The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has intensified preparations to control winter pollution through road repairs, mechanised cleaning, dust and silt removal, and joint enforcement teams targeting burning, construction activity and waste dumping across the city.
Standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma said approximately 6,127 kilometres of roads under MCD jurisdiction are being swept manually by around 57,000 Safai Mitras. The civic body has also taken up end-to-end reconstruction and strengthening of 1,202 kilometres of roads, while 6,797 potholes were repaired between April and August.
The road maintenance measures form part of the corporation’s broader effort to reduce dust from damaged surfaces and uncleaned carriageways. MCD is also working to increase green areas, although the report did not provide a target or implementation timeline for that work.
A deep-cleaning campaign launched on May 18 has focused on removing accumulated dust and silt from roads. Sharma said approximately 2,900 metric tonnes of silt had been removed and roads covering 1,200 kilometres had been cleaned under the campaign.
The corporation’s winter action plan includes joint enforcement teams to monitor biomass burning, dust pollution from construction and demolition activities, the use of unauthorised fuels, illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste or garbage, and the storage of C&D waste at dumping sites.
The enforcement focus places municipal road maintenance alongside regulation of construction and waste-handling practices. These activities can occur across multiple administrative jurisdictions, making coordination between civic departments and local enforcement agencies necessary for action at specific sites.
Air pollution sources at 46 hotspots identified by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee are being assessed, according to Sharma. MCD said action was being taken in coordination with the departments concerned, with deputy commissioners designated as nodal officers for the work.
Monitoring committees and cross-functional teams have also been formed to inspect pollution-control measures in the identified hotspot areas. The report did not specify the composition of these teams, the penalties to be imposed for violations, or the frequency of inspections.
The plan comes as Delhi’s civic administration prepares for the winter period, when pollution-control measures typically focus on road dust, open burning, construction and demolition activity, and waste management. For residents, the immediate effect of the programme will depend on how consistently road cleaning, pothole repairs, hotspot inspections and action against violations are carried out across neighbourhoods.
MCD’s next steps are to continue road reconstruction and strengthening, expand deep-cleaning operations, and deploy the joint teams and nodal officers to monitor the 46 pollution hotspots identified by the DPCC.
