures’ project under which 250 water sprinkler machines fitted with anti-smog guns will be hired at an estimated cost of Rs 1,158 crore. Besides, 70 mechanical road sweeping (MRS) machines fitted with 210 water sprinklers, water tankers and anti-smog guns will be hired at the cost Rs 1,230 crore for a period of seven years.

One of these MRS machines was launched by the chief minister along with Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. The Public Works Department (PWD), which has been providing facilities for mechanically sweeping and sprinkling water on roads under its jurisdiction for the entire year except during the monsoon season, will execute this project, said officials.

“This project is only for cleaning of dust in the carriageway, excluding cleaning of footpaths and greening of central verges. The machines under this project may be utilized in Delhi on a need basis for overall improvement of the city’s ambient air quality,” said the minutes of the meeting.

The efficiency of mechanical sweeping has been reported as 55 per cent effective in reducing PM-10 concentration in the air and it increases to 90 per cent efficacy if assisted by vacuum-assisted sweeping, according to a study done by IIT Kanpur in 2016.

The officials said that a similar plan was proposed last year by the Environment Department to hand over the work of dust suppression on main roads to the PWD. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), however, objected to the proposal stating it will execute the project as sanitation is its obligatory function, they added.

The officials said that the project was transferred to the MCD and added no funds were, however, spent.

“Hence, it has been decided with the approval of the chief minister and the environment minister that the project has faced considerable delays and given the importance of the project, the department has been directed to revise the Cabinet note for getting the work executed by the PWD,” said the approved proposal.

The entire fleet will daily work in three shifts of eight hours each to execute the project efficiently, according to the plan, and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will provide 15,000 kiloliters of treated water per day free of cost to the PWD to operate water sprinklers and anti-smog guns. The PWD manages 1,400 kilometres of main roads across the city. These roads, which witness substantial traffic movement, will initially be covered under this project with a scope for expansion to other roads.