New Delhi, March 19 – Delhi Lt Governor T.S. Sandhu pleasantly surprised many citizens on Thursday by joining them for a ride on the Metro. From using a smart card to enter the station, posing for pictures on the station escalator and platform, Sandhu interacted warmly with commuters and also discussed issues related to the city while travelling on the train.
Sharing his experience on social media, Sandhu wrote, “A ride back home on the reliable Delhi Metro Rail! Had pleasant interactions with fellow Delhi residents along the way.”
The L-G also posted several photos of his outing as an ordinary citizen and his interaction with Metro staff and people. He travelled from the Saket Metro Station to the Vasant Vihar station accompanied by DMRC officials and Lok Niwas officials.
Earlier in the day, Sandhu visited the Kalindi Kunj banks of the Yamuna for an inspection and to address the issue of froth.
In a message on social media, the L-G wrote: “Visited the Kalindi Kunj Ghat along the Yamuna river, along with senior officials of concerned departments, to take a firsthand assessment of the current situation.”
Sandhu said the visit involved discussions with local and international experts from leading scientific institutions and organisations to help identify practical and sustainable measures going forward.
A day earlier, a political row erupted after the Delhi government floated a tender worth Rs 6.2 crore for two "VIP inspection boats" meant for monitoring and survey operations on the Yamuna River, even as high levels of froth were seen floating on the river near Kalindi Kunj, raising environmental concerns.
The Irrigation and Flood Control Department issued the tender on March 12 to procure two vessels, with each boat estimated to cost around Rs 3.1 crore. According to the tender document, the boats will be used for river monitoring, surveys and inspection visits by senior officials.
However, the move drew sharp criticism from Congress National Secretary Abhishek Dutt, who alleged that the government was focusing on expensive boats instead of tackling the worsening pollution in the Yamuna.
Responding to the criticism, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, a BJP legislator, said pollution in the Yamuna was the result of long-term negligence by previous governments in the city.