Save the Ailing Earth from Vehicular Pollution

Delhi Metro (Hindi: Dilli Me? ro) is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of five lines with a total length of 125. 67Â  kilometres (78. 09Â  mi). The metro has 107 stations of which 17 are underground. It has a combination of elevated, at-grade and underground lines and uses both broad gauge and standard gauge rolling stock. Delhi Metro is being built and operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC).As of April 2010, DMRC operates more than 100 trains daily between 6:00 — 23:00 with a frequency of 3 to 4. 5 minutes. [5] The trains have four to six coaches[6] and the power output is supplied by 25-kilo volt, 50 Hz AC through overhead catenary. The metro has an average daily ridership of over a million commuters,[3] and has carried over a billion commuters in seven years since its inception. The concept of a mass rapid transit for Delhi first emerged from a traffic and travel cha racteristics study carried out in the city in 1969. 8] Over the next several years, many official committees by a variety of government departments were commissioned to examine issues related to technology, route alignment and governmental jurisdiction.In 1984, the Delhi Development Authority and the Urban Arts Commission came up with a proposal for developing a multi-modal transport system, which would consist of constructing three underground mass rapid transit corridors as well augmenting the city's existing suburban railway and road transport networks. 10] While extensive technical studies and search for financing the project were in progress, the city expanded significantly resulting in a two-fold rise in population and a fivefold rise in the number of vehicles between 1981 and 1998. [10] Consequently, traffic congestion and pollution soared, as an increasing number of commuters took to private vehicles with the existing bus system unable to bear the load. 8] An attempt at priv atising the bus transport system in 1992 merely compounded the problem, with inexperienced operators plying poorly maintained, noisy and polluting buses on lengthy routes, resulting in long waiting times, unreliable service, extreme overcrowding, unqualified drivers, speeding and reckless driving. [11] To rectify the situation, the Government of India and the Government of Delhi jointly set up a company called the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on March 5, 1995 with E. Sreedharan as the managing director. [12