In a major relief to commuters, the Kashmere Gate Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT), which was closed last week after the Yamuna water entered the area, was made operational on Wednesday.
A transport official said water had been pumped out and a report was submitted to the department on Wednesday morning that the building, located only 100 metres from the riverbank, had been readied to resume services.
While the building was closed and the bus operation suspended last week, Delhi government also decided to stop all interstate buses coming in from Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Himachal Pradesh at the Singhu border. The passengers were ferried to the city in DTC buses from there. While the Kashmere Gate ISBT had to be shut, the terminals at Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar remained operational during the period.
The floodwater has, however, not receded from every corner of the city. Rajghat and the adjacent memorials of former Prime Ministers continued to be submerged. The swelling levels of the Yamuna flooded Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, last week and the water rose to more than knee-deep. The area also houses the memorials of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
PWD Minister Atishi said on Wednesday, “There is a problem of waterlogging in Rajghat and other nearby monuments after the floods. The 250-acre premises of Rajghat has been severely impacted, and immediate efforts are being made to drain out the stagnant water on priority.” She added, “Rajghat is a place of national importance and attracts visitors from all over the world. Therefore, all agencies are working together to drain out the water as soon as possible.”
During her visit, Atishi found that the waterlogging near the ITO flyover has almost been resolved, and the road was opened for traffic. The work to remove the mud caused by the floods is also progressing rapidly. Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Public Works Department are cleaning the roads through pressure pipes to ensure no inconvenience is caused to the commuters.
Atishi also inspected the stretch between Rajghat and Shantivan and observed that traffic was moving smoothly, but some parts of the road still had stagnant water. She directed officials to deploy additional pumps and expedite the work of water drainage and road cleaning for the entire stretch.
