The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said 13 MRSMs were operating along 157 km of highways in the region. NHAI Member (Technical) Alok Deepankar reviewed the arrangements and instructed field teams to ensure full deployment of equipment and personnel, continuous water sprinkling, regular use of anti-smog guns and daily mechanical sweeping.
The agency has also been directed to comply with norms issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management, including covering construction materials, maintaining dust-free road surfaces and intensifying action under applicable stages of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Officials will monitor the activities daily and submit progress reports supported by geo-tagged photographs.
NHAI said it planted around 980,000 plants in the National Capital Region during FY25-26, exceeding its target of 952,000 plants, with survival rates above 90 per cent. It also used around 1,358,000 t of inert material from Delhi landfill sites in embankment construction for the Urban Extension Road-II and DND-Sohna corridors.
Officials reviewed decongestion projects such as UER-II, Dwarka Expressway, DND-Sohna Expressway and Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, which are intended to reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions. The review came after the CAQM invoked Stage I of GRAP when Delhi’s Air Quality Index rose from 179 on October 20 to 244 at 2 pm on October 21, placing it in the poor category. Agencies were asked to maintain vigilance and intensify prescribed measures.