Rlys plans to build 37-km boundary walls along tracks

Mumbai: The Central Railway (CR) will build 37 kilometres of boundary walls along the tracks in its attempt to reduce deaths, an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court says.

The affidavit submitted in response to a petition of Sameer Zaveri, a railway safety activist, says a major reason for the high number of deaths on the tracks is local population’s easy access to the tracks.

The affidavit states that there are several illegal hutments, which have been constructed near the railway tracks, and the occupants of these hutments are in a position to have easy access to the railway tracks. The only solution to the problem is to construct a boundary wall along the side of the tracks so that access is minimised. Most deaths on the tracks occur while people carelessly cross the tracks.

According to the railways, the tenders for the construction of boundary wall on different stretches were invited for a total length of 37km. A few tenders have been finalised and the contract has already been awarded. A few tenders were at advanced stage of finalisation. The boundary wall will be completed as expeditiously as possible. However, the CR did not mention where the walls are being constructed.

According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), more than 3,014 people lost their lives in 2017 on the western, central and harbour lines. Of these, 1,651 people had lost their lives while crossing tracks.

Sabotage Bid

On January 24 last year, a group of people kept a 400kg piece of rail track across the line near Diva station in an incident of alleged sabotage of suburban railway line. In April, the Thane city police arrested one Maula Makandar claiming that he promised Rs 2,000 to the accused for placing the obstacle. The five other accused were identified as Danish Shaikh, 26, Suraj Bhosale, 25, Mohammad Naseem Shaikh, 34, Nazir Sayyad, 24 and Jayesh Pare, 30.

The investigators claimed that they were drug addicts with a history of railway property theft. These accused were handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP) for further investigation in the case as they had registered the case.

Sabotage Bid

On January 24 last year, a group of people kept a 400kg piece of rail track across the line near Diva station in an incident of alleged sabotage of suburban railway line. In April, the Thane city police arrested one Maula Makandar claiming that he promised Rs 2,000 to the accused for placing the obstacle. The five other accused were identified as Danish Shaikh, 26, Suraj Bhosale, 25, Mohammad Naseem Shaikh, 34, Nazir Sayyad, 24 and Jayesh Pare, 30.

The investigators claimed that they were drug addicts with a history of railway property theft. These accused were handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP) for further investigation in the case as they had registered the case.