a housewife in south delhi

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A housewife in south Delhi's Greater Kailash no longer needs to postpone shopping at north Delhi's Khari

Baoli market, and north campus students are not at the mercy of over-charging auto rickshaws to shop at

Sarojini Nagar anymore. All thanks to the Delhi Metro. “Those living in south Delhi would visit the north

only when it was absolutely necessary and vice versa. Who would have thought that Delhi Metro could

change people’s lifestyles,” said VK Haldar (75), a Saket resident.

“One had to wait 20 minutes at Connaught Place to get a bus to Saket. The Metro gets you there in the

same time. Plus it is more comfortable,” said Pakhi Khanduri, a student at Miranda House, who lives in

Mehrauli.

Rajni Mehra (37), a government employee does not dread going to her office in Karol Bagh like she used

to.

“Earlier, I used to be in a foul mood by the time I reached office because of the hassle of changing buses,

Metros and autos. This has changed with the Metro coming to South Delh i,” Mehra, a resident of Saket

said.

The Metro has seamlessly connected commercial hubs such as south Delhi's Nehru Place and Hauz

Khas with Chandni Chowk and Kamla Nagar.

South Delhi markets have seen more business since the Metro started. “We have a 10%-15% increase in

the number of people on weekdays. On weekends the numbers go up by 20%,” said an official at the

Select City Walk mall in Saket.

But not all are upbeat about the Metro, mainly because of lack of connecting services.

“My house is about a kilometre away from the Metro station. There are no feeder buses or rickshaws.

The only option is autos that charge Rs 30 for such a short distance. Why would I take so much trouble for

the Metro?” asks Aniruddh Biswas, a resident of Green Park, whose office is in Gurgaon.

Reaching college was never so easy

Radhika Samson,

Resident, Alaknanda

Radhika Samson is a huge fan of the Delhi Metro. After all, it is the Metro that has saved her a two-hour

journey to college in North Campus.

"I remember the harrowing time I use to have commuting to the arts faculty at north campus when

admissions to MA courses were opened.

It took me more than two hours and three modes of transport to reach the camps," said the 23-year-old

resident of southeast Delhi's

Alaknanda area.

Up till August, Radhika and her classmates from Delhi University's Lady Shri Ram College had just two

options of commuting: Expensive auto rides or car pools.



"While the first was agonisingly long and more of a luxury on a student's monthly travel budget, organising

the second was a major hassle," says Samson. Samson and her friends' decided to take the Metro for the

first time after they were stranded near Nehru Place Metro station without any transportation.

“We were in a rush and it was the first day of college. We'd talked to innumerable auto rickshaw drivers

but nobody was ready to go to North Campus; so we decided to give the Metro a try. We got our smartcards made that very evening. It was the best ride of our lives,” she said. Jatin Anand

Don’t have to worry about car parking

Karan Aggarwal,

Resident, East of Kailash

The Delhi Metro has brought businessman Karan Aggarwal's favourite hangout spot — Central Park in

Connaught Place — closer to him.

“I was out of town when the service started; so the first thing I did after returning was to take the Metro to

CP so I could hang out at Central Park for a couple of minutes,” said Aggarwal, 24, a East of Kailash

resident.

Like most of his neighbours — mostly businessmen and corporate executives who work in central Delhi —

lack of parking space is the last thing on Aggarwal’s mind.

“It's a sea change. Earlier, I used to plan my trip according to the blocks in Connaught Place where I could

find parking space. But not any more. Metro has changed all that,” he said.

Thanks to the Metro, Aggarwal says his neighbourhood and the areas around it see lesser traffic jams.

"South Delhi is and always has been notorious for its traffic jams but with most people taking the Metro to

and from work, the number of jams has reduced and so has the incessant honking by drivers,” Aggarwal

said. Jatin Anand

City hotspots are within reach

Vijyant Singh,

Resident, Safdurjung Enclave

For Vijyant Singh, a first year student at Delhi University, the mobility that the Metro has brought to

residents of south Delhi is amazing.

“Till just a few months ago, hanging out with friends was a real challenge. Going to malls with such ease

was unthinkable,” says the 18-year-old resident of Safdurjung Enclave.

For youngsters all over Delhi, access has improved remarkably since the Metro came to South Delhi and

Gurgaon. The Metro has provided

them with an economical mode of travel and has also brought along independence. "Earlier, a trip to the

malls in Saket would have cost me Rs 70. Today it costs less than Rs 15.

Plus my friends, even those living in north and west Delhi can meet me easily,” he says.



A member of the British Council Library in KG Marg, Vijyant also gets to spend more time in the library

and doesn't have to worry about rushing home.

“Before the Metro all I could think about rushing back home after reaching the library. It’s definitely easier

now. In simple words, hanging out is a lot more fun now,” he says. Mallica Joshi

a housewife in south delhi

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