NHAI has deployed about 60 water sprinklers and tankers, 14 anti-smog guns, 23 mechanical road sweeping machines (MRSMs) and two tractor-mounted broomers. More than 900 sanitation and ground workers have been assigned to dust mitigation. Of the sweeping machines, 13 are servicing 157 km of national highway stretches within the National Capital Region.
Alok Deepankar, NHAI Member (Technical), reviewed the operations and directed officials to ensure compliance with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) guidelines and the applicable stages of the Graded Response Action Plan. The authority is also tracking daily progress through geo-tagged photographs.
NHAI said it planted about 980,000 saplings in the NCR during FY26, exceeding its initial target of 952,000. The plantations recorded a survival rate of more than 90 per cent. The authority has also used nearly 1.36 mn t of inert waste from Delhi landfill sites in embankment construction for arterial projects, including the Urban Extension Road-II and DND-Sohna corridors.
To address traffic-related emissions, NHAI has accelerated work on the Urban Extension Road-II, Dwarka Expressway, DND-Sohna Expressway and Delhi-Dehradun Expressway. The projects are intended to improve traffic flow, reduce vehicle idling and lower tailpipe emissions. Public complaints are being monitored through the Green Delhi app and social media channels, allowing officials to track pollution and congestion-related issues.