As air quality in several parts of Delhi-NCR plunged to the ‘severe’ category on Friday morning, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) decided to run additional 20 train trips on its network, starting from today.
The development comes in response to the implementation of GRAP-III to address pollution in Delhi. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) activated the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the national capital on Thursday.
Delhi Metro runs extra trips
Notably, the Delhi Metro had already initiated 40 extra train trips on weekdays (Monday to Friday) since October 25 when the GRAP-II stage came into effect.
As a result, DMRC will now operate a total of 60 additional trips from tomorrow as part of its efforts to promote increased public transport usage in Delhi-NCR under the GRAP initiative.
Delhi air quality drops to ‘severe’ levels
According to an official statement from CAQM, the Delhi government has imposed a ban on construction activities throughout the entire National Capital Region (NCR). However, certain exemptions apply to projects related to railway services, metro services, airports, inter-state bus terminals, defense-related activities, and healthcare-related activities.
The government also plans to enhance the frequency of mechanized road sweeping and ensure daily water-sprinkling, alongside dust suppressants, as mentioned in the official statement. Activities such as earthwork for excavation and filling, including boring and drilling work, will be prohibited.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday, with an Air Quality Index of 346, according to SAFAR-India.