Commuters’ lifeline halted in its tracks
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Photo: ANI
Over 6 million commuters found themselves without their go-to mode of public transport and metro services across Delhi-NCR was suspended last year.
The move also affected the autorickshaw and e-rickshaw drivers who provided link transit between metro stations and people’s destinations.
After a five-month hiatus, the metro services did resume on September 7. But they are yet to touch the pre-Covid average daily ridership level.
Traffic gone, roads wore a deserted look
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Most residents from Delhi would avoid opting for this road on a regular work day due to its heavy traffic. Amid restricted movement, this rare view was captured on March 24, 2020, when the national capital began with its lockdown.
Emission level also came down during lockdown as most people spent their time indoors.
Deserted view of otherwise bustling stations
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The day a nationwide Janta Curfew was imposed, even the bustling Dadar, one of Mumbai’s major interchange railway stations, went quiet.
The pictures above depict the striking difference between the footfall before and after the Covid outbreak.
No sign of tourists
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Deserted view of Gateway of India (top) and Hawa Mahal (bottom).
With citizens being advised to stay indoors, major tourist attractions took a major blow on their shins. With no visitors, their earnings dried up.
The above pictures show how some of the most visited places in India wore a deserted look during the lockdown.
Migrant workers’ exodus
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As the economy came to a standstill during the lockdown, thousands of migrant workers were forced to return to their native places. With no money in hand, many undertook the long journey on foot, while some travelled by trains and buses.
Fearing a renewed surge of coronavirus cases by their movement, the central government came down heavily on state governments and asked them to ensure their stay and proper administration of commute.
Gradual re-opening
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Long queues were seen in front of liquor stores when the Delhi government allowed them to reopen during the fourth phase of the lockdown.
Later, the government also introduced an e-token system under which customers would be given a specific date and time to buy liquor in order to avoid overcrowding and long queues.
Work from home
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When Covid pushed people indoors, offices and educational institutions moved swiftly to the new normal of ‘work from home’.
A changed world
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Towards the end of the long pandemic year, 2020, when people began stepping out, thermal checking at every entry point, frequent use of sanitisers, social distancing and a mandate to wear masks became the new order of the day.
Travel experience and Vande Bharat mission
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Travelling during the extraordinary Covid times required extraordinary care, too. This was the time when passengers were layered with protection gears and made to follow social-distancing and quarantine norms even after travel.
Thousands of Indian citizens were evacuated from abroad under the Vande Bharat mission carried out by Air India.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed that Air India had earned a revenue of Rs 2,556.60 crore till August 2020 from flights operated under the Vande Bharat mission.
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