ITO Metro: First green station with a history of its own

He was happy on being the first commuter to register his entry as all these days he had to walk down to Mandi House Metro Station. “It means a lot to me as I used to walk down to Mandi House Metro Station from my office on a regular basis,” said Singh.

Another <g data-gr-id="36">commuter</g>, Sarthak, a regular Metro commuter, said: “With the ITO Metro station now functional, I do not have to walk all the way to Pragati Maidan (Metro station).” 

The general mood of the public was very upbeat as a Metro station was much needed in the area that houses several official buildings with thousands of employees.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Union Urban Development minister Venkaiah Naidu said: “I urge every person to avail the facilities of Metro as commuting becomes really easy and comfortable.” Naidu also hinted at talks going on between the Centre and the state government and Railways regarding a circular rail network around Delhi which will have good connectivity with the Metro stations. 

“We are also interacting with the Railways to come up with a circular railway system. I already had a meeting with the railway minister in this regard. Would be sharing the recommendations with the Delhi government,” he said.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal further added: “I am happy that the ITO station has started to function, however, I would urge DMRC to either increase the frequency or increase the number of coaches as it is often seen that the trains get crowded from the terminal stations and hardly any place is left for the passengers boarding from the following stations.”

The station has been adorned by artwork and panels that depict the rich heritage of the ITO area which has been a hub of government offices and media houses for many years. Apart from <g data-gr-id="43">contribution</g> from private artists, DMRC had also tied up with the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) to depict the history of the area through display panels.

A DMRC official said: “The <g data-gr-id="31">art work</g> in the Metro station has been made with fire retardant materials such as metal sheets of mild steel, stainless steel, brass and copper sheets.” 

The official also added that the entire Metro station is powered with the help of solar panels affixed above the station complex, which is unique in the national Capital thus making it the first “green Metro station.”