ProUI

VADODARA: Seven oil tankers connected to a goods train derailed at near Vadodara railway station adversely affecting the train movement in the Vadodara railway division on Sunday.The oil tankers connected to the freight train jumped tracks near the Jetalpur underpass at around 10.50 am.The tankers were loaded with furnace oil which was loaded from the Karachiya yard. The furnace oil transported by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Gujarat Refinery) was on its way to Miraj near Pune. The goods train had 52 oil tankers attached to it.

Soon after the incident, Vadodara railway division officials rushed to the spot to start rescue works.

The officials were hoping that the line will be restored by 11.30 pm even as several trains got delayed due to the incident leaving passengers stranded on platform number one. Trains that were passing through Vadodara were directed on one track.

"We have moved all the resources and work is in full swing. The train movement on Vadodara-Surat line has not been stopped completely but the movement has been slow," said additional divisional railway manager Amit Kumar.

While a number of trains including Jammu Tawi Express, Janta Express, Viramgam-Valsad Express got delayed for hours, Vadodara-Surat memu train was cancelled after the incident.

नई दिल्ली-अहमदाबाद राजधानी एक्सप्रेस के ऑनलाइन टाइमटेबल में रेलवे ने अपनी चूक को सुधार लिया है। दैनिक भास्कर में खबर प्रकाशित होने के 10 दिन बाद आईआरसीटीसी ने राजधानी के ऑनलाइन टाइमटेबल में गुड़गांव स्टेशन को शामिल कर लिया है। इसके साथ ही अब यात्री गुड़गांव से ऑनलाइन आरक्षण की सुविधा ले सकेंगे। 12958/57 नई दिल्ली-अहमदाबाद स्वर्ण जयंती राजधानी एक्सप्रेस का पिछले साल दिसंबर में गुड़गांव स्टेशन पर स्टॉपेज शुरू करने के बावजूद रेलवे ने अब तक ऑनलाइन टाइमटेबल में गुड़गांव को शामिल ही नहीं किया था।

दैनिक भास्कर ने एक अगस्त के अंक में छह महीने से चल रही रेलवे की इस चूक को उजागर करते हुए यात्रियों की परेशानी को बयां किया था। बताया जा रहा है कि राजधानी एक्सप्रेस में इतनी बड़ी भूल को लेकर रेलवे के वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों तक सूचना जाने पर उन्होंने एक्शन लेते हुए 10 दिन बाद टाइमटेबल में संशोधन करा दिया है। इसे रेलवे की आधिकारिक वेबसाइट पर टाइमटेबल को देखा जा सकता है। इसमें राजधानी का गुड़गांव स्टेशन पर रात 08.44 बजे से दो मिनट का स्टॉपेज दिखाया जा रहा है। इस संशोधन के बाद राजधानी में सफर करने वाले यात्रियों को काफी फायदा मिलेगा। जिन्हें अब तक नई दिल्ली स्टेशन से ऑनलाइन बुकिंग करानी पड़ रही थी। अब गुड़गांव स्टेशन से भी यात्रियों के लिए ऑनलाइन बुकिंग के दरवाजे में खुल जाएंगे। इस बारे में आईआरसीटीसी के प्रवक्ता ने बताया कि रेल मंत्रालय की तरफ से डाटा मिलते ही इसे वेबसाइट पर अपडेट कर दिया गया है।

NEW DELHI: Conservation of early Mughal-era monument Nila Gumbad has hit a wall with Northern Railway using part of the earmarked land to store material. While work inside the monument continues, that on the exterior settings has been stopped till the land is cleared. ASI director-general Praveen Srivastava has written to the railways. The project is being undertaken by Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) with co-funding from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. Officials said the railways continued to dump material at the site of the monument owned by ASI, so the exterior settings cannot be worked upon. "Removal of of pink plaster layers, applied here as recently as 2003, has revealed original ornamental patterns that are being carefully restored by art conservators trained during the Humayun's tomb conservation,'' said an AKTC official.

The Nila Gumbad is named after the turquoise blue tiles used by the Mughal builders to cover the dome. Many of the tiles have fallen due to vibrations caused by trains. As part of the project, efforts will be made to insulate the monument from the jerks caused by poorly maintained railway tracks. "The restoration will make sense only if the road bifurcating Nila Gumbad from Humayun's tomb is shifted, as agreed upon by the railways in a 2010 MoU with the ASI. This will allow millions of annual visitors at the tomb to visit this marvel and to avoid sanctions from Unesco,which were imposed on the Hampi world heritage site over a bridge bifurcating the site,'' said an official.

Srivastava wrote to the DRM northern railways requesting that a 2010 agreement be adhered to and AKTC be allowed to continue works as planned. In response, say ASI sources, the railways have requested recently re-built enclosure walls be demolished. ``This while the railways have built ugly, tall concrete fencing within the prohibitied zone of Humayun's tomb without any permissions,'' said officials. "The determined effort of the Railways to continue to vandalize a world heritage site is shocking. Especially since in lieu of the proposed development, alternate structures have already been built for the railways,'' said project director, AKTC Ratish Nanda.

Conservationists are hoping the issue is resolved soon. With the blue tiles already being prepared in kilns at Humayun's tomb, Nila Gumbad will hopefully soon stand proud once again in all it's Mughal grandeur, claimed ASI officials.

The district police made elaborate security at the Visakhapatnam railway station and surrounding areas due to a proposed Samaikhyandhra group's rail blockade agitation against the UPA's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. The city police did not allow agitators inside the railway station and clamped Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code at the railway station as well as railway tracks under city limits, banning unlawful assembly of people, to avoid any untoward incidents. In a statement, the city police commissioner said that stern action would be taken against agitators if they tried to stop trains. Trespassing into railway stations, obstructing trains, causing inconvenience to passengers and damaging railway property are non-bailable offences, the police said. Conveners of the North Coastal Andhra Political Joint Action Committee K T Rama Rao and Students' Joint Action Committee A Kishore were taken into custody by the police, even as rallies and protests called by various organisations continued for the eleventh day today.

Says he found it at his son's home and was carrying it to throw it from the running train

A major security lapse was averted at the Pune railway station when a routine bag scan revealed that an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police was carrying an illegal country made pistol in his bag. The arrested person has been identified as Subhash Ganpatrao Gaikwad (55), who hails from Narayannagar in Amravati.On Sunday, Gaikwad was produced before the court of judicial magistrate first class, which remanded him in a day’s police custody on the grounds that police were probing from where he got the pistol, whether he had used it or had plans to sell it.The incident came to light after a constable Sachin Jagdhale, attached to the railway protection force (RPF), lodged a complaint with the government railway police (GRP) on Saturday.According to inspector DS Rajput, the RPF in-charge here, Gaikwad has been currently posted at the Amravati wireless department. Subhash had planned to travel back to his hometown in Amravati by Azad Express.

“Around 6pm, Gaikwad entered platform number one where a constable found a suspicious object in his bag during scanning. Gaikwad was first reluctant to give his bag claiming the different object was just a toy and also showed his police identity card to get away. Our constable insisted on checking the bag and found a seven-inch countrymade pistol,” Rajput said.

When the RPF asked him whether he had arms documents and licence, Gaikwad told that he was in Pune to visit his software engineer son at Shivne and found the pistol in his house, the inspector said.

“Gaikwad further claimed that he took away the pistol without telling his son and was planning to throw it away from a running train,” he said.

An offence had been registered against Gaikwad and he had been handed over to GRP. He was then arrested by GRP under relevant sections of Arms Act.

Mahendra Bagade, assistant police inspector, GRP, who is investigating the case said, “Gaikwad claimed that he had come to Pune to visit his son Shrikant. While cleaning the house, he found the pistol in the garden area. Without asking his son, he kept the pistol along with him and was travelling to his workplace. Despite being in  the police department, he did not alert the police. We are recording the statement of his son after which the picture will be clear.”

DHARAMSHALA: Constant rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has caused massive destruction in the lower parts of the state, with rural areas and villages being the worst affected. Rail and bus services have been crippled in the area with most of the rivers in spate causing damage to bridges. The meteorological department has announced heavy rainfall after August 12.The Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow rail line has been rendered useless for at least two weeks due to landslides along the track, a railway official said on Sunday. The Pathankot-Mandi national highway also witnessed landslides at many places, which halted traffic on the route for hours, causing traffic jams.About 100 families in Kandrori area were evacuated and provided temporary shelter and food as gushing flood waters ravaged the villages after release of 60,000 cusecs of water from Maharana Pratap Sagar Reservoir (Pong Dam). Mand, Miyani, Gandrah, Bhograma, Parag, Reyali and Rey villages were worst hit and crops on several acres of lands were destroyed. A dozen panchayts in Mand area of Nurpur sub-division were flooded.

Bhakhra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has been constantly discharging water through spillways of Pong Dam since August, 6 as the inflow has increased due to torrential rains. Inflow of water into the reservoir on Saturday was recorded at 94,000 cusecs. The BBMB authorities discharged 60,000 cusecs of water into the Beas River through floodgates on Saturday.

Water level at the reservoir stood at 1,380 feet on Saturday, which is 57 feet higher as compared to last year's 1,323 feet on the same date. Deputy commissioner C Pal Rasu said around half-a-dozen villages were affected as water entered into their houses while paddy, maize and sugarcane crop had also been damaged.

Rasu said warning had been issued in villages situated in downstream areas of Pong Dam and boats have been arranged to evacuate people in case of emergency. He said situation was under control as BBMB authorities had already informed the district administration about water release.

"According BBMB authorities there is a possibility of release 1 lakh cusecs of water from the Pong Dam reservoir, so we have alerted people in the area to move to safer places," said he said. "We are continuously monitoring the situation and revenue officer of the area has been made the field officer who will submit a report about the situation every day" he added.

Pong Dam can store water up to 1,395 feet against the danger mark of 1,390 feet. The dam meets the irrigation requirements of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and some parts of Himachal Pradesh.

Says he found it at his son's home and was carrying it to throw it from the running train

A major security lapse was averted at the Pune railway station when a routine bag scan revealed that an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police was carrying an illegal country made pistol in his bag. The arrested person has been identified as Subhash Ganpatrao Gaikwad (55), who hails from Narayannagar in Amravati.On Sunday, Gaikwad was produced before the court of judicial magistrate first class, which remanded him in a day’s police custody on the grounds that police were probing from where he got the pistol, whether he had used it or had plans to sell it.The incident came to light after a constable Sachin Jagdhale, attached to the railway protection force (RPF), lodged a complaint with the government railway police (GRP) on Saturday.According to inspector DS Rajput, the RPF in-charge here, Gaikwad has been currently posted at the Amravati wireless department. Subhash had planned to travel back to his hometown in Amravati by Azad Express.

“Around 6pm, Gaikwad entered platform number one where a constable found a suspicious object in his bag during scanning. Gaikwad was first reluctant to give his bag claiming the different object was just a toy and also showed his police identity card to get away. Our constable insisted on checking the bag and found a seven-inch countrymade pistol,” Rajput said.

When the RPF asked him whether he had arms documents and licence, Gaikwad told that he was in Pune to visit his software engineer son at Shivne and found the pistol in his house, the inspector said.

“Gaikwad further claimed that he took away the pistol without telling his son and was planning to throw it away from a running train,” he said.

An offence had been registered against Gaikwad and he had been handed over to GRP. He was then arrested by GRP under relevant sections of Arms Act.

Mahendra Bagade, assistant police inspector, GRP, who is investigating the case said, “Gaikwad claimed that he had come to Pune to visit his son Shrikant. While cleaning the house, he found the pistol in the garden area. Without asking his son, he kept the pistol along with him and was travelling to his workplace. Despite being in  the police department, he did not alert the police. We are recording the statement of his son after which the picture will be clear.”

VADODARA: His struggle reminds one of Deewar'sAmitabhBachhan who never parted with his badge numbered 786. For the last 28 years, Afzalmiyan Sheikh, coolie, has been fighting hard to get back his precious badge that was taken away by the railway authorities.Since the time his badge was taken away by railway officials in 1985, he has been running from pillar to post and spending hours at the railway headquarters in Pratapnagar, only to return empty-handed. "They accused me of making money by cornering seats in trains and took away my badge. There was no witness, no proper investigation and no written order. I lost my livelihood in a single stroke," Sheikh told TOI.His battle began soon after as he began meeting senior railway officials and urging them to return his badge back. "All that I wanted was my badge so that I could return to railway station and join work. But my representations and requests fell on deaf years. In fact, over last few years some railway employees began turning me away rudely and threatened to call police," Sheikh added.

"I have a wife and a son who has just starting earning. I am still willing to work as we need money badly. I wrote to former union minister of state for railways, Naransinh Rathwa urged the railway authorities to reinstate my badge. But nothing happened," Sheikh recalled. He is now planning to approach the court and file a writ petition.

"Senior railway officials had said that they would act on his case but the matter is being delayed. We will now file a writ petition in Gujarat high court to help Sheikh get back his badge. He has the right to live with dignity and he is still ready to work as coolie," said Sheikh's lawyer, Dharmendra Rajput.

Railway division railway manager (DRM), Vadodara division, Neeraj Kumar Shukla said that he was not aware of the issue. Senior DCM Pradeep Banerjee. Banerjee was not available for comments.

DHARAMSHALA: Constant rainfall in Himachal Pradesh has caused massive destruction in the lower parts of the state, with rural areas and villages being the worst affected. Rail and bus services have been crippled in the area with most of the rivers in spate causing damage to bridges. The meteorological department has announced heavy rainfall after August 12.The Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow rail line has been rendered useless for at least two weeks due to landslides along the track, a railway official said on Sunday. The Pathankot-Mandi national highway also witnessed landslides at many places, which halted traffic on the route for hours, causing traffic jams.About 100 families in Kandrori area were evacuated and provided temporary shelter and food as gushing flood waters ravaged the villages after release of 60,000 cusecs of water from Maharana Pratap Sagar Reservoir (Pong Dam). Mand, Miyani, Gandrah, Bhograma, Parag, Reyali and Rey villages were worst hit and crops on several acres of lands were destroyed. A dozen panchayts in Mand area of Nurpur sub-division were flooded.

Bhakhra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has been constantly discharging water through spillways of Pong Dam since August, 6 as the inflow has increased due to torrential rains. Inflow of water into the reservoir on Saturday was recorded at 94,000 cusecs. The BBMB authorities discharged 60,000 cusecs of water into the Beas River through floodgates on Saturday.

Water level at the reservoir stood at 1,380 feet on Saturday, which is 57 feet higher as compared to last year's 1,323 feet on the same date. Deputy commissioner C Pal Rasu said around half-a-dozen villages were affected as water entered into their houses while paddy, maize and sugarcane crop had also been damaged.

Rasu said warning had been issued in villages situated in downstream areas of Pong Dam and boats have been arranged to evacuate people in case of emergency. He said situation was under control as BBMB authorities had already informed the district administration about water release.

"According BBMB authorities there is a possibility of release 1 lakh cusecs of water from the Pong Dam reservoir, so we have alerted people in the area to move to safer places," said he said. "We are continuously monitoring the situation and revenue officer of the area has been made the field officer who will submit a report about the situation every day" he added.

Pong Dam can store water up to 1,395 feet against the danger mark of 1,390 feet. The dam meets the irrigation requirements of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and some parts of Himachal Pradesh.

KANGRA: Traffic on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow rail gauge line in Himachal Pradesh will remain off the tracks for at least 10 days due to landslides along the track, a railway official said on Sunday."Traffic was suspended on Friday as heavy rain in region had damaged the track at a number of points between Guler and Kangra towns," assistant divisional engineer (Northern Railways) MK Goel told IANS.

He said the damage to the tracks was greater near Kangra.

The 165-km-long rail track from Pathankot in Punjab to Jogindernagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh was once proposed to be declared a Unesco heritage site.

Railway officials say trains have been playing normally between Pathankot and Guler in Kangra district; beyond Guler, traffic has been halted for repair work.

In March last year the rail traffic on this section was restored after seven months of closure. At that time, the 84-year-old railway bridge on the Chakki rivulet had been damaged in flashfloods.

The bridge, initially constructed in 1928 when the Sanan hydel project in Jogindernagar was set up, is the only bridge connecting Pathankot and the picturesque Kangra Valley. The British had laid the Pathankot-Jogindernagar line in 1932, linking the prominent religious towns of Kangra and Mandi districts of the hill state.

Each year, a large number of tourists ride trains on the line to take in the scenic beauty of the Himalayas.