Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai Tuesday informed that 6200 additional staff of the MCD will be deployed to clear the road dust in view of the measures under the stage- II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) which has been invoked by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Rai announced a series of anti-pollution measures after the Delhi government held a meeting with officials of different departments and agencies in Delhi.

In line with the GRAP- II, directions have been issued to the departments concerned in Delhi to further intensify sprinkling of water across the pollution hotspots in the city, said the minister.

He added that dust suppressants will also be added to the water and will be sprayed across the hotspots starting from October 25.

Addressing a press conference here, the minister said that Traffic Police have identified 97 congestion points across the city and they have been asked to deploy 1,800 additional staff for better traffic management and ensuring congestion free movement, as per GRAP- II.

He said the Delhi Metro will also increase its trips by 40 from Wednesday in view of the anti – pollution plan’s implementation, while the Delhi Transport Corporation has also been asked to increase the frequency of buses, in view of encouraging people to use public transport.

Apart from these measures, Rai said, inspection of the Construction and Demolition sites in the city will also be intensified.

Every particular team will have to conduct inspection of at least two sites on a daily basis and the report of the same would be submitted to the Green war room.

Rai further said that the hotspot specific coordination committees under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioner concerned will daily visit the place and monitor all the measures implemented under different aspects of the action plan, and will further communicate the issues if found to the war room.

The minister has informed that directions have been given to the power department to ensure electricity supply in the industrial areas as well as lesser power cuts, so the use of diesel generators can be regulated.

Talking of controlling bio- mass burning as per GRAP stage- II, the RWAs, institutions and other places wherever the security staff is put on the night duty, the organisations concerned will be given directions through Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to provide their staff with electric heaters.