Commuting in mud and rail

MUMBAI, June 2: Local trains chopping their way through knee-deep water on tracks, services permanently behind schedule, chaos at the stati...

MUMBAI, June 2: Local trains chopping their way through knee-deep water on tracks, services permanently behind schedule, chaos at the stations and frayed tempers. These have been familiar sights along Central and Western Railways suburban stations during the monsoon for several years.

Unfortunately, there will be a repeat performance during this season too.Regular commuters on Central Railways and Western Railways have to ready themselves for the harrowing experience of the grinding halt mid-journey due to waterlogging on tracks or movement at snail speed. All is because the concerned authorities, instead of cleaning up culverts and nullahs on a war footing, the railways and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC are trading blames with each other.

While railway officials are sore over the fact that the BMC has decided not to touch the railway properties, the latter, on the other hand were sad that the railways were not able to pay an outstanding amount of Rs 20 crore for the year 1995-96 for the clean-up that the BMC undertakes on their behalf.

8220;For over a year now, we have been sending reminders to the railways asking them to clear the dues. They have not bothered even to acknowledge receiving our letters,8221; an official of the solid waste management department told Express Newsline. This has led to a situation in which the work of cleaning of culverts has remained neglected, he added. Meanwhile, the railway officials relate a different story. According to them the BMC is not doing their best in clearing the precincts of railway properties. There are nearly 15 lakh slums alongside railway tracks on both the suburban railways. While most of these slum colonies lack basic amenities like public toilets and water supply, the railway tracks are liberally used as an alternate arrangement.

Besides, defecating and throwing of litter on the tracks has led to soil erosion, especially on the CR leading to uneven track alignments and thus the regular mishaps and derailments, feel railway officials.

Stations like Charni Road, Elphinstone, Lower Parel, Matunga, Dahisar on the western line; Kurla, Matunga, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Thane stations on the central line and almost all stations between Sandhurst Road and Mankhurd on the harbour line have been experiencing waterlogging on tracks for several years. However, the railway authorities have failed to take remedial action.

The civic administration officials revealed that the tracks, especially on the CR line, get earthed8217; softening of soil due to excess water content after a shower.

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Even the strong stone ballast, spread as a bed underneath the sleepers, sinks into the soft sub-soil.

Attempts to clear all the waste scattered on and along the tracks in the past have come to naught as flooding is aggravated due to the poor sub-soil, they further said.

With the controversy over non-payment of dues by the railways to the corporation queering the pitch just before the onset of monsoon, it will not only be the railways that will be affected but also the hapless commuter who neither can avoid travelling nor bear the trial.