Efforts to tackle air pollution in India have intensified over the last few years, especially under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Yet one stubborn pollutant continues to overwhelm cities: road dust. Despite sweeping initiatives, advanced monitoring, and frequent interventions, road dust remains a major contributor to particulate pollution, often silently overshadowing emissions from industries and vehicles.
A Growing Urban Threat
As India urbanises at an unprecedented pace, the quality of life in its expanding cities is increasingly shaped by the air people breathe. Road dust, generated every time a vehicle moves, a road is dug up, or a pavement breaks, forms a significant portion of this air. Unlike smoke or industrial emissions, which are visibly alarming, road dust is an everyday pollutant that easily escapes public scrutiny.
Scientists describe it as a complex mix of PM₁₀, coarse particles, soil residue, construction debris, tyre wear particles, and even biological material. This mixture is light enough to stay suspended in the air and fine enough to reach deep into the respiratory system.
Across 17 non-attainment cities studied under NCAP’s source apportionment program, road dust contributed between 20–52% of PM₁₀ and 8–25% of PM₂.₅, making it one of the most consistent and difficult-to-control sources of pollution.
Silt Load Variations: What IIT Delhi Found
To quantify the gravity of the problem, researchers at IIT Delhi measured silt loads across 32 cities in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana. The findings were striking:
- Silt loads ranged from 0.2 g/m² to 111.2 g/m²
- Delhi alone averaged 14.47 g/m²
- Cities with rapid construction or poor road quality had significantly higher dust levels
Such dramatic variations show that dust accumulation depends not only on population density or traffic volume but also on how cities manage construction, maintenance, and waste disposal.
Why Road Dust Keeps Returning
Although most Indian cities conduct regular road sweeping, environmental experts argue that ineffective disposal practices completely undo the effort.
Swept — But Not Removed
Municipal workers typically collect dust in heaps along the roadside, where it remains until transported. Often, this collected material is:
- Dumped in open landfills
- Left on footpaths or unused spaces
- Disposed of directly beside the same roads it was lifted from
This creates a vicious cycle. The slightest wind, passing truck, or movement of pedestrians lifts this dust back into the air, re-suspending it and nullifying the purpose of cleaning. In many cities, especially in dry regions, these heaps turn into mini dust storms with every gust of wind.
Unscientific Construction Practices
Uncovered soil or debris from construction sites contributes heavily to dust. Construction sand, which should be stored under sheets and watered, is often piled on footpaths or roadsides. Broken pavements and potholes add to the cycle by generating loose fine particles.
Lack of Mechanized Cleaning
While cities like Delhi, Pune, and Bengaluru have deployed mechanized sweepers, most towns still depend on manual sweeping. Manual sweeping pushes dust into the air rather than collecting it. Mechanized vacuum sweepers can remove finer particles, but they are expensive and often underutilized.
Why Dust Matters More Than We Think
Road dust is not “harmless mud”. It carries a spectrum of harmful substances:
- Silica dust from construction
- Carbon residue from vehicle tires
- Metals from brake linings
- Biological pollutants like spores
- Industrial debris that settles on roads
These particles contribute to respiratory diseases, allergies, heart conditions, and childhood asthma. For cities struggling with already high pollution levels, road dust amplifies health risks significantly.
NCAP’s 40% Reduction Target: Can It Be Achieved?
The NCAP aims to reduce PM₁₀ pollution by 40% by 2025-26. However, policymakers admit that without controlling road dust, this target remains extremely challenging.
Key recommendations include:
- Use of vacuum-based mechanized sweepers instead of manual sweeping
- Mandatory covering of construction materials transported in trucks
- Regular road washing in high-dust zones
- Strengthening green buffers in medians and sideways
- Proper scientific disposal of collected dust
- Paving of kachcha shoulders to prevent loose soil from entering the road
However, implementation varies drastically between states and even between municipal zones.
Cities That Showed Improvement
Some cities have made commendable progress:
- Indore increased mechanized sweeping and reduced open dumping
- Surat implemented strict construction dust rules
- Ahmedabad improved road washing schedules during peak summer and winter
These examples show that with consistent effort, road dust levels can be reduced.
Public Participation: The Missing Link
No policy can succeed without community awareness. Citizens can contribute by:
- Avoiding dumping materials on roads
- Reporting uncovered construction sites
- Ensuring contractors follow dust mitigation norms
- Planting small green patches near homes and workplaces
Environmental campaigns have shown that behaviour change, when widespread, makes a noticeable impact.
The Road Ahead
India’s road dust problem is neither new nor uncontrollable. It is a systemic issue, emerging from poor road maintenance, construction practices, and unscientific cleaning methods. As the country pushes for cleaner air under NCAP, policymakers increasingly recognize that road dust must be treated not as an afterthought but as a central challenge.
Until cities adopt scientific cleaning systems and proper dust disposal, road dust will continue to return to the air, silently undermining every effort toward a breathable future.