Delhi Metro's anti-pollution stand: DMRC to run 40 extra weekday trips amid poor AQI in capital

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will run 40 extra trips on weekdays in a bid to cut air pollution, an official said on Wednesday.

The enhanced capacity is aimed at encouraging commuters to opt for the metro, ditching their vehicles.

According to a statement, DMRC Managing Director Dr Vikas Kumar, along with officials from civil and environment departments, inspected north Delhi's Ashok Vihar and Derawal Nagar areas, along the under-construction Krishna Park Extension–RK Ashram Marg corridor, to review the dust minimising efforts.

Kumar said the transporter may further extend the extra trips to 60, in case GRAP-III is enforced.

The DMRC said it has been sprinkling water at construction and demolition sites and ensuring a safe disposal of waste material to curb air pollution.

The washing of wheels before the vehicles leave these sites has been mandated, it added. Anti-smog guns have been deployed at all such active sites in line with the order.

According to DMRC, it was among the first construction agencies in the National Capital Region to introduce anti-smog guns, even before their use became mandatory.

Currently, around 82 such machines are operational across its project locations, with more to be added as needed, it said.

The DMRC has also undertaken a series of long-term environmental initiatives.

During the construction of Phase IV underground stations at Ghanta Ghar and Pul Bangash, the dewatered water was channelled through a pipeline to Roshanara Bagh Lake, resulting in its rejuvenation, it said.

It said that its Blue Line, connecting Yamuna Bank with Vaishali in Ghaziabad, and DMRC's corporate headquarters at Metro Bhawan, have both been declared carbon neutral.

Using the Miyawaki method of dense urban plantation, over 12,500 saplings were planted on approximately 1.2 acres near the Najafgarh Metro Depot and the Metro Niketan residential colony, it said.

A study conducted by the Energy and Resources Institute on the 'Socio-Economic Benefits of Delhi Metro' highlighted the environmental and social impact of the network.

The study found that in 2024, the Delhi Metro helped keep more than 6.4 lakh vehicles off the road daily, resulting in an annual reduction of 4,026 million vehicle kilometres.

It also led to a reduction of about 3.11 lakh tonnes of fuel consumption and nearly 9.52 lakh tonnes of pollutants each year, along with saving approximately 337 million passenger hours annually.

The report also highlighted that metro operations helped prevent 14 fatal accidents and 60 total accidents over the year.

Delhi's AQI today

Delhi breathed a little easier on Wednesday as pollution levels dropped marginally; however, the air quality continued to stay in the "poor" range with an AQI of 279, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to the 24-hour average recorded by the CPCB, the city's AQI stood at 279 on Wednesday, compared to 294 on Tuesday. On Monday, the AQI was 301, falling under the “very poor” category.

Despite the slight improvement, several parts of the national capital continued to record the highest pollution levels. Wazirpur (347), Vivek Vihar (339), Rohini (337) and Anand Vihar (331) were among the 19 of the city's 38 monitoring stations that reported AQI in the “very poor” range with readings above 300, data from the CPCB’s Sameer app showed.

(With inputs from PTI)