Delhi Metro adds extra weekday trips as GRAP-I kicks in from October 22 to combat air pollution

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will operate 20 additional train trips on weekdays from Thursday, October 22, to encourage commuters to use public transport and help curb air pollution in the national capital, PTI reported. The move comes after Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented across Delhi-NCR on Wednesday.The move comes after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked GRAP-I across Delhi-NCR on Wednesday, following a deterioration in the capital’s air quality to the ‘poor’ category.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the DMRC said the additional services would operate on weekdays to encourage more people to choose the Metro over private vehicles and help reduce vehicular emissions.

Alongside the increased train services, the corporation will intensify pollution-control measures at its construction sites and in surrounding areas. These efforts will focus on reducing dust pollution, removing accumulated road dust and clearing garbage from footpaths and road medians.


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DMRC engineers will conduct detailed inspections of construction sites and nearby roads to ensure that building materials are properly covered and wheel-wash facilities for vehicles leaving construction sites are functioning effectively.

The corporation said these measures would supplement its existing efforts to control pollution.

DMRC steps up dust-control measures at construction sites

The DMRC said around 31 km of city roads are currently under its temporary jurisdiction to facilitate Metro construction work. Most of these roads have already been repaired to prevent them from contributing further to pollution.

More than 250 anti-smog guns and mist guns have also been installed at construction sites, Metro stations and office buildings to suppress dust, according to the corporation.

The DMRC's environment department conducts daily inspections to check compliance with environmental regulations. The latest measures will add to these ongoing monitoring and dust-control efforts following the implementation of GRAP-I.

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Delhi air quality remains in the poor category

The CAQM invoked Stage I of GRAP across Delhi-NCR on Wednesday after Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 246, placing it in the ‘poor’ category.

According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, air quality was expected to remain in the poor category from October 21 to 24. The outlook for the following six days also indicated that pollution levels were likely to remain in the same category.

GRAP-I includes measures to control dust from construction and demolition activities, road dust and open waste burning, among other sources. The plan is designed to trigger pollution-control steps as air quality deteriorates.

The DMRC's additional train services and intensified dust-control drives form part of the measures being taken as authorities seek to limit pollution across the national capital and the wider Delhi-NCR region.