New Delhi: Vigorous drives initiated to clean the Metro have been put aside as commuters hardly pay heed. Their poor hygiene continues to make the Metro dirty. However, DMRC is now likely to procure items required for cleanliness and other maintenance activities.
The corporation is likely to purchase 2,155 types of items worth Rs 190 crore to keep the network clean and avoid any technical glitches for the smooth running of Metro trains.
For the last 15 years, the Delhi Metro is running its operation with a massive network of 252 km and 185 stations. Today, DMRC stands out as a shining example of how a mammoth and technically complex infrastructure project can be completed before time and within budget by a government agency.
Keeping the Delhi Metro running all day long without a glitch is a big challenge. It requires not only regular maintenance of trains and tracks, but also constant monitoring of the system during operational hours. To maintain the coaches, every aspect of the Metro system — timetable, speed, security, traction or electricity, the trains, auxiliary equipment like the air-conditioning and ventilation system in the underground tunnels, and even the crowds in the station — is monitored.
Meanwhile, apart from the technical aspect, the Delhi Metro is facing the challenge to keep it clean and hygienic. Squatting on the floor, playing music, eating and drinking inside the station buildings and on the trains is prohibited. Littering is another common problem at all the Metro stations.
Though officials have been deployed to discourage people from spitting on the walls and littering, the plan couldn’t be implemented due to shortage of staff.
Betel stains can be seen across the prominent Delhi Metro interchange such as Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate, Vaishali, Mandi House, etc.
The DMRC has already plastered notices warning commuters not to deface the station. While the corridor of Rajiv Chowk has eased travel woes for lakhs of commuters, the stations seem to be getting dirtier by the day.
“There are many people who spit inside the Metro stations, but only few are caught. No one can keep an eye on passengers round the clock. Therefore, they easily escape the offence,” said a CISF official at Kashmere Gate Metro station.
