Title - GRP launches campaign to sensitise villages on unmanned railway crossings across state

With nearly 818 unmanned railway crossings in Punjab, the Government Railway Police has launched a campaign to educate residents of the state’s villages, which are within five kilometres of railway tracks, on how to cross the unmanned crossings.As part of the drive, the railway police force has instructed its personnel to visit one village in their jurisdiction at least once a week. Not only are the police personnel required to submit a report on the gathering at the villages, they also have to send photographs as proof that they have visited the villages in this regard.Sources said that there are 1,672 railway crossings in the state, of which, 854 are manned while 818 have unmanned gates. In the last five years, from 2007 till June 30 this year, 129 people died in 61 accidents. This year, till June, three accidents have taken place, in which, 11 people were killed. Last year, 31 people died in thirteen accidents.While most of the deaths were reportedly due to the alleged negligence of drivers of vehicles trying to cross the unmanned points, some victims were crushed while they were crossing the track on foot.Talking with The Indian Express, Additional Director General of Police (Railways) R P Meena said: “ It has been observed that large of people including school children are killed in accidents at unmanned railway crossings in the state due to negligence of vehicle drivers. To prevent such incidents at these crossings a special campaign has been started to educate people and school children residing in five kilometres of the railway track. Under this campaign, the Government Railway Police personnel posted in police stations and out posts, will visit these villages and educate people on how to carefully cross the railway tracks. Also personnel will be deployed at accident-prone unmanned railway crossings during school hours and peak hours to regulate traffic”.Sources said that around twenty unmanned crossings have now been identified across the state, where most of the accidents take place. A few of them are Kathu Nangal-Jaintipur, Nawan Shehar-Garh Shankar, Parmanand- Jhakho Lari, Nakodar-Noor Mehal and Ladhuka-Fazilka.