Dust is the biggest contributor to PM2.5 concentrations during summers in Delhi-NCR, with its contribution standing at 27 per cent compared to 15 per cent during winters, a Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) official said on Friday.
CAQM Member (Technical) Dr SD Attri said this is why the commission is establishing strict, data-driven monitoring frameworks.
The mechanisms will hold civic agencies and city administrations accountable for managing localised roads and construction and demolition dust, he added.
"To monitor and address these challenges, NCR has 90 Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Stations, and for the first time, annual action plans have been made publicly available online to ensure transparency and encourage public participation," Dr Attri said.
He made these comments during the second session of the Clean Air Dialogues, hosted by the CAQM Resource Lab, an initiative between the CAQM and the Raahgiri Foundation.
The session witnessed discussions on the next phase of action against road and construction dust.
At the event, Sumit Sharma, programme officer at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), noted that as climate change alters monsoon patterns and increases the frequency of extreme dry spells, the NCR's vulnerability to localised dust suspension will only intensify.
"Our urban planning must evolve today to build resilience against this compounding climate-pollution threat," he added.
Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, highlighted the need to integrate the cost of managing dust into infrastructure projects.
She said, "The cost of dust mitigation and scientific waste disposal must be baked directly into the financial planning and tendering process of every single infrastructure project from day one."
