Waterlogged GTB Nagar Metro area irks commuters, hits businesses

For the last four days, commuters at the GTB (Guru Tegh Bahadur) Nagar Metro Station have had to wade through ankle-deep, filth-laden water.

The problem began after sewer lines got choked, forcing water to spill out from the manholes and collect outside the station.

A clean commuting station for thousands now reeks.

A spot check revealed that waterlogging had become a nuisance for everyone — students, office-goers, rickshaw drivers, and shopkeepers whose livelihoods depended on the daily movement around the station. Despite repeated complaints, residents and commuters allege that no effective steps have been taken to resolve the issue.

“We have to walk through dirty water every morning. The stench is unbearable and it feels extremely unhygienic,” Saurbh Dalal, who works at a private company in Gurugram and uses the Metro daily, said. He added constant exposure to such water raised the risk of infections.

For local businesses, the waterlogging has come as a major setback. Shops and eateries outside the station are witnessing fewer customers. “They are not stopping by. The water and the stink drive them away, and our business is badly affected,” Anil Kumar, who runs a small food stall near the station, said. “We are losing money every single day.”

Rickshaw pullers, who usually wait in queues outside the station, share the frustration. “People don’t want to step into the dirty water to reach us. We hardly manage to get rides and have to sit idle,” Rajesh, a rickshaw puller who depends on Metro passengers for his earning, said.

“I run a mobile shop here, and this water has made it impossible for customers to step inside. It’s been four days and nothing has been done about it,” Sunil Mehta, who owns a mobile store just outside the station gate, said.

Locals fear that if the issue was left unattended any longer, it may lead to an outbreak of disease, with stagnant water becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Students and office-goers say the situation is also affecting their routine.

As the authorities have yet to provide a permanent solution, for now, thousands of commuters here must continue to struggle with unhygienic conditions — only hoping that the matter is resolved before a bigger crisis unfolds.

Delhi