Delhi Environment Minister Outlines Measures to Combat Smog, Focuses on Reducing Road Dust

New Delhi, Nov 15 : Delhi ministers are intensifying the fight against pollution across the national capital, focusing on cleanliness and strategic mitigation measures to improve air quality.

On Saturday, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa highlighted that significant work remains to improve roads and close sanitation gaps. “The major source of Delhi’s pollution right now is PM10, which comes from construction sites, dust on roads, and several other factors,” Sirsa said.

Authorities have identified 62 pollution hotspots where traffic congestion and dust contribute most to smog formation. Ongoing work in these areas, including recent reviews of Vasant Kunj and Vasant Vihar, aims to enhance air quality, he added.

“This fight for a cleaner Delhi focuses on 10 key mitigation measures,” the minister noted, stressing that dust is increasingly turning into smog with winter setting in.

Regarding stubble burning in surrounding states, Sirsa acknowledged it remains a significant contributor to Delhi’s air pollution, though its effect is expected to diminish as the sowing season begins. The state government is also working to tackle pollution from industries located in Delhi’s bordering areas.

Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed the situation at Tehkhand and Tughlakabad, underscoring the urgency of cleanliness campaigns. Through her social media posts, she directed officials to accelerate waste management, ensure regular cleaning in high-garbage areas, and deploy modern technologies for efficient dust and waste control.

Amid these efforts, Delhi recorded a “very poor” Air Quality Index (AQI) of 386 at 8 am on Saturday (November 15), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Visibility was severely reduced, with major landmarks like India Gate shrouded in thick smog.