After 36 Days, Silence at Jantar Mantar

NEW DELHI: Normalcy returned to Connaught Place and central Delhi on Sunday, a day after protesting students called off their 36-day agitation following the exit of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protest site at Jantar Mantar wore a deserted look with makeshift tents removed and only a small police presence in the area. The agitation, marked by sustained demonstrations and mobilisation, had ended after the government accepted key demands, including the minister’s removal.

Police said entry to the protest site remained restricted even as several barricades were removed. Mobile and internet services were restored and metro stations reopened, aiding the return of routine activity in the area.

Shops and businesses around the protest site resumed operations, with traders reporting gradual improvement in customer footfall after losses during the agitation. “Sir, our sales have gone down by 90 per cent in the past few days. Now, we are witnessing a gradual increase in customer footfall,” a salesman at a garment shop in Connaught Place said. “We are hopeful, we will see a good number of customers in the next 24 hours.”

Civic agencies continued clean-up operations across central Delhi following the dispersal of protesters. Officials said about 60 metric tonnes of waste was expected to be cleared from the site and adjoining areas.

According to the NDMC, 75 sanitation workers were deployed overnight and 35 more were engaged from Sunday morning. Around 40 metric tonnes of waste was removed till Saturday night, with another 12 metric tonnes cleared by Sunday afternoon.

The civic body deployed auto-tippers, heavy trucks, an excavator and pressure-jetting machines for the operation. Restoration work, including repainting walls, repairing damaged curbstones and footpaths, and cleaning public spaces, was also underway.

The reopening of services and ongoing restoration efforts marked a gradual return to normal activity in the city’s central district.