Buses can be parked at Anand Vihar ISBT, for now

During an inspection of the area, nodal officer Badal Kumar said, “If the bus parking system is restored here, it will help curb the problem of illegal buses that are parked outside the terminal.”

Keeping this in mind, the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DTIDC), late Thursday, issued an order implementing a new parking system for buses at Anand Vihar ISBT. Given the high pollution levels and the area’s air quality, the system has been introduced on an interim basis, it stated.

According to the order, buses will not be allowed to stand for long after dropping passengers. Parking will be free for the first 30 minutes. After that, a fee of Rs 100 will be charged for parking between 30 minutes and 8 hours, and Rs 200 for parking between 8 and 24 hours. The DTIDC also made it clear that no bus will be allowed to park for more than 24 hours, and violations will invite penalties.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Department (PWD) is set to install mist spraying systems at Anand Vihar to combat air pollution, officials told PTI on Thursday.

This would be the fourth top polluting location in the city where PWD has planned to install the dust-suppressing mechanism. Before this, projects have also been initiated at the Narela, Bawana and Jahangirpuri, which are among the top 13 polluting locations.

“The sprinklers will be installed on the central verges of roads in Anand Vihar and Vivek Vihar. Tenders have been floated for the project,” a PWD official said. The work will be carried out for Rs 2 crore and will be completed in 30 days, officials added.

Earlier, the AAP had alleged that water was being sprayed day and night right outside the Anand Vihar ISBT pollution station “to artificially lower” AQI readings. The BJP had dismissed the charge as foolish and politically motivated.