AirQuality – Delhi Introduces Daily Road Monitoring Drive to Reduce Dust Pollution
AirQuality – Delhi has rolled out a large-scale road surveillance programme aimed at identifying and reducing sources of air pollution spread across the capital. The initiative, launched by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), focuses on improving air quality through daily inspections, faster reporting, and direct coordination with civic agencies.
The newly launched campaign, named Road RADAR, stands for Real-time Air Pollution Detection across Roads. Under this system, 13 specially assigned field surveyors have started conducting daily inspections on roads managed by multiple civic bodies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Public Works Department, New Delhi Municipal Council, and Delhi Cantonment Board.
Extensive Daily Monitoring Across Delhi
Officials said the programme is designed to cover nearly 18,000 kilometres of roads throughout the city every month. Each surveyor has been instructed to inspect at least 20 kilometres of roads every day. During these inspections, the teams are required to report a minimum of 70 pollution-related issues daily using geo-tagged photographs through the MCD-311 mobile application.
With this structure in place, authorities expect nearly 1,000 pollution complaints to be identified across Delhi every day. According to officials, the monitoring system has been developed with safeguards that prevent duplicate reporting, ensuring every complaint represents a separate pollution source that requires action.
Focus on Dust and Roadside Pollution
The DPCC stated that the primary objective of Road RADAR is to improve cleanliness on city roads, reduce dust levels, and create measurable improvements in air quality. The programme will closely monitor 11 major categories linked to dispersed pollution sources.
These include damaged roads, broken pavements, potholes, dust from construction sites, open dumping of construction waste, garbage accumulation, roadside burning of plastic and biomass, and piles of loose material such as sand along roadsides. Unregulated parking spaces without proper surfacing and barren roadside stretches requiring plantation work are also included under the monitoring framework.
Real-Time Complaint Routing System Introduced
A major feature of the initiative is its automated reporting mechanism. Once a surveyor uploads a complaint on the mobile application, the information is instantly forwarded to the department responsible for resolving the issue. Depending on the location and nature of the complaint, agencies such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Public Works Department, Delhi Development Authority, and other state or central authorities will receive the alert for immediate action.
Officials believe this direct reporting model will improve accountability and reduce delays in addressing pollution-related problems on roads.
Government Emphasises Ground-Level Action
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said pollution control efforts must focus on practical action at the local level. He stated that clean air can only be achieved through continuous monitoring and accountability across every road and neighbourhood in the city.
According to the minister, the Road RADAR programme introduces a scientific approach that combines field inspections, live reporting, and departmental responsibility to ensure pollution sources are identified and addressed without unnecessary delay.
Authorities Expect Faster Response to Pollution Issues
The environment department expects the initiative to strengthen coordination among civic agencies while making pollution control measures more responsive. By using geo-tagged evidence and daily field verification, officials aim to create a system where complaints are not only recorded quickly but also resolved more efficiently.
The programme comes as Delhi continues to explore multiple strategies to improve air quality and reduce dust pollution, particularly from roads and construction-related activities across the city.