India, Oct. 6 -- The ongoing crisis in the Middle East could delay the deployment of 70 mechanical road sweeping machines (MRSMs) that were expected to nearly double Delhi's mechanised road-sweeping fleet ahead of the winter pollution season. As a contingency plan, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has initiated the process of hiring 40 additional mechanical road sweepers for four months to augment the existing fleet.

Road dust remains a significant contributor to Delhi's air pollution. The civic body currently operates 66 mechanical road sweepers, which are deployed across around 1,400 km of arterial roads with a width of more than 60 feet.

The civic body claims around 190 (TPD) tonnes of dust is lifted by the existing fleet eve...