NHAI doubles down on curbing air pollution on Delhi-NCR highways

New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) In a bid to create cleaner surroundings for National Highway users and nearby communities, the NHAI on Wednesday said it has taken proactive steps and issued a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to its field offices in Delhi-NCR to mitigate air pollution caused by highway construction and allied activities.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, the guidelines outline a systematic approach to address air pollution generated from vehicular emissions, road dust, and construction activities and are applicable to all completed and under-construction highway stretches in Delhi-NCR that are under the NHAI’s jurisdiction.

The ministry said in a statement that the comprehensive SOP provides a detailed framework to cover areas such as ‘Mitigating Pollution on Constructed National Highways’ through deployment of mechanised road sweeping machines, greening of median as well as loop interchanges through regular plantation and implementation of the ‘Miyawaki’ method of plantation for forest creation along the highways.

The norms also suggest the use of tarpaulin sheets to cover construction material during transportation and regular inspections, and regular road maintenance to ensure pothole-free roads, to reduce additional dust generation.

The guidelines cover measures for ‘Mitigating Air Pollution at National Highway Construction Sites’ to minimise air pollution caused by construction activities through regular use of anti-smog guns, continuous water sprinkling through the day at construction sites and covering of construction material with green net to prevent airborne particulate pollution.

In addition, the SOP also includes regular monitoring of air quality indices at project sites and adherence to guidelines issued by the Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) and Central/State Pollution Control Boards.

According to the ministry, the guidelines also encourage the use of "inert materials and Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste" to reduce environmental impact and support sustainable construction practices.

--IANS

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