With the Independence Day celebrations about to kick off in the national capital, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has advised the residents of the city not to fly kites near elevated metro lines passing through residential areas.
Kites near elevated metro lines could be a safety issue for the people and also lead to disruption of metro services.
DMRC’s Principal Executive Director Anuj Dayal said, “As kite flying gathers pace around August 15, there is a likelihood of kite strings getting entangled in the OHE (overhead equipment) wires or getting stuck in the pantograph (which draws power from OHE) of a moving train if kites are flown in the area of elevated metro lines.”
He further said that such incidents can potentially “disrupt the metro services by damaging/tripping the OHE or pantograph but may also prove fatal to those flying kites with metallic maanjha”.
The DMRC has established a mechanism to monitor and prevent disruptions, with specialised teams assigned to quickly remove any kite strings.
To safeguard metro passengers and maintain uninterrupted service, the DMRC also recommends that the public enjoy kite flying in open areas away from metro lines, Dayal added.
“The DMRC also advises and appeals to the general public to refrain from flying kites in the immediate vicinity of elevated metro lines passing through residential areas for their own safety, as any direct or indirect contact with the 25,000 volt OHE may prove fatal besides leading to OHE tripping or damage to the metro train/pantograph, thereby, resulting into service disruptions,” he said.
According to officials, the DMRC currently operates nearly 400 kilometers of metro network in Delhi-NCR. This network is predominantly elevated, with 25,000-volt live overhead wires running parallel to the tracks to power the trains for daily passenger services.
(With PTI inputs)