The Public Works Department (PWD) has initiated plans to establish an in-house material testing mechanism to improve road quality across the national capital. The move is aimed at reducing delays in material certification and strengthening oversight of contractors engaged in road infrastructure projects. The department has begun procuring specialised equipment to enable on-site sample testing and laboratory analysis.

Under current rules, contractors are required to obtain sample tests from recognised engineering institutions, and several colleges and expert institutes routinely carry out testing at work sites and perform quality audits after project completion. PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the department intended to start its own sample and road quality testing mechanism to bring greater control over assessments. The minister added that initiating testing in-house would reduce dependence on external laboratories and speed up certification.

Officials expect the in-house regime to save valuable time as many external reports currently take two to three months to be prepared, and to ensure improved standards of workmanship. For road surface evaluation, the department will procure a block-cutter machine to test bitumen quality and other apparatus to assess aggregate and mix properties. Statutory provisions continue to list the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), Jamia Millia Islamia and the National Institute of Technology Delhi (NIT Delhi) among approved laboratories, along with other government engineering colleges authorised by the engineer in charge.

Government officials stated that quality testing would begin shortly on several PWD roads undergoing repair and that further changes would follow the findings of initial assessments. The Delhi government has set a target to repair 600 km of capital roads over this year and the PWD previously extended the operation and maintenance clause of repair projects for a minimum of two years. Officials said the combined measures were expected to reduce project delays and improve long-term durability of road work.