Title - Konkan rail starts geo-safety work

Upping its safety measures to ensure that train services are not disrupted during the monsoon, the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) has initiated geo-safety work such as slope cutting and rock bolting. The monsoon has wreaked havoc in Pomendi and Nivsar sections in the past, severely affecting the railway services, as huge boulders fell on railway tracks. According to the KRCL, work such as installation of steel boulder netting, constructing retaining walls, levelling of slopes to prevent rock falls and construction of lined catch water drains have been done. A total of `267 crore has been spent from 1999 to April 2012 for geo-tech safety works. This year alone, the KRCL has spent `3 crore for geo-safety works. “We just hope that there is no incessant downpour. We are also planning to provide bus facilities for the passengers in case they get stranded. This facility is available only on the Konkan Railway in the entire Indian Railways’ route. All the requisite monsoon precautionary work has been executed,” said Siddheshwar Telugu, chief public relations officer, KRCL. Apart from the safety work, intensive manual patrolling will be carried out during the monsoons, the KRCL said. Watchmen are posted at vulnerable locations. Moreover, the administration has approached concerned state government authorities so that release of excess water from reservoirs, dams and bunds do not affect railway services. Last year, the Konkan Railway witnessed three landslides during the monsoon, due to which services were terminated, diverted or cancelled for seven days. The 760-kilometre route built through mountainous terrain containing many rivers connects Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. Nature’s wrath on the Konkan Railway has always been a cause of concern. It has also witnessed accidents due to natural calamities in the past.