Metro madness

DMRC network collapsed, autos and taxi rides came for a premium, public buses were packed to capacity. If Delhi can not handle traffic on Raksha Bandhan, what will happen during the Games?

DMRC network collapsed, autos and taxi rides came for a premium, public buses were packed to capacity. If Delhi can not handle traffic on Raksha Bandhan, what will happen during the Games?

A city about to host an event as big as the Commonwealth Games doesn't even have adequate public transport for its own citizens. Tuesday was a case in point.

Metro-politan trouble: Thousands of Delhi Metro commuters were
stranded on Tuesday, as services were disrupted after a train got stuck
in the tunnel on Line 2. pic/mid day

One of the most trusted modes of commuting - the Delhi Metro - betrayed its patrons, exposing chinks in the armour of the invincible E Sreedharan.

A train was stuck in the tunnel between New Delhi Railway Station and Rajiv Chowk Metro station on Line -2 (Central Secretariat-Jahangirpuri) at 11:32 am. The train was packed with commuters, as Delhi Metro records its highest ridership each year on Rakhi.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's quick response teams took around one and a half hours to tow a train from the tunnel while the passengers inside kept slamming on the glass windows in panic.
"A train that was approaching Rajiv Chowk Metro station developed a technical snag related to Pantograph (equipment which draws power from the Overhead Electrification Line)," said Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal.

What might further dissipate the trust of the people in Delhi Metro is the fact that the passengers had to wait in the dark tunnel inside a train, which was barely a few hundred metres from the Rajiv Chowk Metro station.u00a0
"It got delayed because it was not safe to mount a rescue operation through the tunnels and we had to arrange for a tow-away train," said a senior official.

When asked why the emergency response was so poor despite knowing that the ridership will be maximum, a DMRC official tried to evade a direct reply. "It was not poor. We first tried to rectify the problem. However, when it did not happen the train was towed to Central Secretariat," the official said.

However, sources pointed out that the response system was less than satisfactory. "One of the factors was also shortage of manpower due to Raksha Bandhan. Senior officials reacted very late. The initial response was that the technical glitch would be rectified, as it was a minor problem. However, after they failed the train was towed away," said a source in the Metro.

The only consolation for passengers was that the lights and air-conditioners were working while the train remained stranded in the tunnel. Some passengers were also trying to force open the train doors. However, the driver, sources said, pacified them and convinced them that nothing would happen to them. "A few more Metro personnel also joined him to calm down the commuters stranded inside the trains," said sources.
After around one and a half hours, at around 1:11 pm, services were restored. However, the entire Metro system took another three hours to reach normalcy.

Another contributor to the Metro rush was the early morning showers. It rained heavily and large parts of the city witnessed traffic jams due to waterlogging. To add to the chaos, autos and taxis were absent from the roads. The three-wheelers were not available despite people offering higher rates.

I boarded a train from Rajiv Chowk at around 1:30. I had to wait almost for one hour to get a train. I do not know what had happened but it was my most chaotic day so far.u00a0- Sarita Rawat, student

I had gone to Civil Lines in the morning. Someone told me about the heavy rush on the Metro. It took me 2 hours instead of the usual half an hour despite starting late.u00a0- Shalini, a resident

I took a train from Laxmi Nagar for Dwarka in the morning at 11:30. It was so crowded that I remained stranded for hours. I reached Dwarka at 3 pm.u00a0- Jyotsnau00a0 Kumari,student

I do not know what happened. Suddenly, the train stopped. There was nobody to help us. A lot of people were crying for help. It was the scariest day of my life.u00a0- Swati, student

I kept on roaming around for an hour near INA market but could not get an auto. Auto drivers were not even ready to ferry me to Akshardham Metro station. -u00a0Piyush Jain, student

My mother called for a taxi but the operator informed us that there was no cab available with them. We had to go to Moti Nagar. Finally, we dropped the idea.u00a0- Priyanka, MnC Executive

I took an auto to reach Greater Kailash from Moti Nagar. due to rains and heavy traffic jams, I remained stranded for almost three hours.u00a0- Tripti Bhatt,u00a0 Student

It rained misery

Vehicular movement was affected due to waterlogging near Qutub Metro Station, I P flyover towards Rajghat, Mori Gate, Gupta Market, Lajpat Nagar, Hari Nagar, Ashram and Badarpur-Pahladpur under railway bridge. Traffic movement was slow at Laxmi Nagar towards Shakarpur Chungi, Nehru Place flyover, Bhajanpura, Brijpuri and Gokulpuri. The weather office said the Capital has received 670.3 mm of rains since July 5 when Monsoon reached. The rains once again brought with it traffic snarls, waterlogging and vehicle breakdowns.
Vehicular movement was slow on Ring Road, Munirka, Laxmi Nagar, Ashram, Mehrauli and Mathura Road. Traffic was also moving slowly on NH 8 which connects Delhi and Gurgaon and DND flyover which connects the Capital and Noida.
As the sky opened up, vehicular movement also became slow in areas like ITO, Vikas Marg, Connaught Place and AIIMS. The city has been hit by incessant rains for the past five days, which brought with it waterlogging and huge traffic jams. Yamuna was flowing at a level of 205.19 metres on Tuesday night, 36 cm above the danger level of 204.83 metres. People living close to the river bank have been evacuated and shifted to camps set up in safer areas, officials said. Some 20 camps have been set up to provide shelter to the people affected by the rise in water level, and arrangements for medical and food facilities have been made, they said.
Met office said the next 24 hours are likely to see a generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain or thundershowers, one or two of which may be heavy.