Centre for carpooling NCR staff, Delhi govt beefing up public transportation

New Delhi: Even as the Supreme Court asked for the Central government to also mandate 50 per cent work from home for its NCR staff and carpooling them to work, the Centre on Wednesday issued directions asking its employees in the NCR to use public transport for their commute and has urged anyone using a private vehicle to carpool with colleagues who live close by.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government, in a bid to tighten its stance on local sources of pollution, issued 10 directions to curb them - most of them along the lines of what the Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR and adjoining areas had called for late on Tuesday night after the emergency meeting between states.

The measures come on the backs on the CAQM order, following which the Delhi government said it had banned the entry of all trucks (excepting essential services) into the Capital through a transport department order, has extended the closure of schools and colleges till the time the CAQM says so, and banned construction and demolition activities till November 21.

But most importantly, working on the top court's contention that the number of vehicles must be reduced on roads, the Delhi government is rushing to swell its public transport capacity. Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday that they are trying to procure 1,000 CNG buses so that more people can use them.

Significantly, this comes after the CAQM specifically asked the Delhi government to immediately step up procurement of the required number of CNG buses.

He said that the buses will be hired starting today (Thursday) and that both the Delhi Transport Corporation and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation are working on ways to increase their passenger-carrying capacity.

While the DMRC is currently running it full capacity of trains, DDMA restrictions allow it to only carry sitting passengers, considerably reducing the number of people who can use the service.

Similarly, in buses too, the DDMA has allowed only seating and no standing. Now that both have been asked to increase capacity, the DTC and DMRC have written to the DDMA seeking permission to allow standing passengers in their vehicles.

Meanwhile, the air quality in the Capital remained in the "very poor" category with the CPCB recording an AQI of 375 at 4 pm on Wednesday. Faridabad (378), Ghaziabad (361), Greater Noida (362), Gurugram (344) and Noida (356) also recorded their air quality in the 'very poor' category.

The minimum temperature in the capital dropped to 9.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal and the lowest this season so far.

V K Soni of the IMD on Tuesday told the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) that a lower ventilation index due to low temperatures and calm wind conditions is predicted between Wednesday and Sunday, which is unfavourable for dispersion of

pollutants.

The air quality is likely to improve only Sunday onwards due to relatively strong winds, he said.