Delhi launches 45-day road-cleaning mission to curb air pollution

As Delhi continues to battle alarming air pollution levels, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive citywide road-cleaning and maintenance initiative aimed at addressing one of the primary causes of poor air quality—dust and debris accumulation on roads.

- TIKAM SHARMA

The large-scale operation, led by the Public Works Department (PWD), is part of the Delhi government's broader strategy to reduce particulate matter and improve air quality across the national capital. The campaign, set to run for 45 days, will cover over 1,400 kilometres of PWD-maintained roads and Right-of-Way (RoW) areas, encompassing key arterial routes and major intersections.

According to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), 200 PWD maintenance vans have been deployed across the city to carry out deep cleaning, debris removal, and essential road repairs. These vans will operate daily to clean a minimum of 200 metres of road surface, focusing on removing settled dust, filling potholes, cleaning kerb channels and bell mouths, and repairing footpaths. They will also undertake the maintenance of streetlights, exposed wiring, and damaged road signage.