Dust is the biggest contributor to PM2.5 concentrations during summer in Delhi-NCR, with its contribution being 27 per cent compared to 15 per cent during winter, a Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) official said on Friday.
This is why the committee has created stringent data-driven monitoring frameworks, CAQM Member (Technical) Dr SD Attri said.
He added that the mechanisms will make civil bodies and city administrations responsible for managing local roads, construction and demolition dust.
“To monitor and address these challenges, NCR has 90 continuous air quality monitoring stations and, for the first time, annual action plans have been made publicly available online to ensure transparency and encourage public participation,” Dr. Atre said.
He made these comments during the second session of the Clean Air Dialogues, hosted by the CAQM Resource Lab, an initiative between CAQM and the Raahgiri Foundation.
The session witnessed discussions about the next stage of work against road and construction dust.
At the event, Sumit Sharma, Program Officer at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), noted that with climate change altering monsoon patterns and increasing the frequency of severe droughts, the NCR’s exposure to localized dust suspension will intensify.
“Our urban planning must evolve today to build resilience to this growing threat of climate pollution,” he added.
Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director, Center for Science and Environment, highlighted the need to integrate the cost of dust management into infrastructure projects.
“The cost of dust mitigation and scientific waste disposal should be factored directly into the financial planning and bidding process of every infrastructure project from day one,” she said.
