Less than a week after 11 people were killed in an autorickshaw-train collision at an unmanned railway crossing in Jamnagar district,the Home Department has ordered a detailed survey of all such crossings in the state. Senior Gujarat Police officers said that the survey is being conducted to prepare a list of unmanned,accident-prone railway crossings in the state. The idea is to get the most accident prone railway crossings manned during the first phase of the Central scheme. It proposes to man all unmanned railway crossings in India in the next five years, said Sudhir Sinha,Additional Director General of Police (ADGP),Law and Order. He added: The first phase of the project by the Railway Ministry is expected to begin soon. The Home Department wants a maximum possible number of accident prone unmanned railway crossings to be manned during the first phase itself. Meanwhile,state police chief,DGP S S Khandwawala has asked the police administration in all districts to submit details like the total number of unmanned railway crossings in their districts,their locations,number of accidents that occurred on or near these crossings over the last five years,and a list of these crossings on the basis of their proneness to accidents. The field exercise is to be carried out through police stations. Sources in the state Home Department said this is the first survey of its kind in the state. In the absence of any such exercise in the past,the Home Department does not have data on the total number of such crossings in the state,they added. The number is estimated to be between 150 and 200.
