Metro to revamp evacuation procedures

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to revamp its evacuation procedures in case of an emergency situation in the underground stretches, having made a mess of the rescue operations on Tuesday.

The DMRC enlisted the new measures it will take to ensure passenger safety if an emergency-like situation arises in future. The initiative comes after a three-member committee which was constituted to inquire into the Metro’s fiasco submitted its preliminary report on Friday.

“Operational managers have been asked to start an evacuation process if passengers are stranded in an underground stretch without lights and proper ventilation for over 10 minutes,” said DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal.

“The engineers have been asked to examine the feasibility of having a secondary backup system for the train’s lighting and ventilation in an emergency situation,” he added.

The DMRC said that inside the underground tunnels too adequate lighting and ventilation should be ensured and any obstruction should be painted with luminous paint to avoid any confusion.

“The tunnel lighting in the underground tunnel should be reoriented by the Metro electrical engineers so that a clear view of the underground passage is available to the commuters in an evacuation scenario,” the spokesperson said.