Haryana Plans Redesign Of 1 900km Ncr Roads To Cut Dust Congestion

More than 350 kilometres of roads in Gurugram and over 1,500 kilometres of roads across six other NCR cities in Haryana will be redesigned to reduce pollution and congestion following directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last year, officials... More than 350 kilometres of roads in Gurugram and over 1,500 kilometres of roads across six other NCR cities in Haryana will be redesigned to reduce pollution and congestion following directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last year, officials said on Sunday. The Urban Local Bodies Department has shared details of roads in Gurugram, Manesar, Faridabad, Karnal, Rohtak, Sonipat and Panipat with the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) and Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), which will jointly prepare redesign plans for roads wider than 12 metres. A detailed report is expected within three months, while reconstruction and upgradation work is targeted for completion by December 2027. According to the department, the seven NCR cities have a combined road network of 10,132 kilometres, of which around 1,900 kilometres of roads wider than 12 metres have been identified for redesign. The roads have already been shortlisted by the state government, with width being the primary criterion. “The roads which are wider than 12 metres will be taken up for redesigning. We will soon enter into a memorandum of understanding with SPA and CRRI, which will jointly carry out the work and provide a report. The details of these roads have already been shared with these agencies, and we expect the work to be completed in next three months. The funding for redesigning and renovating the roads will be arranged by respective state agencies and departments. The deadline for upgrading these roads is December 2027,” said Hemant Kumar, chief engineer, headquarter, Urban Local Bodies Department, Haryana. Of the identified network in Gurugram, 292 kilometres fall under the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), 35 kilometres under the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), seven kilometres under the Public Works Department (PWD), and 23 kilometres under the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). “The objective of the exercise is to make the roads in these cities dust free and standardisation to ensure safe commuting for both vehicles and pedestrians. An amount of ₹12.5 crore will be spent to analyse and submit the report for redesigning these roads,” Kumar said. He added that the redesign would focus on mitigating road dust through greening, standardised right-of-way design and preventive maintenance systems. “The experts will also look at space standards and cross section design to standardise right of way and also introduce RAMS, a road asset management system for preventive and predictive maintenance,” he said. Explaining how redesign would reduce dust pollution, Kumar said, “The empty dirt strips will be planted with native shrubs and plants suggested by the experts. Standardised road geometry will help in efficient mechanised sweeping. The standardization of roads will also help in smooth movement of vehicles across these cities.” According to officials, end-to-end paving will eliminate bare earth and unpaved shoulders