The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will run 20 additional weekday trips from October 22 after the first stage of the Graded Response Action Plan was imposed in Delhi-NCR, while intensifying dust-control measures at its construction sites and surrounding roads.
The extra services will operate from Monday to Friday across the metro network. DMRC said the move is intended to encourage commuters to use public transport instead of private vehicles as the capital responds to worsening pollution levels.
The additional trips are part of a wider set of measures announced by DMRC following the implementation of GRAP-I. The corporation said its anti-pollution drive at construction sites will be stepped up, with inspections covering dust levels, road conditions and the handling of construction material.
DMRC engineers will inspect construction sites and nearby roads to ensure that building materials are properly covered. They will also check whether wheel-wash systems for vehicles leaving construction sites are functioning correctly. Such systems are intended to prevent dust and soil from being carried on to public roads by construction vehicles.
The corporation said around 31 kilometres of roads are currently under its jurisdiction on a temporary basis because of metro construction work in the surrounding areas. Most of these roads have already been repaired, according to DMRC, as part of efforts to prevent them from becoming additional sources of dust and pollution.
The anti-pollution campaign will also include the removal of road dust from nearby streets and the clearing of waste from footpaths and road dividers. These activities will cover areas around construction sites as well as other locations affected by ongoing metro works.
More than 250 anti-smog guns and mist guns have been installed at construction sites, stations and office buildings, DMRC said. The equipment is intended to help reduce dust levels in and around areas under the corporation’s control.
DMRC’s environment department is conducting daily inspections to monitor compliance with environmental requirements. The corporation said the new measures will supplement steps already being taken at its sites as Delhi enters a period of heightened pollution-control restrictions.
The additional metro trips are scheduled to begin on October 22, while inspections, road-dust removal, material-covering checks and monitoring of wheel-wash facilities will continue as part of DMRC’s GRAP-I response.
