The Eastern Peripheral Expressway on the outskirts of Delhi is primarily to stop thousands of heavy vehicles from entering the national capital city and help maintain good air quality. The residents of capital and NCR have recently witnessed extremely high levels of air pollution leading to the closure of schools to save children from falling victim to this menace.
Those who have used Delhi's 135-km long, six-lane Eastern Peripheral Expressway or Kundli-Ghaziabad Palwal (KGP) Expressway inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2018, have had an altogether different experience as the road is surrounded by lush green and open areas. The area is not facing the same pollution menace as other parts of Delhi and NCR. People driving through the Eastern Peripheral Expressway can enjoy peace of mind just a few miles away from the hustle-and-bustle of urban life.
Recently, Manish, who lives in Noida along with his family, used the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and recounted his experience. His family stopped on the expressway to enjoy the clean air, besides the beauty of nature outside along with the clear and blue sky. According to Manish, his family was witnessing such clean air and greenery after several months.
Sharing her experience, Manish's wife told Zee News that she repents celebrating the school vacation of her kids by remaining inside her house. She added that now she realises that she should have rather come on the expressway with kids to find relief from pollution.
Truck drivers passing through the highway also believe that they are saving not only money and diesel, but are also experiencing less hazards to their health.
Notably, the construction of this expressway has reduced the number of heavy commercial vehicles, which earlier passed through Delhi. The recent introduction of Odd-Even scheme in Delhi also succeeded in reducing pollution in the capital. A survey was also conducted by the Delhi government to assess the situation, and it came out with significant observations.
The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) survey, conducted in November 2018, revealed that after the opening of this expressway in May 2016, vehicular pollution in Delhi has witnessed a decline of 6%. CRRI Chief Scientist Anuradha Shukla explained to Zee about the survey besides informing about the data of vehicles which no longer enter the capital after the construction of Eastern Peripheral Expressway.
