Gurugram, April 28 -- Locals and environmentalists have raised concerns over the effectiveness of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram's sweeping and dust-control measures, alleging that most key roads remain covered in dust. An HT spot check over the past week found several locations, which the civic body claims to have cleared, shrouded in a haze of dust. According to an action plan finalised on December 30, 2025, the civic body had set a target to make 143.1km of roads dust-free by April this year, with 49km to be completed in January, 46.1km in February, and 48km in March. Key stretches under the plan included Bakhtawar Chowk, Umang Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Southern Peripheral Road, Kataria Chowk, Artemis Road, Wazirabad Road, Ambedkar Chowk, Dhanwapur underpass, Golf Course Road, Vatika Chowk to Aria Mall, and Basai Chowk. HT visited all these locations over the past week and found the issue had yet to be resolved. MCG officials said the plan was not a one-time solution but required constant intervention. However, resource shortage and ongoing development projects were making this difficult. Ravinder Yadav, additional commissioner at MCG, said, "Removing dust from roads is not a one-day job. It requires regular monitoring and sweeping. While we are short on resources, our target is still to keep a close watch on dust accumulation. Eventually, a difference will be seen." An official told HT that the city has only 18 mechanical road-sweeping machines against a requirement of 42 and 4,910 personnel against 5,426. New machinery is expected within the year. MCG data from March showed that at least 550 road sweepers had been deployed across four sanitation zones of the city removing around 4,400kg of dust. The action plan notes that achieving 100% dust-free roads with existing resources could take up to three months. Environmentalists have called for stronger enforcement and inter-agency coordination. Ruchika Sethi said, "Dust haze is clearly visible in Gurugram today. While MCG and other civic agencies are making efforts, the scale of the problem demands coordinated action across departments, including strict enforcement." She added that open transport of sand in low-body tractors and trucks remains a major contributor. Resident echoed similar concerns. Naveen Bhardwaj said, "Trucks transporting construction materials and sand are often seen without proper covering, contributing significantly to dust pollution. There are potholes everywhere in Gurugram." MCG issued at least 37 challans between November and February to uncovered vehicles, with penalties totalling around Rs.1.85 lakh. Gauri Sarin, environmentalist and founder of Making Model Gurugram, questioned the approach: "While the MCG's intent to create dust-free roads is commendable, focusing on select stretches each month while leaving the rest neglected undermines the objective. Heaps of dust on roadsides continue to make Gurugram a dust bowl."...