Mumbai: 725 deaths in 6 months due to trespassing on suburban section of Central and Western Railways

A total of 228 deaths and 613 accidents have been recorded on Western Railway and Central Railway accounted for 497 cases of deaths due to trespassing.

“Jogeshwari and Kandivli stations of Western Railway recorded highest number of deaths due to trespassing. An absence of FOB at Jogeshwari station was observed to be the main reason for trespassing. We have informed the Railway authorities concerned and Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) about it, so that they take necessary action,” said Anand Jha, Divisional Security Commissioner, Western Railway.

“Absence of barricades between the platforms on the railway stations was found to be another major reason for trespassing. In Jogeshwari, removal of the existing barricades by commuters for an easy switch between the platforms was reported. Efforts are on to build new barricades at the earliest,” Jha added.

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Officials said that the number of deaths reported on WR had been less than two deaths per day in the past few days due to the special drive organised by RPF, WR. RPF has identified 110 locations on WR with maximum cases of trespassing.

“Out of the 110 locations identified, immediate action is being taken to stop cases of line-cutting on 39. We have taken action in eight places and 31 remain,” Jha said.

Officials said that eighteen stations on WR were still in need of FOBs. “Thirteen more FOBs will be constructed in the stations between Dadar and Virar in the coming days. Also, we have informed the corporation and asked for help in making end-to-end FOBs which aid commuters to exit from stations easily,” a senior WR official said.

Officials said that digitising death records had increased the speed of receiving information and helped officials to keep a tab on trespassing claims.

“Previously, we would receive the death records and post-mortem reports, every six months or in a year. This year, the frequency of receiving reports has been increased. We receive them in 30 days, owing to digitisation,” a senior RPF official said.

On Central Railway, Kurla and Kalyan stations recorded the maximum deaths due to trespassing. Maximum footfall and lesser use of FOBs by commuters were found to be the reasons.

Under Mumbai Urban Transport Project II, MRVC is constructing FOBs and barricades between platforms to curb trespassing.

CASES OF MISSING CHILDREN HAVE DOUBLE IN A YEAR 

The number of cases of missing children found at railway stations has doubled since last year, according to the Western Railway (WR) authorities. From 97 children found in 2015, the number has risen to 202.

According to data retrieved from Railway Protection Force (RPF), Western Railway, at least 132 boys and 70 girls have been found in the past six months, in 2016, in comparison to 63 boys and 34 girls found last year. Of the children found this year, officials said that 143 had been handed over to their parents and Government Railway Police (GRP) had taken charge of 25.

“Children were handed over to their parents in cases where complete missing records were available. However, in cases where minimum or incomplete information was available, the children were handed over to the GRP authorities. The rest, on whom we do not have any information, are handed over to child care centres,” said Anand Jha, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, WR.

“This year, the RPF has played an active role in interrogating all the children found at railway stations. An organisation, named National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPRC), has helped us a lot in taking these lost children back to their homes,” Jha added.

According to officials, 6,369 cases of unauthorised hawking have been registered and at least Rs 31 lakh collected in fines, this year. “In a 15-day special drive from June 15 to June 30, we managed to nab many unauthorised hawkers on platforms and foot-overbridges (FOBs). We have also written to commissioners of Vasai and Mira-Bhayander corporations to declare entry and exit points of stations as non-hawking zones to facilitate walking for commuters,” Jha said.

Considering thefts on the Western Railway in the past six months, number of railway property thefts was the highest. Property worth Rs 3 lakh was stolen and 68 people were arrested in related cases, this year, in comparison to property worth Rs 7 lakh stolen and 189 arrests in 2015.

“It becomes difficult to retrieve stolen railway property as most of them are either salvaged or dismantled for further use. We have found that majority of such thefts occur in monsoons, owing to an increased absence of patrolling officers on duty. Electrical and mechanical instruments, along with booked consignments, were the items stolen in most of the cases,” said a senior RPF official.

The other cases detected by RPF, WR, this year, include 1,562 cases of traveling on footboard, 350 of pulling alarm chain, 12,061 of traveling in reserved compartments and 4,096 of men traveling in Ladies compartment.

neha.kulkarni@expressindia.com