Others lag Behind, Metro Races for Commonwealth Games 2010

It is a well known fact that every department, from DDA to MCD and others are lagging behind the schedule in the preparation of commonwealth games to be held next year, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) is speeding up their projects to complete much before schedule. Despite some serious accidents, the corporation is way before schedule in their projects related to commonwealth games. Read on...

As Delhi tries hard to allay concerns over the security of players and visitors during the upcoming Commonwealth Games-2010, organizations like the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation have begun training their staff to deal with exigencies.

While the Metro is busy sprucing up its image -- teaching its staff to converse in English and put on their best behavior -- it is also focusing on training for disaster management.

According to senior DMRC officials, the staff deputed at metro stations and on board the trains will be trained to deal with situations emerging out of a terror attack or even mishaps like fire.

“There is a compilation called hot protocol that is put together by the security department of DMRC which is like a handbook for emergencies. The staff, especially in the operations department, are given this guidebook to refer to in case of any emergency,” said a DMRC spokesperson.

The guidebook apart, DMRC is aggressively training its staff on the basics of first-aid, fire-fighting, red-alert and disaster management. “First-aid and fire-fighting assume much importance in DMRC owing to the critical nature of the organization functioning and infrastructure. This time we are also focusing on how to handle a situation arising out of a bomb blast or a chemical attack,” the spokesperson said.

Metro Citizens’ Forum, a group of volunteers who help DMRC instills good behavior and discipline among commuters, will also be at the forefront of the Commonwealth Games preparedness. “The number of volunteers has increased to over 300. Workshops on disaster management and fire safety have been organized by DMRC specifically for these volunteers so that they can play a major role in ensuring commuter safety during the Commonwealth Games,” the spokesperson said.

To ensure that there are no slip-ups while communicating with the visitors, DMRC is also putting its Customer Relations Assistants (CRAs) through lesson in the Queen’s language. “We are imparting English-speaking training to the staff, particularly the CRAs who will be constantly interacting with visitors. We expect a large turnout of foreign nationals during the Games, and to ensure that their travel on the metro is smooth we are making sure that the staff is well trained, groomed and equipped,” the spokesperson said.

The staff will also be equipped to handle queries from passengers about the metro, the stations and the immediate surroundings. “The staff will have to remain aware about the main locations, bus routes, information about hotels, restaurants and hospitals near their respective metro stations so that they can provide all the necessary information to the visitors,” the spokesperson said.

The metro will offer easy passage to the Commonwealth Games venues as it provides connectivity to 10 out of 11 venues of the Games. These include the Games Village, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi University, Thyagaraj Complex, Siri Fort Sports Complex, National Stadium, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex and R. K. Tennis Complex.

Three Commonwealth Games venues -- the Games Village, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Delhi University -- will have direct access to metro stations. The Games Village, where most athletes will reside, is adjacent to the upcoming Akshardham metro station on the Indraprastha-Noida line.