Gurgaon: MCG has asked its officers raise the operational efficiency of its mechanical road sweeping machines (MRSMs) to 80% by Nov 15 in line with directions issued by Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).The commission has also asked it to fix individual officers’ accountability for dust control and maintenance of designated road stretches.MCG officials shared the key observations and directions from a CAQM hearing held on Tuesday and asked all departments concerned and officers to ensure compliance within their jurisdictions. “We are targeting that our machines reach the target efficiency of 80% by Nov 15,” said MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya.The target comes amid questions over the machines’ night-time performance. An analysis of GPS data from an overnight shift on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday showed that seven of 20 sweepers recorded no movement, while the remaining 13 covered just 122.7km between them in the 14-hour reporting window, as reported by TOI. MCG’s clean air action plan submitted to CAQM identifies 404.6km of road length suitable for mechanical sweeping, and each machine is required to cover at least 30km daily. Following the report, Dahiya directed officials to closely monitor night-time operations and carry out regular inspections through MCG’s inspection app.According to MCG, the average deployment and working of MRSMs during Sept stood at 16. CAQM has also directed the civic body to identify pollution hotspots and prepare a comprehensive action plan for them.The commission has called for assigning specific road stretches, from one designated point to another, to individual nodal officers, who will be responsible for dust-control measures, road development and maintenance. CAQM has also sought effective measures to control road dust and traffic congestion, and directed action against officials who furnished incorrect information on road redevelopment.MCG will now explore the feasibility of handing over selected roads to builders and NGOs for maintenance and development. It has also been asked to strengthen its citizen grievance-redress mechanism to ensure prompt and effective resolution of complaints.MCG has told subordinate officers that CAQM chairperson Rajesh Verma is expected to visit the city within a fortnight, and that all departments must make the necessary preparations.During an inspection on Oct 14, CAQM recorded 258 violations across 52 road stretches covering approximately 104 km. Of these, 174 were attributed to MCG and 84 to GMDA. The violations included high levels of visible road dust, construction and demolition (C&D) waste dumped along roads and roadsides, damaged footpaths and potholes.On Oct 21, the commission issued a show-cause notice to Dahiya and GMDA chief PC Meena, accusing the civic agencies of persistent non-compliance with binding pollution-control directions despite repeated inspections, warnings and opportunities to act. It directed them to explain why a complaint should not be filed against them for alleged non-compliance with its directions to ensure dust mitigation from roads and open areas. A personal hearing was fixed for Nov 3.
