Waterlogging at Yamuna Bank Station, Kashmere Gate ISBT, op continues

Drone footage recorded by news agency PTI showed the Maharana Pratap ISBT at Kashmere Gate surrounded by floodwaters, though officials said that buses continued to operate.

Two of Delhi’s busiest transport hubs — the Kashmere Gate Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) and Yamuna Bank Metro Station — faced the impact of rising Yamuna waters on Thursday, with both facilities staying operational despite access disruptions.

Severe waterlogging due to rise in Yamuna River halts movement near Kashmere Gate, in New Delhi on Thursday. (ANI)

Drone footage recorded by news agency PTI showed the Maharana Pratap ISBT at Kashmere Gate surrounded by floodwaters, though officials said that buses continued to operate. The terminal, among the busiest in north India, serves passengers from Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand.

When HT visited the terminal on Thursday afternoon, services were functional, though officials said operations had slowed. “On a regular day, around 1,800 to 2,000 buses operate from Kashmere Gate ISBT. Currently, about 1,200 buses are running. Services to states such as Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Punjab have been reduced due to the weather in the upper regions,” said an official from the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DTIDC).

The official added that protective measures were in place. “After the 2023 flood, we installed pumps and sandbags to block inflow. Water entered the terminal late Wednesday night but was pumped out,” the official said.

Passengers arriving at the terminal said they faced some delays in locating buses, but the terminal remained functional, with ticketing counters and waiting areas accessible.

Meanwhile, Yamuna Bank Metro Station, located on the floodplain, was cut off by waterlogging on its approach road.

At 10.34am, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) issued an advisory on X, announcing that the station would not be opening its doors for passengers: “Due to escalating water levels of the Yamuna River, the approach road leading to Yamuna Bank Metro Station is currently inaccessible. Kindly plan your journey accordingly and consider alternate routes.”

DMRC, however, added that the station remains operational and people can change trains there as usual, as long as they arrive there on the metro, and not by road.

DMRC officials confirmed trains continued to halt at the station and interchange between the Blue Line’s Noida and Vaishali branches was unaffected, though vehicular access remained blocked.

The Yamuna has been flowing above the danger level since earlier this week, leading to waterlogging along the floodplain and adjoining roads. Vehicular movement near low-lying areas and riverfront settlements remained restricted, with traffic police issuing advisories to avoid the affected stretches.