Ghaziabad plans dust-free roads in three years, begins survey

The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has begun drafting a plan to achieve dust-free roads within the next three years, aiming to curb pollution and provide cleaner surroundings for commuters. Officials have decided to conduct a comprehensive survey using drones, satellite imagery, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to identify dusty patches across the city’s road network. 

Municipal commissioner Vikramaditya Malik said that the survey would assess dusty locations under flyovers, footpaths, and major intersections. “After the survey, we will develop a work plan to rectify these issues and achieve dust-free roads in the next three years,” Malik said, adding that the work plan is expected to be ready within the next three months.

Ghaziabad maintains about 2,808km of roads across five municipal zones, including main roads, master plan roads, arterial roads, and sub-arterial roads. To implement dust-reduction measures, the corporation plans to use funds allocated by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for air quality improvement, officials said.

Despite recent improvements, Ghaziabad remains one of 16 “non-attainment” cities in Uttar Pradesh, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), meaning it has failed to meet national ambient air quality standards for PM10 or nitrogen dioxide (NO2) for over five years. The city’s pollution levels remain high, particularly at the onset of winter. 

Environmentalists have stressed the need for a source apportionment study to determine the primary contributors to air pollution. “The corporation should conduct a study to find the contribution of different sources to air pollution. Departments must work together to tackle these sources. Regular monitoring and results should be made public to prevent fund mismanagement,” said Sushil Raghav, a city-based environmentalist. 

The corporation spent ₹136 crore between FY 2022-23 and 2023-24 on air quality improvement and solid waste management. On February 8, officials announced plans to allocate ₹71 crore for further air quality measures. 

According to the data from CPCB, Ghaziabad’s annual average AQI stood at 206 in 2022, 181 in 2023, and declined to 176 in the year 2024. With a better AQI, the PM10 levels have also shown a dip in the past three years with 221, 185, and 172 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively.