The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIRCRRI) and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, to reduce dust pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) through urban road redevelopment. The collaboration will focus on implementing a standard framework for road redevelopment, including paving and greening pathways and sidewalks. A Project Monitoring Cell (PMC) will be established at CAQM to oversee the phased implementation of the framework, initially targeting nine highly urbanized and industrialized cities in the NCR: Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, and Neemrana. CSIRCRRI will contribute its expertise in road standardization, engineering, construction, and asset management, while SPA will provide expertise in sustainable urban planning and greening solutions. The standard framework includes cross-section design, dust mitigation through greening, a WebGIS-based Road Asset Management System (RAMS), and the adoption of new technologies in road construction and maintenance. CSIRCRRI and SPA will provide technical guidance and institutional support to the PMC, including assistance with manpower requirements and monitoring road development projects. A dedicated dashboard will be created for data-driven tracking and monitoring.
Key Entities Referenced
GNCTD: Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Right of Way: ROW; Mentioned in the context of cross section design for roads.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Government ministry responsible for environmental, forest, and climate change issues.
CAQM: Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas; an organization involved in air quality management.
CSIRCRRI: CSIR-Central Road Research Institute; an organization specializing in road research.
SPA: School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi; an institution involved in urban planning and architecture.
MoU: Memorandum of Understanding; a formal agreement between CAQM, CSIRCRRI, and SPA.
Delhi: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Faridabad: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Gurugram: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Sonipat: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Ghaziabad: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Noida: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Greater Noida: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Bhiwadi: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Neemrana: A highly urbanized and industrialized city within the National Capital Region (NCR).
National Capital Region: NCR; The area encompassing Delhi and its surrounding regions.
CSIRCentral Road Research Institute: The full name of CSIRCRRI
New Delhi: Location of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA).
Standard Framework: A framework for redevelopment of urban roads, including paving and greening of pathways and sidewalks, to abate dust pollution.
Project Monitoring Cell: PMC; A cell to be set up at CAQM to oversee and support the implementation of the Standard Framework.
NCR States: States within the National Capital Region (NCR).
NCR State Governments: Government of states within the National Capital Region (NCR).
WebGISbased Road Asset Management System: RAMS; System for effective road maintenance regime
VMGS Release ID: 2135475: Unique identifier of the released document
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
CAQM, CSIR-CRRI, SPA sign MoU to reduce dust
pollution via urban road redevelopment
Nine (09) highly urbanized / industrialized cities of
NCR, namely, Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat,
Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi and
Neemrana, to be taken up in the first phase of
development/ redevelopment
Posted On: 10 JUN 2025 7:44PM by PIB Delhi
In a major step towards combating road dust pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Commission
for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) today signed a tripartite Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and the School of
Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi. The collaboration aims at effective implementation of the
Standard Framework for redevelopment of urban roads including paving and greening of pathways and
sidewalks, towards abatement of dust pollution across Delhi-NCR.
The tripartite MoU aims for facilitation by CSIR-CRRI and SPA, New Delhi for setting up a Project
Monitoring Cell (PMC) at CAQM and operationalization of the same. The PMC shall oversee and support the
phased implementation of the framework in NCR States for effective development/ redevelopment of roads
aligned with broad elements of the framework
In the first phase, the Commission in due consultations with NCR State Governments & GNCTD, has taken
up nine highly urbanized / industrialized cities of NCR, namely, Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Sonipat,
Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi and Neemrana.
The collaboration leverages the domain expertise of CSIR-CRRI in road standardization/ engineering,
construction and asset management and that of SPA in sustainable urban planning and greening solutions
along these roads. The Standard Framework encompasses:
Cross Section design for different types of Roads and width of Right of Way (ROW),
(cid:108)
Mitigation of Road Dust within the Right-of-way through Greening Measures,
(cid:108)
Web-GIS-based Road Asset Management System (RAMS) for effective road maintenance regime,
(cid:108)
and
Adoption of new technologies in road construction and maintenance.
(cid:108)
Under the MoU, CSIR-CRRI and SPA would provide institutional support and technical guidance to the PMC
being setup at CAQM. CRRI and SPA will support CAQM inter-alia in providing guidance in setting up the
PMC, suggesting suitable manpower requirement for the same and guiding the hired resources in monitoring
the development/ redevelopment of roads on the Standard Framework. A dedicated dashboard will also be
created to ensure data-driven tracking and monitoring of specific road projects.
Transforming urban roads through scientific design, sustainable greening, and modern technologies is one of
the key long term solutions for abating dust pollution from the roads and improvement of air quality in the
region.*****
VM/GS
(Release ID: 2135475)