CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Government of Haryana to implement the Standard Framework for Paving and Greening of Urban Roads in Haryana. The agreement was executed at CSIR-CRRI in New Delhi and will be implemented jointly by CSIR-CRRI and the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (SPA New Delhi) in collaboration with the Government of Haryana under the guidance of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). The initiative aims to address road dust pollution and promote sustainable urban road infrastructure across the National Capital Region (NCR).

The programme operationalises recommendations developed by CSIR-CRRI and set out in CAQM's Standard Framework and Detailed Guidance Document for paving and greening. The agreement will translate those recommendations into a structured implementation programme for Haryana with a focus on measures that reduce particulate emissions from road dust and enhance road resilience.

Senior institute and state officials stressed the need for scientific and technology driven interventions, integrated planning and collaborative implementation to achieve cleaner and greener road networks. The director of CSIR-CRRI set out the institute's role in developing practical solutions while the director of SPA New Delhi drew attention to coordinated planning. The Urban Local Bodies commissioner and secretary for Haryana affirmed the state's commitment to effective implementation and CAQM representatives noted the framework's significance for reducing emissions.

The project will focus on four major work packages covering development of space standards and road cross sections, greening within the right of way to mitigate road dust, improvement of maintenance through a Road Asset Management System (RAMS) and adoption of innovative construction and maintenance technologies. The agreement was described as an important milestone in collaborative efforts to reduce road dust, improve air quality and create sustainable urban infrastructure across the NCR. The programme closed with a vote of thanks and stakeholder networking that indicated readiness to proceed to implementation.