The
Asian Age: Mumbai: Thursday, 22 January 2015.
Overall
accidental deaths on the Mumbai suburban railway have increased in 2014 but
what is even more alarming is the steady rise in deaths while crossing tracks.
In 2013, a total of 1,826 persons were killed while crossing the tracks while
in 2014, the figure rose to 1,912 persons i.e. 86 more deaths.
An RTI query
revealed that a total of 35,216 people died in accidental deaths between 2002
and August 2011, out of which as many as 23,299 died while crossing the tracks.
Activist
Samir Zaveri, who lost his legs in a train accident, said, “In 2004, the high
court had given an order to curb accidents and provide medical help to victims
of train accidents. But the railways did not comply with the order. The high
court pulled them up in 2012 only after which the process started gradually.”
An official
from the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) Ltd. said, “We have started
implementing trespass control in 12 stations, of which six are from the Central
Railway and the remaining six from the Western Railway. This includes
constructing FOBs, escalators, elevators, among others. The project’s
implementation began in November 2014 and will end in Dec. 2016. It will cost
around Rs 180 crore.”
Meanwhile, a
reliable source from RPF said that the MRVC did not take suggestions/consult
the RPF before implementing the project. To this, an MRVC official replied that
they were an independent body and had done their own survey.
Overall,
accidental deaths increased from 3,506 in 2013 to 3,423 in 2014. From 2013 to
2014, accidental deaths due to hitting railway poles, falling in gaps between
railway stations and running trains, and electrocution while travelling atop
local trains increased. Between 2013 and 2014, deaths due to hitting railway
poles increased from eight to eleven; deaths due to falling in gaps increased
from 19 to 34; while deaths due to electrocution while traveling atop local
trains increased from 27 to 28.
However, from
2013 to 2014, deaths due to falling off running trains came down from 901 to
797 and deaths due to suicides fell from 62 to 33.
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