NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor inaugurated by PM Modi on Sunday has been attracting a lot of people. Many people were seen clicking selfies and making videos inside the tunnel. The artwork inside the tunnel is mesmerising for the eyes.
The murals of six seasons of India, flora and fauna, flowers, birds, zodiac symbols and Indian culture are sculpted on the side walls and central pillars of the tunnel. Hailing the artwork as alluring, Santosh Kumar, a bike commuter, said, “I took this route intentionally so that I can see the artwork.” He added that he had clicked a selfie with the artwork in the background and that he would upload the pick as his WhatsApps profile picture.
It is not just the craze for selfies, people are also being seen making videos. Even those driving cars were making videos while passing through the tunnel. Shreya Kumari, a car traveller, said that she had visited the spot on Sunday to click the photos and make video of the tunnel. However, she had to return because the security guards told her that the tunnel road was closed for general public. “Now, I am happy that I clicked photos and recorded a few videos capturing the beautiful artwork,” added Shreya.
While people were clicking selfies and videos, some of them were also concerned about the safety of people as the tunnel is a passage where vehicles keep moving. They suggested that there must a dedicated selfie spot inside the tunnel to avoid any untoward incident. Javed Ahmed, a traveller, said, “Dedicated selfie spots should be marked inside the tunnel so that people do not end up hitting by a vehicle while clicking photos.”
As of now, there is no exclusive spot earmarked by government for the people to take selfies or record videos. Security guards inside the tunnel were seen instructing people to be careful while clicking photos or recording videos. Also, people were not allowed by security guards to stay for a longer time inside the tunnel because of the continuous fast traffic.
After missing several deadlines and then finally inaugurated on Sunday, the tunnel has been built at an estimated cost of over Rs 900 crores. Still, diversions have been marked and parking tunnel is closed. The inaugurated tunnel will reduce the travelling time and will solve the traffic woes near Pragati Maidan.