Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal jointly inaugurated the Najafgarh-Dhansa Bus Stand extension of the Grey Line of Delhi Metro via videoconferencing here on Saturday.
The opening of the 1.5-km corridor makes the Grey Line Metro accessible to a sizeable chunk of population living in Outer Delhi. Mr. Kejriwal sought to emphasise that the extension may seem short but it will cater to densely populated areas.
Delhi’s Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, Ambassador of Japan in India Satoshi Suzuki, Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Mangu Singh and several other dignitaries and officials were present at the virtual function.
Passenger services on this section commenced at 5 p.m., DMRC officials said.
With the opening of this section, the Dwarka-Dhansa Bus Stand Grey Line has become a 6.1-km-long corridor with four stations, including an interchange at Dwarka. The Grey Line will provide seamless connectivity from Najafgarh and Dhansa Bus Stand to different parts of the city, the government said.
“It is a moment of great delight for all the people of Outer Delhi, especially the residents of Najafgarh,” Mr. Kejriwal said. “So far, the route of Delhi Metro was ending at the Delhi Gate region of Najafgarh. There are about 50 villages in the area from where a huge number of people come to inner Delhi to work. All these people had to cross the Phirni Road Chowk to get to the metro station, which would result in a huge traffic jam at the Chowk.”
Ease of movement
“Now that the metro service has been extended to the Dhansa Bus Stand, people won’t need to cross the chowk and stand in the traffic. The extension may be just 1.5-km-long but it is very significant for the residents,” the Chief Minister said, adding that a large number of people who come from Jhajjar, Haryana, to work in Delhi will also benefit from it.
The Dhansa Bus Stand metro station, the Delhi government said, is the first ever underground station of the Delhi Metro network to have an entire underground floor dedicated to parking.
The Delhi government, Mr. Kejriwal said, had put forth a proposal with regard to the Grey line, which the Centre approved.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta took a swipe at Mr. Kejriwal for allegedly taking credit for a project which was originally planned by the Centre. “First delay the project, then take credit for someone else’s work! Wow, Arvind Kejriwal, well done! Thanks to Modiji for the commencement of the Najafgarh – Dhansa Bus Stand Metro Rail Corridor!” he tweeted.
