Delhi pollution: Metro adds 20 extra weekday trips. Here's what commuters need to know

Delhi Metro will operate 20 additional trips across its network on weekdays, Monday to Friday, from October 22, 2026. DMRC says the service increase is intended to encourage more people to choose public transport over personal vehicles.

CAQM invoked GRAP Stage I across Delhi-NCR on October 21 after air quality deteriorated. The order cited Delhi's AQI at 244 at 2 pm that day, in the poor category, and forecasts indicating continued poor conditions.

DMRC's response also targets dust inside construction sites and on nearby roads. Its announced activities include removing road dust and clearing garbage from footpaths and medians, extending the programme beyond the additional passenger train trips.

Metro engineers will inspect construction sites and adjoining roads to check that building materials are properly covered. They will also examine wheel-wash facilities for vehicles leaving sites, an operational step intended to limit the spread of construction dirt.

DMRC says roughly 31 kilometres of city roads are temporarily under its jurisdiction for Metro construction. Most of those roads have already been repaired as part of efforts to reduce dust from surfaces around its worksites.

More than 250 anti-smog or mist guns have been installed across construction sites, stations and office buildings, according to DMRC's announcement. Its Environment Department is also conducting daily inspections to check compliance with environmental requirements.