As pollution levels in the Capital reach alarming levels, most people eco her concerns and rue the fact that little has been done to mitigate the problem. While pollution from vehicles and industrial sources has is often discussed threadbare, an obvious and important culprit remains unattended — road dust. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency road dust is “earthen material or dirt that becomes airborne, primarily by the friction of tires moving on unpaved dirt roads and dust-covered paved roads”. With about 33,198km roads and nearly 97,04,741 registered vehicles, the wheels on the city’s poorly maintained roads grinds up a dust storm. The combination of these dust particles with pollutants from vehicles and industrial sources creates a deadly mix.

Source: Hindustan Times January 29, 2017 01:25 UTC