Mon Nov 24 06:00:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the article followed by a rewritten version as a news article:
Summary:
An article from The Hindu that discusses road dust being a significant contributor to air pollution in India, particularly PM10 and PM2.5 particles. Although substantial funds have been allocated under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for road dust control, the effectiveness of current measures is limited due to fragmented jurisdiction, operational constraints, and unscientific disposal practices. The article highlights the need for a comprehensive, science-based regulatory mechanism, better coordination among agencies, proper equipment, and scientifically sound disposal methods to effectively manage road dust and improve air quality across India.
News Article:
Headline: Road Dust Still Choking India Despite Billions Spent on Control Efforts
New Delhi, November 24, 2025 – Despite significant investment under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), road dust continues to be a major source of air pollution across India, experts warn. An article in The Hindu today highlights the challenges in controlling PM10 and PM2.5 particles, with source apportionment studies revealing that road dust contributes significantly to air pollution in many cities.
The NCAP aimed for a 40% reduction in PM10 by 2025-2026, but current efforts appear to be falling short, even with nearly ₹20,000 crore allocated between 2019 and 2025 for air quality improvement, a large portion of which went into road dust control.
According to IIT-Delhi, street-level silt loads vary drastically across Indian cities, with North Indian cities generally exhibiting dustier conditions than their Southern counterparts. While guidelines and management cells have been implemented, particularly in the Delhi-NCR region, the effectiveness is limited, as PM10 levels are still not dropping to where they need to be.
One major issue is the fragmented jurisdiction, with numerous agencies responsible for road maintenance, leading to diffused accountability. Operational constraints, such as an insufficient number of road-sweeping machines and a lack of standardized disposal procedures for collected dust, further exacerbate the problem.
Experts are calling for a holistic, science-based approach, including a comprehensive regulatory mechanism, better inter-agency coordination, proper equipment mapping, and scientifically sound disposal methods for collected dust. This also includes GIS mapping of all roads in India. The authors argue that without these changes, India will struggle to meet its air quality targets and protect public health.
“A comprehensive, science-based regulatory mechanism for cleaner road construction and maintenance, considering open roadsides and air quality as critical components of infrastructure development plans, is essential, “said Charu Tyagi and Swagata Dey of CSTEP.
The full article can be found in today’s edition of The Hindu e-paper.
First Piper 