DMRC data shows nearly 20,000 items reported lost in Delhi Metro in two years

Forgetting a lunch box or water bottle on a Delhi Metro train may seem like a small mishap, but thousands of such belongings are reported missing every year, with nearly 20,000 items logged under the metro’s lost-and-found system over the last two financial years.

A Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official told that 19,491 items were reported lost during the last two years, of which around 70 per cent were successfully returned to their owners.

According to the official, most lost-and-found cases are reported at metro stations, with passengers collecting their belongings either from the station where they were found or from the Lost and Found Office at Kashmere Gate.

The most commonly reported lost articles include lunch boxes, water bottles, umbrellas, earbuds, wrist watches and backpacks, he said.

Passengers can report a missing item at any metro station, following which announcements can be made at stations and on trains operating on the concerned corridor through the train radio system, he added.

For valuable articles such as gold, silver, jewellery and other valuables, the DMRC retains them at the station for 48 hours before transferring them to its Lost and Found Office at Kashmere Gate.

Unclaimed cash is deposited into the DMRC account after seven days, while foreign currency is processed in coordination with authorised banks and financial institutions, he said.

Electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops, are sent to the police for verification. If no criminal involvement is found, such articles are disposed of as per the prescribed procedure, according to the official.

Lost Metro Smart Cards are forwarded to the Automatic Fare Collection department for further processing after 30 days, the DMRC official said.

For belongings that are never claimed, the corporation follows its prescribed disposal process. Quarterly tenders are floated for general unclaimed articles and non-e-waste items, which are subsequently forwarded to the stores department for auction, the official said.

The metro corporation also allows passengers to report lost belongings through the SAARTHI app or by contacting the station or Lost and Found Office over the phone, he said and added contact details are displayed at stations and are available on the DMRC website.

Once an article is deposited at the Lost and Found Office, its details are uploaded to the lost-and-found section of the DMRC website, the official said. If the recovered item contains the owner’s contact details, officials contact the person directly.

In cases where a passenger has already reported an item missing, the passenger is informed if it is subsequently deposited at the Lost and Found Office, he said.

The corporation follows different procedures depending on the nature and value of the recovered item. Passengers can collect articles from the station where they were found within seven days by producing a valid photo identity card, such as an Aadhaar card, PAN card or voter ID, he added.

Items that remain unclaimed for seven days are transferred to the Kashmere Gate Lost and Found Office, where they can be collected within one month after due verification, the official said.