To curb dust pollution, water mist sprinklers being installed on 1,000 streetlights

Other locations where such sprinklers are to be installed included Ashok Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Okhla and R K Puram.

“Dust is one of the major sources of air pollution and PWD has been taking several steps to control it, including wall-to-wall road repairing as well as beautifying and increasing green cover of pavements,” he added.

Officials said that PWD has 1,000 electric streetlights, covering nine hotspots in the city. The existing systems, which spray a mist of RO water, have a capacity of 2,000 litres per hour. The misting systems mostly operate in two shifts — 6 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 10 pm.

Officials said that it is extensively installing colour and fluoride filters on its streetlight poles. While 271 units have been installed, 305 are set to be installed to strengthen dust control.

Further, PWD is looking at appointing specialised horticulture vendors in three zones of Delhi to help increase green cover along roadsides and central verges, the department said. It added that safe and environmentally-friendly green cover is being developed at each roundabout, with native plants and shrubs being selected to suit the local climate and terrain.

Also, officials said, the department has developed the ‘PWD Service App’ for fast and transparent redressal of public grievances. Under this initiative, complaints related to roads, footpaths, streetlights and other infrastructure can now be registered online.

As part of its dust control measures, PWD has also roped in private companies under CSR initiative to develop areas below flyovers. Some of these companies, including Indian Oil Corporation, DIAL, DLF and Godrej, are being roped in to adopt and maintain road stretches and flyovers. The department, moreover, plans to develop over 20 food overbridges, said officials.