Indian Railways have geared up its machinery to ensure safe operation during the monsoon season. According to reports citing weather data, the southwest monsoon is moving slowly over Kerala after arriving three days early. The southwest monsoon has covered the entire north-east with Assam and Meghalaya experiencing heavy rainfall activity in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Sunday. The weatherman has forecast an increase in rainfall activity over the southern peninsula from Tuesday onwards.
Here’s how Central Railway, Western Railway and South West Railway is gearing up to ensure smooth movements of trains during rainy season.
CENTRAL RAILWAY GEARS UP FOR MONSOON WITH PRECAUTIONS
Mumbai, the city in which everybody moves on wheels in general and trains in particular for work daily, sometimes face hardship when it rains heavily. Central Railway, which caters to around 38 lakh suburban commuters after pandemic daily, takes precautions so that the train running is not affected during monsoon.
Engineering, Electrical, Mechanical , Operations , Signal and Telecommunications etc work in tandem and have carried out monsoon precautions to ensure smooth services during monsoon.
Anil Kumar Lahoti, General Manager, Central Railway said that monsoon precautions have been taken in detail so that the effect of the monsoon on train services is minimum.
CR HQ and divisional officials are taking all efforts to avoid inconvenience to the passengers and keep running wheels 24X7 during heavy rain.
The Central Railway, Mumbai Division has also installed around 145 CCTV cameras at 29 vulnerable locations in the ghats to have a remote and continuous watch. 16 additional pumps provided at flood prone locations.
The railway also cleans, every year, waterway around 3,300 small bridges to avoid any flooding besides cleaning of side drains all along the routes.
In Mumbai suburban, 29 locations have been identified as flood prone locations. High pressure pumps have been deployed and will be operated and when needed.
READINESS TO FACE THE CHALLENGE
Around 170 wagons of boulders and quarry dust are kept in different locations spread over Central Railway to meet any exigency of washouts or subsidence of formation of slope failure due to extremely heavy rains. Out of 170 wagons, 54 wagons are in Mumbai Division.
WESTERN RAILWAY CONDUCTS PRE-MONSOON MUCK REMOVAL DRIVE OVER MUMBAI SUBURBAN NETWORK
Western Railway has undertaken the cleaning of garbage along the tracks over the Mumbai Suburban section. Also included are works such as cleaning of culverts, desilting of side drains, installations of high power pumps, special maintenance of infrastructure etc.
WR is taking all steps for smooth flow of water and ensure that there is no stagnation of water or flooding of tracks. The muck and garbage collected during the cleaning process are being cleared and removed with the help of special muck trains.
According to a press release issued by Sumit Thakur, Chief Public Relations Officer, Western Railway, to gear up for monsoon season, pre – monsoon works are being undertaken extensively for giving more access to storm water and to curb flooding which included cleaning the railway tracks of muck and garbage.
One Poclain and 4 JCB machines are also operated to remove the muck from the tracks.
Western Railway has identified 106 locations where garbage dumping by outsiders has been noticed which affects the stormwater drainage system.
PREPAREDNESS OF SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY FOR MONSOON
The South Western Railway (SWR) has carried out all safety-related inspections and safety works in connection with the preparation for the upcoming monsoon season. This has been done to ensure that loss to Railway property, life and train services can be avoided. Special attention has been paid to Ghat sections in Hubballi (Castle Rock to Kulem) and Mysuru (Sakleshpur to Subrahmanya Road) which witness heavy to very heavy rainfall every monsoon.
General Manager Sanjeev Kishore reviewed all the works related to monsoon preparedness recently.
The monsoon preparation works include cleaning of drainage, side drains, catch water drains, bridge vent ways and drainage arrangements for Road Under Bridges (RUB’s), removal of loose boulders, cutting/trimming of trees and installation of porter cabins.
The South Western Railway officials conducted a survey for trees and cutting/trimming of vulnerable trees existing in the vicinity of the track, has been undertaken.
Stock of boulders, Stone dust/Gravel/Musk have kept ready in wagons and stabled near flood prone locations to arrest landslips, breaches, flooding etc (Tinaighat – 15 wagons and Kulem – 15 wagons over Hubballi division; Sakleshpur – 25 wagons, Subrahmanya Road – 20 wagons over Mysuru Division).
Excavators have been stationed at Londa, Castle Rock, Caranzol, Dudhsagar, Sonalium, Kulem, Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road for quick restoration and clearing of track if there is landslip etc.
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