Delhi Metro commuters had a harrowing time Saturday with train services remaining disrupted for nearly an hour due to mock drills at 11 stations.
“The drill started at 11 a.m. and ended at 11.50 a.m.,” a Delhi Metro official told IANS. Entry into the stations was closed as part of the standard emergency procedure, the official said.
“Announcements were made in the trains and stations during this period urging commuters to remain calm. Thereafter, normalcy was restored,” the official said.
The drill was conducted at Central Secretariat, Shahdara, Pitampura, Badarpur, Kirti Nagar, Chandni Chowk, Akshardham, Karol Bagh, Noida City Centre, Guru Dronacharya and Dwarka Sector 11 stations, catching commuters off-guard.
Delhi Disaster Management Authority conducted the drill along with the National Disaster Management Authority to check if the Delhi Metro staff were ready to tackle emergencies such as earthquakes, bomb blasts and terror attacks.
“I was going to office when the drill began and was not allowed to enter the station,” said Aniket Singh, 26. He then boarded a bus and it took him two hours to reach office instead of the usual half an hour.  Arushi Bhatia had a similar experience and missed her class in college.
“I had to board the metro from Karol Bagh but due to the mock drill, I had to take an auto to my college. I missed my class due to a traffic jam,” she said.
While many complained about the drill, some supported it.
“This is a must to keep the officials on their toes. Such drills should be conducted more often,” said Shadab Khan, 38, who uses the metro daily to commute between his home in Subhash Nagar and shop in Karol Bagh.
Delhi Metro periodically conducts mock drills in which scenarios such as terrorist attacks, evacuation from trains and stations, derailment and fire are simulated, said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation statement.